Album Notes

JANINE GILBERT CARTER Live at the East Coast Jazz Festival; Fish’s Nightclub.

If Janine Gilbert Carter had not named her debut CD In the Moment (Jazz Karma#919), that would be quite an appropriate title for this disc. Janine is obviously “in the moment” and enjoying every minute of it. In the liner notes for her debut CD I mentioned how I watched her go from a novice to a seasoned professional over the course of five hours. Listening to this CD has shown me just how much she has matured musically since that initial recording (check out Here’s to Life which is on both discs).

Sometimes live recordings can sound “staged,” a product of over-production. Listeners can easily tell if the group is reacting spontaneously or in a programmed way. If someone had wanted this performance to sound “staged,” they failed! There are times this performance falls into a old style jam session, not a free for all, just a jammin’ good time.

Janine is joined by a stellar cast of band mates who follow her every move to give a seamless polished performance. Chris Grasso, piano, Paul Carr, Saxes, Gavin Fallow, bass, Steve Abshire guitar and Clyde Adams, drums, each brings something special to the date. As you listen to the opening track, No Greater Love, you get an idea of what’s coming. Janine starts things off with a wide open, confident presentation of the “head” and Steve Abshire lights up the stage with his solo. Paul Carr uses the tenor sax to paint a different color and pretty soon everybody, including the listener, is having a rollicking good time. If you think you’re going to catch your breath on What a Difference a Day Made, you’re wrong. It may not be as fast in tempo as the first cut but the intensity is still there. Chris Grasso’s solo work and comping helps set up Janine’s on stage sassiness. You may not be able to see her, but if you close your eyes and listen, the joy Janine, the group and the audience share becomes apparent.

From then on, it’s on. Don’t Go To Strangers is slower but not any less intense. Janine toys with the audience picking things up with Candy and then following it with the aforementioned Here’s To Life which she dedicates to the late Shirley Horn (though not as deliberate as Shirley’s version this one stands on its own). Green Dolphin Street offers a nice change of pace as the disc’s only bossa and effectively leads into an all out swing on All of Me. When Janine opens up A Song For You the audience’s reaction is verification that they believe the song is just for them! You will hear applause on this recording but what you hear is nothing in comparison to what the audience offered this fine ensemble live. If this had been staged, Steppin Out would have preceded Please Send Me Someone To Love (makes sense, you need to replace the one who was stepping out). That would have been very cheesy and this CD is anything but cheesy and doesn’t need forced theatrics.

When I Fall in Love has always been one of my favorite tunes to play and I enjoy listening to it as much as playing it. By the time Janine finishes the final note of At Last, you find yourself wanting to hit replay and start this marvelous ride all over again. Sit back, turn the volume up and imagine you’re at the East Coast Jazz Festival. If you’ve ever been to this festival you won’t have to stretch your imagine. If you haven’t been to the festival, shame on you. You can redeem yourself by listening to this disc over and over again.
(Producer Ron Kearns)

(BIO)

Janine was introduced to gospel, jazz and blues at a very early age by her parents and grandmother.

This Pennsylvania native cannot remember a time when music was not a part of her very existence. She began her musical journey like so many contemporary artists as a member of the choir at her church in Aliquippa PA. She also had the opportunity to expand on her solo performances as a member of the Bach Choir of PA which performed some of Broadways most exciting musicals. Janine continued to use the gift she was given to perform at various functions and special events until she relocated to the Washington Metropolitan area in the summer of 1988. During the summer of 1996 Janine performed her debut concert in the DC area at New Genesis Baptist Church; this celestial songbird has been flying ever since.

Since 1998 Ms Gilbert-Carter has performed with the Washington Performing Arts Society Men & Women of the Gospel Mass Choir and has shared the stage with notable artists such as Tramaine Hawkins, Oleta Adams, Regina Bell, Ann Nesby and Donnie McClurkin and Sweet Honey in the Rock for the WPAS's Annual Gospel concert held at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C.

Since September 2001 Janine has worked with Local Jazz musical talents Ronnie Wells-Elliston and Ron Elliston. Audiences have been delighted with her performances at "Twins Jazz" the U street Jazz series concerts held at "The Islander" in Washington D.C., The FMJS East Coast Jazz Festival and The legendary Washington DC supper Club Blues Alley as well as several White House Events.

Janine was winner of the 2002 Absolute Jazz competition which was held in Washington DC, she was a finalist in the 2003 FMJS Scholarship competition and the 2004 Mayor's Billie Holiday vocal competition and a quarter finalist in the 2005 American traditions competition in Savannah GA. She has also performed at many special events were she has shared the stage with area-wide Jazz musicians like pianist Arron Graves, Vince Smith, Eric Byrd, and Ron Elliston; bassist Wes Biles, James (Tex) King, Saxaphonist Paul Carr and percussionist Mike Smith, Nassar Abadey and the late Ricky Loza.

Janine has released three CD’s in two different genre’s (Jazz) “In The Moment” and (Gospel) “God Spoke To Me” and Janine Gilbert-Carter & Friends Live at the FMJS quarterly gospel concert (Indie). Her fourth CD and second Jazz project Live at the FMJS East Coast Jazz Festival “A Song For You” Will be available this September 2006

Janine’s prayer is to have a positive effect on all that hear her. “To exude the feeling of warmth and love through her music”.
Honors and Awards:

* 2006- Maryland Sate Arts Council (MSAC) Individual Artist Award in Solo Vocal Performance

* 2005- Quarter Finalist- Americas Traditions vocal competition Savannah, GA

* 2004- Finalist - Baltimore MD Mayor's Billie Holiday competition

* 2003 - Finalist - FMJS East Coast Jazz competition

* 2002 - Winner of The Absolute Jazz competition Wash. D.C.


Memberships:

*FMJS Jazz Scholarship Fund

*International Association for Jazz Education