Carter, Gaskins & Smith
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| Carter, Gaskins & Smith | |
|---|---|
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| Name | Carter, Gaskins & Smith |
| Background | group_or_band |
| Origin | New York City, United States |
| Genres | Jazz, Soul music, R&B |
| Years active | 1969–1978 |
| Labels | Atlantic Records, Blue Note Records |
| Associated acts | Miles Davis, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder |
Carter, Gaskins & Smith were an American vocal trio active in the late 1960s and 1970s, noted for blending jazz harmonies with soul music phrasing and R&B rhythms. Emerging from the Harlem and Bronx session scenes, the group collaborated with prominent figures and recorded on major labels, influencing later ensembles in Philadelphia International Records circles and the neo-soul revival. Their work intersected with studio musicians from Muscle Shoals, arrangers who had worked with Quincy Jones and producers linked to Berry Gordy.
History
Formed in 1969 amid the New York session scene alongside players from Atlantic Records sessions and musicians who had worked for Motown Records and Stax Records, the trio toured regional circuits including venues in Chicago, Detroit, and Los Angeles. Early mentorship came from arrangers associated with Gil Evans and collaborators who had recorded with John Coltrane and Billie Holiday, while management contacts connected them to promoters who had booked acts like James Brown and Aretha Franklin. During the 1970s they recorded singles and LPs with engineers who also worked on records by Led Zeppelin and The Rolling Stones, and appeared on television programs in the vein of Soul Train and The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.
Members
The lineup consisted of three vocalists with overlapping session résumés in Broadway pit choruses and studio orchestras: a lead singer who had sung backup for Ray Charles and Sam Cooke; a second vocalist with credits on sessions for Van Morrison and Dionne Warwick; and a third member who arranged vocal charts for ensembles connected to Herbie Hancock and Chaka Khan. Each member had worked with recording engineers from studios frequented by James Taylor, Paul Simon, and Joni Mitchell, and had academic associations with conservatories that produced alumni such as Wynton Marsalis and Yo-Yo Ma.
Artistic Style and Influences
Their sound fused tight vocal harmony reminiscent of groups produced by Smokey Robinson and arranged in styles linked to Quincy Jones, with rhythmic grooves drawing on session players associated with Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section and horn lines echoing charts used by Tower of Power and Blood, Sweat & Tears. Influences cited include vocal groups like The Temptations, arrangers like Nelson Riddle, and instrumentalists such as John Coltrane, Miles Davis, and Herbie Hancock. They incorporated repertoire spanning standards from the Great American Songbook performed by Frank Sinatra and interpretive approaches seen in recordings by Nina Simone and Sarah Vaughan, while also adapting contemporary material associated with Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, and Curtis Mayfield.
Major Works and Exhibitions
Their recorded output included an eponymous debut LP released on a subsidiary of Atlantic Records, followed by singles produced in sessions featuring musicians with credits on records by Aretha Franklin and Otis Redding. Key tracks were performed live at festivals and venues alongside artists booked with agencies that handled tours for Derek and the Dominos, Santana, and Sly and the Family Stone. They participated in studio projects where arrangers had previously worked for Gladys Knight & the Pips and orchestras that backed Barbra Streisand; guest instrumentalists included players linked to The Crusaders and session guitarists who toured with Carlos Santana. Compilation anthologies later paired their songs with rarities by acts from Philadelphia International Records and collectors’ releases that also featured tracks by The O'Jays and MFSB.
Critical Reception and Legacy
Contemporary reviews placed them in the lineage of vocal groups lauded by critics writing for publications akin to Rolling Stone, DownBeat, and The Village Voice, and praised by DJs from stations associated with the early careers of Don Cornelius and presenters who promoted soul and jazz fusion. Retrospective appraisals highlight their role in bridging session craftsmanship found on records by Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder with the vocal arrangements heard later in the catalogs of The Brand New Heavies and Jamiroquai. Their influence is cited by musicians and producers linked to the neo-soul movement alongside artists such as D'Angelo, Erykah Badu, and Lauryn Hill, and by modern arrangers working with ensembles tied to labels like Blue Note Records and Verve Records. Scholars comparing vocal arranging techniques reference chart work related to Quincy Jones and historical developments traced through archives that include documents from Atlantic Records and sessionographies connected to Muscle Shoals.
Category:American musical trios Category:Vocal groups