Dear Miles

Ron Carter's jazz album "Dear Miles" is anything but slow and smooth. It has its calm moments, but the majority of the music is upbeat and untamed. Tempo isn't the only aspect that sets "Dear Miles" apart from other albums in the genre, though.

A lot of jazz music incorporates solos by saxophone or trumpet, but Carter uses something slightly more unconventional. In track two, there is a crazy bongo solo that lasts for almost 50 seconds. It is a complete shift in the music, and although it seems to come from nowhere, it also fits in nicely with the rest of the song.

"Dear Miles" isn't fast-paced all the way through. Track three slows the album down with piano and wind chimes, which play by themselves in the beginning and are later joined by other instruments. Track four is also slower than other pieces on the album. It has the traditional, fancy-restaurant feel that is normally associated with jazz records.

Carter's album is original and distinct from other albums in the genre that I've heard. It has a refreshing, innovative feel to it. Isn't that what jazz is supposed to be all about?