Daniel Carter and Rueben Radding - Luminescence
(Aum Fidelity)
An end result of a 2001 Artist grant awarded to Radding, this collaboration, the first between Carter and Radding as a duo, marks Daniel Carter's debut as a leader under his own name. Recorded both in Seattle at the Earshot Jazz Festival and, two days later, in Flora Studios in the same city, Luminescence is a document of what can result when two musicians find ground that allows them to non-verbally communicate so effortlessly that their music simply flows. Carter, due to airline restrictions, plays only his alto sax; Radding, double bass. The disc contains some of the most tempered playing from Carter that I've heard, perhaps since his work with the Saturnalia String Trio, but that's not to say that the music lacks power or emotive force. Carter blows gentle tones that gently evolve into more melodic playing, though he rarely states a theme obviously or returns frequently to a melody he's touched on previously. Radding is unquestionably the follower in the duo, and though such well-defined and unwavering lines between the leader and supporters in improvisation can sometimes lead to stagnancy, both men play their parts well. Radding frequently bows long, groaning notes to complement Carter's more abstract playing, but is also easily capable of more traditional, hand-plucked walking up and down the neck of his instrument, which he utilizes often when Carter veers into more melodic work. There's a great deal of space in the recordings, and the musicians allow ample room for each other to perform without incessantly vying for space, with a crystal-clear fidelity that doesn't waver between the live and studio portions of the disc. Though sometimes the more melodic work on the disc seems almost an interruption of the beauty Carter and Radding cultivate, Luminescence surely lives up to its title.
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