‘Musically ours’ to enjoy
Maybe it’s his many years as a self-effacing sideman that gave Paul Carr the ability, on “Musically yours, Remembering Joe Henderson,” to produce a recording that provides ample space for the sidemen but still showcases Carr as the leader in what may be our area’s 2008 CD of the year.

Indeed, trumpeter Terrell Stafford and pianist Mulgrew Miller shine brightly throughout Carr’s third recording as a leader, this one an homage to tenor saxophone legend Joe Henderson. The deft Lewis Nash on drums and the always melodic and sympathetic Michael Bowie on bass do their part as well to provide superb musicianship on this disc, produced by Carr and released earlier this year on his Paul Carr Jazz label.

“It wasn’t until I was leading a weekly gig soon after college that I began to really check out Joe,” says Carr on the liner notes to the CD. “I loved his sound, playing and writing. I began to buy every record I could find where Joe was featured. Whenever Joe came to town I was there with big eyes and open ears. There were always different musicians with Joe when he played in the Washington, DC, area. However, It did not matter because his presence and musicianship to the band to another level.”

The Texas-born Carr’s gritty, bluesy tenor style fits perfectly with any homage to Henderson, one of the underrated tenor greats of our time. Carr’s CD devotes five selections to Henderson originals, with “Black Narcisus” one of the highlights. A haunting refrain that shows off Carr’s finesse on tenor and Miller’s sparkling, crystal-like ripples on piano, the tune becomes a hypnotic sonata in this group’s hands. On Henderson’s “Granted,” Stafford blazes while Nash pops and Miller comps, then Carr takes over for Stafford with his own high-flying solo and then Miller soars on his own.

But it would difficult to pick an overall winner on the recording, with Carr’s treatment of “Night and Day,” Louis Scherr’s “Zsa Zsa,” Henderson’s  “Mamacita” and “Y Todavia LaQuiero” and the rollicking title tune all top shelf and featuring some ripping Carr solos. Carr ends the CD in a personal way, honoring Henderson with some gentle melancholia and that slightly hoarse Henderson tone on the acapella “If You Could See Me Now.”

Always a “nice” player, Carr has added some edge and maturity in his sound and lyricism in recent years to go along with his masterful arranging and production work.

The result is a giant in our midst when you add Carr’s devotion to education, much of it through his Jazz Academy of Music (jazzacademy.org). And with JAM, Carr has another CD to celebrate this year, with the recent release of the group’s compilation CD, “The Jazz Academy Orchestra,” dedicated to the memory of area jazz educator Frankie Ball.

‘In the Spirit’ and more
Other recordings by area stars so far this year include the new CD by Davey Yarborough and Esther Williams, “In the Spirit.”

“In the Spirit” is what Yarborough and Williams call “another labor of love born of our spiritual foundation and a fruit of our love and journey together. Each of these songs holds special spiritual meaning for us; some providing comfort during trying times, while others remind us of our love for family and our appreciation for our blessings and gifts.”

Yarborough, the jazz maestro at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts, and his wife Esther, have long been leading lights in the jazz world, with Yarborough and Williams having recorded previously on “It’s A Beautiful Friendship,” and Yarborough with pianist Sir Roland Hanna on “Royal Essence.”

Yarborough’s Washington Jazz Arts Institute, by the way, is accepting applications for its 2008 Jazz Mentor Program Summer Session. For more information, see dcjazzmusic.org.

Byrd’s ode to ‘Brother Ray’
Also new on disc is pianist Eric Byrd’s “Brother Ray,” his ode to Ray Charles.  It features Carr on tenor sax and Lyle Link on alto sax, among the area players. Byrd is on piano and vocals, and songs on the CD include “Get on The Right Track Baby,” “Come Rain or Come Shine,” “Baby Won’t You Please Come Home,” “Don’t Let the Sun Catch You Crying” and “You Don’t Know Me.”

May Highlights: Nasar Abadey and SUPERNOVA, May 2-3, Twins Jazz … Kenny Barron, May 3, Kennedy Center … Wynton Marsalis, May 7, Kennedy Center, Larry Brown Trio, May 7, Blues Alley … Danielle Eva Quartet, May 8, Twins Jazz … Antoine Roney, May 9-10, Bohemian Caverns … Fertile Ground, May10-11, Blues Alley …  Mary Lou Williams Women in Jazz Festival, May 15-17, Kennedy Center … Cyrus Chestnut, May 15-18, Blues Alley …