Canadian-American pianist James Carson has developed a strikingly new sound in music.
Following in the tradition of the great improvisers of the 20th century, James performs evening-length concerts of music made right on the spot. What makes his music both unique and accessible, however, is his remarkable sense of time and harmony, which mirrors the tranquil and vivid processes of nature. He plays with astounding speed and pristine clarity, and he creates dazzling sonic effects using his numerous discoveries in piano technique.
He has been called “one of the most gifted rising stars,” by the Edmonton Journal, and a “genial genius” by the late poet Robert Creeley.
He began composing at the age of five and, at age seventeen, premiered his first orchestral composition with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra. That year he also arranged music for a 1000-piece student ensemble as part of the city’s millennium celebrations.
From 2000 to 2004 while earning his Bachelor Degree at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Mr. Carson performed, studied, and recorded with some of the leading improvisers of our time, including microtonal saxophone legend Joe Maneri, guitarist Joe Morris, and drummer Bob Moses. He also went on long walks with mentors Creeley and the iconoclastic pianist Cecil Taylor, and performed virtuosic works from the canon of 20th-century composers.
From 2004 to 2006, Mr. Carson took a dramatic leap of faith and walked away from music completely, to travel, with only a small bag, overland from Spain to Japan. He worked on organic farms across Europe, survived a 90-mile-an-hour car accident in Siberia, rode horses with the Mongols, and spent a month visiting Chinese tea growers with a Korean Zen monk. At the end of his journey, he spent three months living with and working for the Japanese artist Masashi Harada, editing the artistic essay for his book Ice Painting, which was published by Kousakusha in 2007.
Upon completing his trek around the world, Mr. Carson proceeded to design and build a straw-bale studio cabin in northern Alberta. The low-budget, super-insulated structure was built using many local and recycled materials and does not have any electricity. It features a 17-foot-high cathedral ceiling, a root cellar, a rainwater collection system, and a large wood stove. Winter temperatures in the area routinely fall below -40°(C°/F°). He moved his 1933 Sohmer baby grand piano in at the end of 2008.
Although Mr. Carson has been avoiding the limelight, of late, he performed extensively during his time in Boston, and garnered praise from many musical giants, including Milton Babbitt, who commended his “exceptional pianism and quick thinking,” and Joe Morris, who named his music “a place of daring and personal expression.” His primary teacher, Joe Maneri, dubbed his sound “a spiritual wonder.”
Now, at the age of twenty-seven, Mr. Carson has written a book about his travels, which he is currently editing; he has refined an accomplished and fresh approach to inside and outside jazz; and, most importantly, he is living with his piano and cabin, deepening his sound, preparing to present a series of solo concerts and collaborations around the globe.
jamescarson1 at yahoo.com (780) 435-6274
jamescarsoncabinmusic.com
Je suis très contente de
t'avoir dans mes amis. Merci de mettre tes nouveaux morceaux sur myspace. Tu fais partie des rares personnes sur terre qui mènent une véritable quête spirituelle. Alors reste toi-même et see you in Canada!
