Dance of the Love Ghosts is an album by the American musician John Carter, released in 1987.[1][2] It is the third part of Carter's Roots and Folklore: Episodes in the Development of American Folk Music series.[3]

Production

The album is about the Middle Passage and the initial experiences of enslaved Africans.[4] It was engineered by Jim Anderson and Jim Goatly.[5] Carter incorporated electronic elements for the first time on a record.[6] He worked with musicians based mostly in New York City, including Benny Powell on trombone, Bobby Bradford on cornet, Fred Hopkins on bass, and Marty Ehrlich on clarinet.[7][8][9] Don Preston contributed on keyboards; Andrew Cyrille contributed on drums, with additional rhythms provided by three Ashanti percussionists.[10][11] Violinist Terry Jenoure sang on "The Captain's Dilemma".[12] "The Silent Drum" employs African polyrhythms.[13]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[12]
DownBeat[2]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[14]
Omaha World-Herald[15]
The Philadelphia Inquirer[10]
The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide[16]

The Chicago Sun-Times called the album "an emotionally compelling and sometimes gripping telling of Africans being shipped to America as slaves".[17] The Chicago Tribune said that "the colors of the writing are Ellingtonian, which is as it should be, and Bradford's singing tone at once sears and heals the soul."[9] The New York Times labeled the music "a more open-ended, large-scale, abstract kind of chamber jazz".[18]

The Buffalo News noted the influence of Charles Mingus, particularly on the first two tracks.[19] The Miami Herald praised "the loose, up-tempo swing groove" of the rhythm section.[20] The Philadelphia Inquirer listed Dance of the Love Ghosts among the 20 best jazz albums of 1987.[21]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."Dance of the Love Ghosts" 
2."The Silent Drum" 
3."Journey" 
4."The Captain's Dilemma" 
5."Moon Waltz" 

References

  1. ^ Giddins, Gary (2000). Visions of Jazz: The First Century. Oxford University Press, USA. p. 539.
  2. ^ a b Shoemaker, Bill (January 1988). "Record Reviews—John Carter: Dance of the Love Ghosts". DownBeat. Vol. 55, no. 1. p. 25.
  3. ^ Harrison, Thomas (2011). Music of the 1980s. ABC-CLIO. p. 147.
  4. ^ Tesser, Neil (November 15, 1989). "'Unfulfilled dreams' Carter opus tracks poignant experience of black migration". Tempo. Chicago Tribune. p. 3.
  5. ^ Ross, Alan (August 9, 1987). "Jazz LP features fine ensemble". The Indianapolis Star. p. E10.
  6. ^ George, Lynell (April 13, 1989). "Selected John Carter Discography". LA Weekly. p. 49.
  7. ^ Snowden, Don (September 5, 1990). "A Local Hero Takes Center Stage". Los Angeles Times. p. F5.
  8. ^ Davis, Francis (October 23, 1987). "It's a Week with Plenty to Be Heard". Features Weekend. The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. 30.
  9. ^ a b Kart, Larry (November 29, 1987). "Recordings". Arts. Chicago Tribune. p. 26.
  10. ^ a b Davis, Francis (August 7, 1987). "Albums". Weekend. The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. 36.
  11. ^ Rubien, David (May 8, 1988). "A Master Returns Clarinet to Jazz Forefront". Datebook. San Francisco Examiner. p. 41.
  12. ^ a b "Dance of the Love Ghosts Review by Scott Yanow". AllMusic. Retrieved March 25, 2025.
  13. ^ Karlovits, Bob (August 27, 1987). "Records". The Pittsburgh Press. p. D12.
  14. ^ Larkin, Colin (1998). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Macmillan. p. 969.
  15. ^ Smith, Will (August 30, 1987). "'Love Ghosts' Dances with Soaring Spirit". Entertainment. Omaha World-Herald. p. 14.
  16. ^ The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide. Random House. 1999. p. 130.
  17. ^ Sachs, Lloyd (August 3, 1987). "John Carter, Sheila Jordan are must-sees". Show. Chicago Sun-Times. p. 3.
  18. ^ Pareles, Jon (February 5, 1988). "West Coast Jazz Stars to Play". The New York Times. p. C23.
  19. ^ Simon, Jeff (July 31, 1987). "Jazz". Gusto. The Buffalo News. p. 36.
  20. ^ Moon, Tom (June 27, 1987). "'Third Stream' flows at JVC Festival". The Miami Herald. p. 6B.
  21. ^ Davis, Francis (December 27, 1987). "1987's Standouts in Jazz & Rock". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. K1.
Allikas: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dance_of_the_Love_Ghosts
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