Joe Cartwright

Soul Eyes
Lafayette Music LMCD-1954

Personnel: Joe Cartwright, piano; Bob Bowman,bass; Todd Strait, drums

Tracks: Dreamsville; Ojos de Rojo; Always and Forever; Love Walked In; Fall; Soul Eyes; Hebgan Happy Hour
Tracks 3, 4, and 5: Recorded March 18, 2004, Oak Bar, Fairmount Kansas City. Engineer: Chris Crabtree. Track 6: Recorded March 20, 2004, Kansas City Public Radio Studio C. Engineer: Chubias Smith. Tracks 1, 2, 7: Recorded March 21, 2004, Topeka Performing Arts Center. Engineer: Luke Stone. Mastered by Craig Rettmer, C. R. Sound.

In the recent past I had the pleasure of reviewing recordings with Joe Cartwright featured as a sideman. On both of these sessions (led by Gary Dammer and Kim Park) the contributions of Mr. Cartwright were ear-catching, greatly enhancing the listening pleasure of each.
Soul Eyes gives us the opportunity to again hear Joe on disc, this time in a leader role on seven varied tracks recorded live over a four-day period this past March. With more than able assistance from our own Bob Bowman on bass and former KC-based drummer Todd Strait, Soul Eyes should bring a smile to most jazz fans.
The program is full of inspired surprises, with only George Gershwin's "Love Walked In" from the standard pop book. This rendition is unlike any I have heard before. Gershwin didn't put in the funk bass line or the brushed backbeat that Bowman and Strait lead with. Over this rhythm, the trio digs in for a quarter-hour excursion that ends too soon. Bob opens with a long introduction before the piano states the theme. Dig how Cartwright quotes Eddie Harris' "Cold Duck Time" and "Down By the Riverside" before he gets way deep into it. The Oak Room had to be full of toetappers this evening! The spiritual intensity just builds throughout Cartwright's statement, before he turns it over for some hands-on-hip scolding from Bowman. Strait has dropped the brushes for sticks by the time he gets his turn to the wrap.
Henry Mancini penned some hip music for the Peter Gunn TV series, including the leadoff track "Dreamsville." This is an easy loper, notable for Bowman's tasty counterpoint throughout the theme. Bowman is rewarded by getting the first solo, weaving his melodic magic. Note the underlying rhythm that Strait introduces under the piano solo, reminiscent of "Poinciana." This is a nice rendition of a seldom-heard gem.
"Ojos de Rojo" is Cedar Walton's modern jazz classic that must be a blast to play, with its surging rhythm, unforgettable bass line, and the tension and release. Solos sparkle with creative intensity. Strait is unbelievable, starting on the high hat before switching to the tom-toms. Can hands really move this fast?
Cartwright's ballad prowess is evident on Pat Metheny's "Always and Forever" - another inspired selection - and the title track "Soul Eyes". Ballads should be moving, and these are both satisfying. Cartwright shows his ability to improvise melody on both tunes. At the end of 'Always and Forever" you'll hear someone say "beautiful", and I agree with that critique. Mal Waldron's "Soul Eyes" requires some space in the melody, which Joe provides, while Strait gives a clinic in brushwork support for a ballad before picking up the tempo during the piano solo.
The Bowman blues "Hebgan Happy Hour" closes the proceedings. Bowman opens this up, then the heavy funk and backbeat come in to sup-port Cartwright's two-fisted statement. Strait is as melodic as a drummer can be in his brushed solo. Though recorded by three engineers at thredifferent locations, these tracks flow seamlessly with minimal change in quality. It's fair to say that this trio was locked in during these four days. This is a CD that will reward repeated listening.
—Roger Atkinson