The CD features the work of two Philadelphia masters, bassist Jamaaladeen Tacuma and guitarist Jef Lee Johnson. They and drummer G. Calvin Weston often provide a big, throbbing context for Carter's imaginings. This art-house funk, while milder than some, will be too much for the smooth jazzer. Still, the set conjures up some wild times and even verges on Sun Ra static occasionally. Carter pulls out some whirling-dervish solos against his sidemen's electronic scaffolding.
Deep grooves abound.
Layin' in the Cut is consonant with the funk-lite craze that seems to be arising. But it's more dangerous than most such offerings. Carter projects dramatic panache no matter what genre he's engaging. This makes him worth following. The composer, based at the Juilliard School of Music, has long idolized great rock groups like Led Zeppelin but knows how to use that sensibility with a searing introspection that makes Mahler seem reserved.