Susan Carter

Winter sales in Paris, the sheer horror in Parisian shopping malls…, but also time to go through some CD sales bins and up to now I got the latest Lars Hollmer CD, a Ani Di Franco DVD and the Susan Carter record. What got my attention was the release date 1970 and the mention of Laura Nyro and Joni Mitchell on the back of the CD.

Susan Carter lived during the 60’s in Laurel Canyon, the famous LA folk centre where Joni Mitchell, James Taylor, Carole King among others lived. She recorded in 1970 her first record Wonderful deeds and adventures in NYC with a little help of some friends mainly Dick Halligan the Blood, Sweat & Tears trombone player who did the arrangements played by most of his fellow B,S& T band members plus Randy Brecker and some other session musicians from the J/JR field. The record consists mainly of covers : Laura Nyro, Billie Holiday, Donovan, Buffalo Springfield, Randy Newman, Beatles plus two original compositions.

Carter has a pleasant well trained voice reminding Laura Nyro and Joni Mitchell. The overall athmosphere is jazzy folk pop with great woodwind and brass arrangements by Dick Halligan. Apparently Susan Carter recorded another record for the folk label Vanguard and disappeared then from the music scene.

Even so she is not reaching her models Laura Nyro and Joni Mitchell it’s an interesting record for fans of B,S&T and the aforementionned singers. My favourite track is the quiet rubato version of Donovan’s Young Girl Blues with a dark mood that has a certain RIO feeling.