Is Virtuosity Getting in Carter’s Way?

James Carter has been able to do almost anything he chooses with a saxophone since his very first recordings. He is fluent not just on alto, tenor and soprano, but on some of the instrument’s more rarely heard manifestations--bass saxophone, for example--so there has never been any doubt about his virtuosic technical skills.

There has, however, been some question regarding his capacity to find an artistic center, on recordings as well as in performance. Too often he has gone off in all directions, wasting his great abilities in profligate musical abandon, notes flying wildly, casually mixing honks, multi-phonics and slap-tonguing with unexpected moments of soaring lyricism.

In an odd marketing decision, Atlantic is releasing two quite different Carter albums on Tuesday: “Chasin’ the Gypsy” (** 1/2) and “Layin’ In the Cut” (** 1/2). This sort of release pattern sometimes suggests that a record company is quickly playing out a performer’s contract. But it remains to be seen whether that is the case here.

“Chasin’,” dedicated to legendary French Gypsy jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt, has considerable potential. The presence of two fine guitarists, Jay Berliner and Romero Lubambo; violinist Regina Carter; and accordionist Charlie Giordano creates a lovely setting, further enhanced by four Reinhardt tunes (including his classic “Manoir de Mes Reves” and “Nuages”).

Unfortunately, Carter can’t seem to contain the desire to demonstrate his saxophone skills (on bass, tenor, soprano and F mezzo instruments) in a fashion that is far too often out of context. That’s a shame, because the material and the accompaniment provide everything a jazz artist could desire. And it’s hard not to wonder whether Carter’s chaotic approach to soloing may have as much to do with a failure of imagination as it does with his obvious entrancement with his virtuosity.

Ironically, “Layin’ In the Cut,” a far more basic album, has at least marginally greater success. Consisting primarily of jam-styled, funk rhythm tracks that make few demands melodically or harmonically, the pieces allow Carter to roam. In these settings, his overblown improvisations generate a certain appeal, if only because there’s not much else happening other than repetitious vamps.

The subtext to both albums is simple: If Carter ever gets his act together, he has the instrumental skills to become a major player. But the verdict is still out on whether he has the imaginative creativity to match his dexterity.

Steve Wilson, at 39 eight years older than Carter, is also a gifted technician on a range of instruments, in his case including flutes as well as saxophones. He also is a versatile player with a knack for fitting into diverse settings, which has led to an array of sideman gigs with everyone from Jon Hendricks and Ellis Marsalis to Lionel Hampton, Ralph Peterson and, currently, Chick Corea’s group, Origin.

“Passages” (***, Stretch/ Concord) is Wilson’s first release since 1998 and the debut recording with his current group--pianist Bruce Barth, bassist Ed Howard and percussionist-drummer Adam Cruz. Trumpeter Nicholas Payton is a guest artist. With nine Wilson originals in the 11-tune program, it’s apparent that he intends this as a showcase for his writing as well as his performing abilities. And it generally succeeds in both endeavors.

The presence of Payton--who leaves his Louis Armstrong associations behind here in favor of some sterling contemporary playing--helps considerably, in both solo and ensemble passages. Wilson’s compositions are well-crafted, often melodically appealing--a description that is also applicable to his improvised solo passages. Less appealingly, however, many of the pieces--despite the range of rhythmic styles and the effective tonal colorations--have a kind of chilly detachment. Convincing as articulate jazz locution, their only problem is the too rare presence of an expressive musical heart.

Ravi Coltrane faces a problem that lies between an enigma and a conundrum. He is the son of jazz icon John Coltrane, and plays the same instruments: tenor and soprano saxophones. In an era when virtually every saxophonist born after 1960 has been influenced by ‘Trane, it’s not surprising that his son (born in 1965, two years before his father’s death) would also be affected by his father’s music. Inevitably, this opens him up to far harsher criticism than is generally applied to other Coltrane followers.

To his credit, Ravi has allowed his playing to unfold naturally, sometimes in his father’s direction, more often via his own musical path, and willingly integrating the two approaches. In “From the Round Box” (*** 1/2, RCA Victor), he takes a few more steps in an expansive direction. Leading a first-rate ensemble that includes trumpeter and longtime associate Ralph Alessi, pianist Geri Allen (replaced by Andy Milne on one track), bassist James Genus and drummer Eric Harland, Coltrane does all the right things in several areas. In addition to choosing a superb band, he has put together an attractive program and has come up with some of his most mature improvising.

Are there times when the Coltrane legacy is a bit too present? Yes. His high-flying, stretch-the-envelope solo on “The Chartreuse Mean,” for example, and the similarity of sound on slow pieces such as “Monk’s Mood.” But for the most part, the album chronicles the growing skills of an artist whose talent is neither defined nor limited by his birth name.