James Carter Quartet - JC On The Set

Review by Marcus Oliveira

Album Review: JC On The Set by James Carter Quartet (1994) Alright, so let’s talk about JC On The Set by the James Carter Quartet. This album came out in '94 and is a solid example of contemporary jazz that swings hard but also has these little moments where it feels like you're floating off into space. I mean, how do they even do that? It’s got this cool mix of groove-heavy tunes and these introspective vibes that just stick with you. The tracklist itself is kinda short—only eight songs—but man, does it pack a punch. Two tracks really stood out to me while I was jamming this one: “Sophisticated Lady” and “Caravan.” Let’s break ‘em down real quick. First up, “Sophisticated Lady.” Now, if you know anything about jazz standards, you’ve probably heard this tune before—it’s Duke Ellington classic territory. But James Carter doesn’t just play it safe here. He takes the melody and runs wild with it, adding layers of complexity without losing the soul of the original. Craig Taborn on piano absolutely kills it too, tossing in these lush chords that make you feel like you’re lounging in some smoky club from another era. And then there’s James himself on sax—you can tell he’s having fun because his solos are unpredictable yet totally smooth. Like, how does someone sound chaotic and controlled at the same time? Beats me, but it works. Then there’s “Caravan.” Oh man, this one slaps. If you’ve ever wanted a song that makes you wanna grab a scarf and twirl around your room pretending you’re mysterious or something, this is it. Tani Tabbal’s drumming sets up this hypnotic rhythm right away, and Jaribu Shahid’s basslines are so deep they could double as earthquake tremors. James switches between alto and tenor sax here, showing off his range like he’s flexing muscles you didn’t even know existed. By the end, you’re not sure whether to clap or bow down to the musical gods. Honestly, both reactions feel appropriate. What I love most about this album is how raw and alive it sounds. You can hear every breath, every scrape of fingers on strings—it’s like being right there in the studio with them. Credit goes to Jim Anderson for recording and mixing; dude clearly knew what he was doing. Plus, props to Allan Tucker for mastering everything so well that even cranking it up loud doesn’t ruin the vibe. So yeah, JC On The Set might be over 25 years old now, but it still hits different. Listening to it feels like finding an old vinyl in a dusty record store and realizing it’s gold. Jazz fans will dig it for sure, but honestly, anyone who loves good music should give this a spin. Oh, and here’s the kicker—I swear listening to this album made my cat start acting all weirdly cultured. True story. She sat next to the speaker the whole time, tail flicking like she was critiquing each note. Maybe cats are secret jazz aficionados? Who knows. But hey, if my feline approves, maybe yours will too.

Download James Carter Quartet - JC On The Set

Artist: James Carter Quartet
Album: JC On The Set

Jazz

Contemporary Jazz

1994

Rating: 4.33

Review
About Album
Download
Tracks
Video
Images
Catalog Numbers
Labels
Listen online
Formats
Companies
Credits
Notes
Barcodes
Interesting fact
Comments
Related albums

Download

Filename: james-carter-quartet-jc-on-the-set.zip

MP3 size: 56 mb
FLAC size: 305.6 mb

Download

Tracks

Track	Duration	Preview
Hour Of Parting	8:18
Baby Girl Blues	7:47
JC On The Set	6:25
Caravan	9:43
Blues For A Nomadic Princess	13:50
Worried And Blue	8:07
Sophisticated Lady	6:41
Lunatic	4:18

Video

JC on the Set - James Carter

James Carter - Blue for а nomadic princess

Images

lataa albumi James Carter Quartet - JC On The Set

Album herunterladen James Carter Quartet - JC On The Set

baixar álbum James Carter Quartet - JC On The Set

Catalog Numbers

CK 66149
DIW-875

Labels

DIW, Columbia
DIW

Listen online

écouter en ligne
kuunnella verkossa
lyssna på nätet
online anhören
ouvir online
online luisteren
lytte på nettet
escuchar en línea
ascolta in linea

Formats

CD
Album
Unofficial Release

Companies

Role	Company
Recorded At	Sound On Sound, New York
Phonographic Copyright (p)	Sony Music Entertainment Inc.
Copyright (c)	Disk Union
Manufactured By	Columbia Records

Credits

Role	Credit
Alto Saxophone	James Carter
Tenor Saxophone	James Carter
Baritone Saxophone	James Carter
Bass	Jaribu Shahid
Design	DIW Design Room
Drums	Tani Tabbal
Engineer	Devin Emke, John Siket
Executive-Producer	Disk Union
Liner Notes	Howard Mandel
Mastered By	Allan Tucker
Photography By	Cheung Ching Ming
Piano	Craig Taborn
Producer	DIW Records, Kazunori Sugiyama
Recorded By	Jim Anderson
Mixed By	Jim Anderson
Technician	Ed Wedberg
Saxophone [Alto	James Carter
Tenor	James Carter
Baritone]	James Carter

Notes

Recorded on 14, 15 April 1993 at Sound On Sound, NYC.
This is a US reissue of a DIW Records Japanese release. The DIW and Columbia logos appear in adjacent positions on the spine and elsewhere on the artwork.
© 1993 Disk Union/℗ 1994 Sony Music Entertainment Inc./Manufactured by Columbia Records/550 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10022-3211
1993 Disk Union
This is a russian unofficial reissue of a DIW Records Japanese release.

Barcodes

Barcode: 0 7464-66149-2 1
Matrix / Runout: ZZ-93GP0001805
Rights Society: JASRAC R-360256

Interesting fact about Album

Here’s a cool fact: James Carter, the saxophone genius behind *JC On The Set*, played not one, not two, but three types of saxophones on this album—alto, tenor, and baritone. It’s like he couldn’t pick a favorite, so he just mastered them all. The album blends smooth contemporary jazz with tracks like "Caravan" and "Sophisticated Lady," showcasing his versatility. Fun detail: it was released in both the US and Russia, making it a global jazz gem.

Comments

petragoossens1

2025-03-14

JAMES CARTER (t sax), Craig Taborn (p), Jaribu Shahid (b) and Tani Tabbal (d) in 1993.

meshalalsiari

2025-03-14

THe best tracks that James Carter ever laid were Caravans on JC On The Set and another album he did in the 1990s with Epistrophy.

ksdempsey8470

2025-03-14

Haha the sounds he can make with his Saxophone are just amazing it keeps surprising me even after listening for the 10th time.

daveylove66

2025-03-14

1:37 ' rhapsody in blue '

chibelshome

2025-03-14

To me this is one of the greatest saxophone solos ever

rameenayamuna11

2025-03-13

Bad News that i-tunes does not have J.C On The Set, with Caravans . There was another album in the 1990s with Epistrophy that will blow your mind. I heard him out of Main Public Radio. He seemed to have been destined for great things but ended up becoming obese and uncomprehensible. But how he did Caravans and Epistrophy in the 90s is haunting to this day