Check out what the NY Times had to say about my week long residency at Sweet Basil, NYC in December 1995, as I released my first album!! Full disclosure, the sets he mentions actually feature Roy Hargrove, not Terrell Stafford. We hope to release those at a future date.
Going His Own Way And Ready to Lead Marc Cary, Pianist Sweet Basil
Jazz recordings so infrequently represent the state of nature in New York that it is possible, from the outside, to imagine that younger jazz musicians are bent on preserving last year's mainstream. The pianist Marc Cary's second set on Tuesday night at Sweet Basil (he will be there through Sunday) was the sort that a major label wouldn't touch; it included an extended suite, flirted with free improvisation and took on songs by Billie Holiday and Abbey Lincoln. And though it was clearly well planned, the set opened up plenty of space for collective decisions on form.
Mr. Cary is best known as a sideman, but he's obviously ready to take on the role of leader. His band, including Roy Hargrove on trumpet, Ron Blake on tenor saxophone, Y. C. Laws on flute, Billy Johnson on bass, Dion Parsons on drums and Daniel Moreno on percussion, tore through a long piece that included compositions by Mr. Cary and a piece by Ms. Lincoln, "Throw It Away."
Lasting nearly 45 minutes, the work used ostinatos and regular swing time, moving and static harmony and, at times, seemingly no harmony at all. There were riffs, and the music wandered into silence. Rhythms and tempos changed from section to section, and by the end of the suite -- which featured expansive, daring soloing by Mr. Hargrove and Mr. Blake that one doesn't always hear in their own work -- the handful of people who had braved the snowstorm gave Mr. Cary and the band an extended ovation.
As a pianist, Mr. Cary is growing. He's one of only a few young pianists to tackle the sound and percussion of Duke Ellington and Randy Weston; during his improvisations he would hammer out figures at the extreme range of the piano, then stop playing, giving his phrases drama. Mr. Cary had conviction when he played, and combined with his intelligence, the set suggested that he is onto something important. PETER WATROUS, New York Times
credits
released September 4, 2020
Recorded at Sweet Basil, NYC, in 1995
Marc Cary-piano
Terrell Stafford- trumpet, Ron Blake-tenor saxophone, Y. C. Laws-flute, Billy Johnson- bass, Dion Parsons-drums and Daniel Moreno-percussion
supported by 8 fans who also own “Live at Sweet Basil 1995 - Vol. 2”
This is a wonderful album! Dave Douglas is one of my heroes. He's more than a great musician. He has a vision for the music and a feeling for putting together a group which is unique. So, beside Joey Baron (another heavyweight and one of my absolute favourite drummers) he invited some young cats to this session. They play just great and make sure that this music sounds totally fresh, whilst at the same time being deeply rooted in the jazz tradition. Florian Arbenz
supported by 7 fans who also own “Live at Sweet Basil 1995 - Vol. 2”
Pretty much everything. The playing is incredible and the compositions lovely. But most of all I love the intensity of listening, joy and collaboration that oozes from every piece. Three of today's finest jazz musicians who were clearly thirsting for live co-creation and pull off a masterpiece on this album. tjsimon1