| JOHN CARTER-BOBBY BRADFORD QUARTET , SEEKING (reissue, remastered) John Carter, Bobby Bradford, Tom Williamson & Bruz Freeman recorded January 16th, 1969 in Los Angeles. (Rating : **** in AllMusicGuideToJazz!) This was the debut on disc of the John Carter – Bobby Bradford Quartet (then under the cooperative name New Art Jazz Ensemble), and captures their marvelous cohesiveness, moral vibrancy, and quiet determination in equal measure. Subsequent recordings (and there were precious few of them) may have widened our view of their talents slightly, but didn’t necessarily alter any early assessment of their unique capabilities. Their music was fresh and vital from the git-go, and remains so. – Art Lange |