The Mosaic Project

Terri Lyne Carrington | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 19, 2011)
• Original Release Date: 2011
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Concord Jazz
• ASIN: B004ZQBP5O
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #12,932 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

For more than two decades, drummer, producer and vocalist Terri Lyne Carrington has crafted an eclectic brand of jazz that incorporates elements of bebop, soul, funk and much more. Since her debut in 1989, the GRAMMY®-nominated artist has established a reputation for assembling artists of varying styles and perspectives to create music that adheres to the traditions of jazz yet speaks to a much broader and more diverse audience. Carrington brings this same diverse sensibility to her new recording The Mosaic Project, an album that once again gathers a myriad of voices and crystallizes them into a multi-faceted whole that far outweighs the sum of its parts.

"Everything about this recording is about making a larger picture out of many various elements," says Carrington, who produced the 14-song set. "I assembled several friends - most of whom I've performed with in the past, and all of whom bring their own individual story - to help me create the big picture. For as talented as each of them are as individuals, when I put them all together, I have a much greater musical story - one that can be told in an interesting and compelling way."

Included on that list of friends are some of the most prominent female jazz artists of the last few decades: Esperanza Spalding, Dianne Reeves, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Sheila E., Nona Hendryx, Cassandra Wilson, Geri Allen and several others. Carrington says the emergence of so many great female jazz artists is what finally makes an album like The Mosaic Project possible, more so now than in decades past.

"If I had tried to do something like this in the past - like when I started playing 25 years ago - I might have felt limited by the pool of available musicians," she says. "But now there are so many talented women whom I've been playing with anyway - not just because they're women but because I love the way they play. So it has become easier to do a special project that celebrates the artistry and the musicality of these women."

Clearly, Carrington's picture is never quite what it seems. With so many individual voices and perspectives in the mix, the results are often eye-opening and ear-opening. "There's one part of me that's kind of a jazz head who likes complex, thought provoking melodies and harmonies," she says. "And then there's another part of me that really likes funk and pop and things that are accessible. This record is another chance for me to assemble all of these great musicians to help me combine those different aspects of myself - those different pieces - and create something special in the process.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 36 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars TERRI LYNE's MARVELOUS GRAMMY-WINNING ALL-STAR, ALL FEMALE "MOSAIC PROJECT". July 19, 2011

By RBSProds TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase

Five BRILLIANT Stars! Grammy-winning drummer, singer, composer/arranger, producer, and leader Terri Lyne Carrington's 5th recording is a major achievement of great beauty, hipness, and social significance which won the 2011 Jazz Vocal Album Grammy. Three decades into her impressive and multi-faceted career, on this recording the Berklee grad has enlisted and expertly combined the talents, in varying combinations, of over 20 top female musicians and singers all of whom transcend gender and are among the very best performers that the jazz world has to offer. These are female performers "coming together to support and celebrate each other from a musical and social perspective". And the various messages never get in the way of the beautiful, swinging music because they are the music. And what an exceptional cast of Grammy-winners, poll winners, established stars, and rising stars! Terri Lyne taps the front rank vocal talents of Diane Reeves, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Cassandra Wilson, Gretchen Parlato, Carmen Lundy, and Nona Hendryx, along with the blazing instrumental musicianship of singer/bassist Esperanza Spalding and Mimi Jones' bass; Ingrid Jensen on brass; Tineke Postma on reeds; Anat Cohen on clarinet and reeds; Geri Allen, Patrice Rushen, and Helen Sung on keyboards, singer/percussionist Shelia E, and Chia-Yin Carol Ma's violin. "Transformation", written and sung by Nona Hendryx is truly a hip revelation and the McCartney/Lennon "Michelle" is transformed into a bluesy, inspired instrumental journey. The gut-wrenching "Echo" begins with Angela Davis' words which are magnified and illuminated by Dianne Reeves, the chorus, and some tasty unison and solo work by Jensen. Terri Lyne's beautiful, touching "Magic and Music" is one of the first recorded tributes to the recently-departed Queen of Ivory Soul, Teena Marie. "Crayola" features the vocals and plucking of the newest star in the jazz and Grammy universe: Esperanza Spalding. The slick and sly "Soul Talk" is a marvel by Dee Dee Bridgewater and the group. Cassandra Wilson makes Al Green's "Simply Beautiful" much more than the title: its soulful and gorgeous with a tender solo by Chia-Yin Carol Ma's violin. Gretchen Parlato soars and purrs through an excellent "I Got Lost In His Arms" with Patrice dropping a hot solo. "Mosaic Triad" is a complex, convoluted, and shape shifting ensemble experience. All driven along by Terri Lyne's exceptional drumming and vocals. All songs are uniformly excellent and this recording gets My Highest Recommendation. Five BIG Stars! (This review is based on an Amazon.com mp3 download: 14 tracks. Trivia: At age 11, Terri Lyne Carrington received a full scholarship to the Berklee College of Music.)

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing - high replay value! July 19, 2011

By AngularJazz

Format:Audio CD

I went through the whole CD twice already - and it's superb. There's no skippers, every track is beautiful and multi-layered. Gotta give it up to the guest artists too. Terri Lyne is the glue holding everybody together, but all these women are remarkable in their own right. These new jazz albums continue to inspire me! Cheers to Terri and all the guest artists on Mosaic.

19 of 22 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Sit and Savor July 19, 2011

By mobyandme

Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase

Let me say that I was blown away by Teri Lyne Carrington's latest offering. It is deep, profound, musically complex, and lush. To get the full effect of the brilliance of these very talented women, please be sure to listen on a good quality sound system (undisturbed) to allow yourself the pleasure of experiencing every note and nuance. You'll do yourself a great disservice to listen to this CD simply as background music. It's that rich. What a treasure!