Terri Lyne Carrington Showcases Skills on 'More To Say'

By Doug Levine

Washington
14 July 2009


Jazz drummer Terri Lyne Carrington made a name for herself playing for some of the best in the business, including Dizzy Gillespie, Herbie Hancock and David Sanborn. Carrington follows that tradition on an album that reveals her composing, drumming and producing skills like never before.

There's something about Terri that attracts high caliber talent. Her latest solo effort, More To Say, is no exception, drawing a stellar cast of contemporary jazz stars, including alto saxophonist Walter Beasley on the track "Mesmerized."

Terri inherited her generous musical nature from her father, saxophonist Sonny Carrington. With his help, she learned to play alto sax. She later switched to the drums, a gift from her grandfather.

At age 11, Terri became one of the youngest students to receive a full scholarship to the Berklee College of Music. She was only 16 when she recorded TLC and Friends with pianist Kenny Barron, bassist Buster Williams and saxophonist George Coleman. Her major label debut, Real Life Story, featured another all-star cast of pop and jazz greats, and earned Terri her first Grammy Award nomination.

Terri describes her new album, More To Say, as a return to her funk and soul roots, and as a tribute to classic jazz of the '70s.

"I wanted to create a sophisticated listening experience that cuts across musical categories," she says.

In a recording session Terri describes as a "dream come true," legendary vocalist Nancy Wilson's performance on "Imagine This." Terri says, "If someone had said to me that Nancy Wilson would sing a lyric I wrote on my next CD, I probably wouldn't have believed them."

Terri herself sings a duet with jazz veteran Les McCann, while providing her signature drumbeat alongside George Duke, Kirk Whalum, Everette Harp, Patrice Rushen and Christian McBride. She dedicated the tune "Papa-san" to her father Sonny who accompanies her on tenor sax.

For a change of pace, Terri teams up with soul singer Lori Perry on The Beatles classic, "Let It Be."