Marc Cary Focus CD

Personnel: Marc Cary (piano); Sameer Gupta (drums, tabla).
Audio Mixer: Lou Holtzman.
Recording information: Isotope Studios, Belmont, CA.
Photographer: Claudia Hayden.
Everything comes together rather nicely on Marc Cary's trio affair, Focus, with the pianist accompanied by two sympathetic musicians, bassist David Ewell and drummer Sameer Gupta. The fireworks begin with Cary's explosive, far-reaching interpretation of the late Jackie McLean's "Appointment in Ghana," which stretches into dissonant lines and even kicks into a Latin setting for a moment or two. Two African-flavored compositions by Cary, the pulsating "Walk with Me" and the equally driving "A Long Walk Home" (with Gupta overdubbing tablas), prove to be immediately infectious and never lose steam. "So Gracefully" is a delightful original modal ballad with an underlying vamp that's at times somewhat similar to John Coltrane's famous arrangement of "My Favorite Things." Gupta contributed the lyrical ballad "Taiwa" and jointly composed the intense post-bop vehicle "Elephants Eye" with the leader. The depth of Marc Cary's skills as a composer and pianist on this outstanding release merit his recognition as one of the best jazz musicians of his generation. ~ Ken DrydenEntertainment Weekly (p.79) - "He favors knotty melodies, but his meditative 'Voyage to the Inside' tugs heartstrings like a good spiritual."
JazzTimes (p.75) - "[B]assist David Ewell takes bracing harmonic angles on the material that are inspired by traditional Chinese music..."