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“Music is my mistress and she plays second fiddle to no one.”
-Duke Ellington |
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 Wednesday, 07 January 2009 |
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Kenny Carr: Friday at Five review |
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Written by Carmel DeSoto
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Thursday, 12 January 2006 |
 Guitarist and composer, Kenny Carr, began playing violin at age nine,
but at age eleven, he realized his true passion was the guitar.
Growing up in Santa Cruz, California with its inspiring natural beauty
set the stage for Carr’s musical career. It seemed everyone in
his small California beach town loved jazz. By his early teens,
he was studying jazz theory with vibraphonist Rob Lautz as well as
renowned trumpeter Ray Brown. Carr found himself surrounded by
talented and aspiring musicians who became his closest friends.
By age sixteen, he was performing at local venues where he met drummer
Kenny Wollesen and bassist Anders Swanson, as well as 2004 Grammy
nominated saxophonist Donny McCaslin. In 1981, Kenny and his
fellow Santa Cruz musicians were invited to open up for Carmen McCrea
and Freddie Hubbard at the Mount Tamalpais jazz festival.
After high school, Kenny attended Berklee College of Music in
Boston. During his final year in 1986, he received the call to
audition for Ray Charles, upon making the cut; Carr toured worldwide
with Ray Charles and was his guitarist for over ten years.
Friday at Five was originally
intended to be a demo project as well as an opportunity to reunite with
some old Santa Cruz friends; Donny McCaslin, John Dryden, Tony Mason,
John Bailey, and Andy Hess. Friday
at Five was recorded in a small studio in Manhattan in
1997. To create more of a “live” feel, no sound barriers were
used to separate the musicians, much like recording sessions of
yesteryear. This “demo project” was finished in two days and
somehow ended up in storage. Eight years later, Carr’s music
remains as fresh as the day it was recorded in 1997.
This enduring vitality is the essence of Carr’s debut album Friday at Five. The disc
begins with “New York Shuffle,” a bluesy walk through the streets of
New York on a sunny day are the vision this cut invokes. Carr and
band mates dig in for a solid groove that lays the pad for Carr to
really show his technique and soul. Carr also, shines with a
poignant Hammond solo adding just the right spice to the track.
“Ray’s Riff,” is up next showcasing Carr’s Jazz influences and early
training with Lautz and Brown. Trumpeter, John Bailey, steps out
for a searing, with Carr taking the handoff seamlessly to seal the deal
with that signature bluesy guitar sound.
“Grammercy Groove,” exhibits Carr in a pure smooth vibe. Soulful
guitar lines stream from his guitar with technical prowess dripping
from his strings. The backbeat groove and unity of the group
really shines on this cut. “Movin’ On,” creates a moody segue way
in the atmosphere. Carr displays his ability to express
tenderness, while a young McCaslin shows why he is the one of the
hottest tickets in jazz today. The title track “Friday at Five,”
is perfectly titled in emotion, it’s that giddy feeling you get when
Friday has reached the playtime hour. Horn section, McCaslin and
Bailey set up the fun with funky jazzy stabs while Carr, Hess, Mason
and Dryden groove till the midnight hour.
“Coast-to-Coast,” exemplifies the cool jazz theme, a perfect blend with
the fabric of this disc. “Exit 16,” takes you to the turnpike of
that great blues juke joint where the band is jumping and so is the
scene. The group as a whole turns up the heat and cooks up a
mixed gumbo of jazz and blues, infused with groove baby.
“Fly Away,” is another texture change in the ever flowing Friday at Five disc. Carr is
featured on Acoustic piano, guitar and a sprinkling of electric guitar
to tie this thought provoking instrumental into the weave of fabric Friday at Five continues to sew,
Carr’s nylon guitar work is outstanding. The CD is closed with
“Santa Cruzin,” a fitting tribute to the roots of Carr and
friends. The group plays it cool and tight with an emotive finish
filled with passion and tribute to the great city of Santa Cruz.
Carr and friends have put together a moment in time and a collection of
songs that move the human emotions and appeal to the cerebral desires
of technical cravings. A well done, well conveyed project.
Kudos’!
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