Press Quotes
Retrospective:
“For those unaware, veteran jazz composer Carl Clements commands your attention with his latest project, Retrospective, a jazz quartet that showcases the wealth of experience he’s amassed over the years… With Retrospective, recorded with the Real Jazz Trio, Clements turns his experienced ear toward both reflection and reinvention, offering an album that bridges tradition and exploration in subtly compelling ways… This ensemble format is a natural evolution of Clements’s prior quartet work… each player anchors and propels collective improvisation… From the man who has traveled frequently to India to advance his studies to perform jazz, Hindustani classical music, and a fusion of these and other genres for years now…the fervently charming One for Joe… the alluring Almodovar and the buoyantly fulfilled Procession… the album distills Carl Clements’s artistic identity into a dynamic trio setting that honors his past while embracing fresh sonic possibilities. Fans of modern jazz with world-inflected melodies, and masterful saxophone storytelling will find much to savor here.”
Anne Carlino
Exclusive Magazine, March, 2026
https://annecarlini.com/ex_cd.php?id=6615
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“Saxophonist and flutist Carl Clements doesn’t limit himself to the usual jazz tools. Alongside tenor and soprano, he also plays the bansuri, the bamboo flute of Indian classical music. That wider musical world shapes the eight originals on Retrospective, where hard-bop lines, Latin rhythms, odd meters, and touches of Indian music are held together less by fusion than by the confidence of a band that’s internalized all of it.
The band is The Real Jazz Trio: pianist Jean-Yves Jung, bassist Johannes Schaedlich, and drummer Jens Biehl. They’ve worked together for years, and the ease of it comes through right away.
“One for Joe,” a tribute to Joe Henderson, opens with a rolling rhythm from bass, piano, and drums before Clements enters on tenor. The melody has that slightly angular hard-bop edge Henderson favored. Jung follows with a piano solo built on thick left-hand chords and quick right-hand runs, while the drums push against the pulse set by the bass.
A quieter side of the band shows up in a few places. On “Mobius,” light stick work and a deep bass line set the stage before Clements enters on tenor with searching lines that circle the middle of the horn before suddenly jumping into the upper register. The atmosphere shifts again on “Almodovar,” where Clements picks up the bansuri. The bamboo flute floats over a gentle Latin groove in 5/4, with an earthy thump from the udu drum underneath. “Procession” keeps the flute in play but moves with more lift, a rolling shuffle carrying hints of Indian raga and Brazilian rhythm.
Clements turns to soprano on “Remnants,” a laid-back jazz waltz. Soft brushwork sets the rhythm before the horn comes in with a slightly dark tone. Now and then he pushes the sound hard—notes edging toward a squeal before pulling back—while the piano adds quiet, high-register lines around him. “Selene in Repose” slows things down even further. On tenor, Clements takes a searching path through the melody, the lines gradually opening up as the piano solo grows more lyrical.
“A Change of Rhythm” dives into a 7/4 groove that nods to New Orleans second-line patterns while running through bebop-style chord changes that shift quickly underneath, the ground never quite settling. The soprano darts through jagged, rapid lines as bass and drums bounce ideas off each other in short, punchy exchanges.
Across the record, the band feels effortlessly connected. The piano, bass, and drums respond to each phrase, leaving space for Clements to explore while keeping the groove solid. That ease is what Retrospective ultimately offers — not a showcase of range, but proof that these influences have been lived with long enough to stop announcing themselves. What’s left is just music.”
Tim Larsen, Album Reviews, International
Jazz Views, March 12, 2026
https://jazzviews.net/carl-clements-and-the-real-jazz-trio-retrospective/
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“The soprano saxophone is finely nuanced, exploring sonic heights. The piano playing can be described as sparkling. It resembles a gymnast's ribbon, cascading through the air in loops and graceful motions. Without a doubt, as in the first piece, the interplay between saxophonist and pianist is the most striking feature of this second track on the album… Another piece is titled "Almodóvar… Carl Clements plays the seemingly fragile bansuri flute in a melancholic melody… "Procession" once again transports us to the world of Brazilian jazz paired with North Indian flair, thanks to Carl Clements's playing on the bansuri. The piece is full of dynamism. And when the drummer picks up his sticks, you'd think a salsa party was about to begin… "Remnants" allows the listener to fully enjoy the solos of the pianist, saxophonist, and bassist. “A Change of Rhythm” is once again dominated by Carl Clements’s soprano saxophone sound. Moreover, one might even think a touch of bebop is being celebrated. “Kadam” finally rounds off this very successful album.
Ferdinand Dupuis-Panther, Jazz Halo
March, 2026
https://www.jazzhalo.be/reviews/cdlpk7-reviews/c/carl-clements-and-the-real-jazz-trio-retrospective/
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“It is in moments like these that the music of Carl Clements takes shape: deliberate, searching, and rich with influences that stretch far beyond the usual borders of jazz… The resulting work bears traces of swing, Latin jazz, and the classical music traditions of North India, among other influences, woven into a synthesis that feels both deliberate and deeply personal… The remarkable suppleness with which these compositions absorb such a wide array of cultural colors reflects the breadth of Clements’s collaborations over the years… Clements approaches sound as an explorer might approach an uncharted landscape, choosing instruments for their tonal colors and continually refining his craft. Years of study, performance, and travel feed directly into his compositions. Retrospective unfolds almost like a series of shifting palettes, each period of the album offering its own hues and textures…This is an album that calls for deep listening.”
Thierry De Clemensat
USA correspondent – Paris-Move and ABS magazine
Editor in chief Bayou Blue Radio, Bayou Blue News
PARIS-MOVE, March 1, 2026 https://www.paris-move.com/reviews/carl-clements-retrospective/
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“Veteran jazz composer Carl Clements commands your attention with his latest project, “Retrospective,” a jazz quartet that showcases the wealth of experience he’s amassed over the years. With Retrospective, recorded with the Real Jazz Trio, Clements turns his experienced ear toward both reflection and reinvention, offering an album that bridges tradition and exploration in subtly compelling ways… an approach that comfortably treads between modal jazz, post-bop, world fusion, and improvised music… the standout track is the closer, “Kadam,” which showcases Clements’ North Indian flute training. The flute takes the spotlight and weaves together the accompaniments into a harmonious melody that combines jazz and Hindustani classical music to create something more than the sum of its two parts… the album distills Carl Clements’s artistic identity into a dynamic trio setting that honors his past while embracing fresh sonic possibilities. Fans of modern jazz with world-inflected melodies, and masterful saxophone storytelling will find much to savor here.”
Skope Mag
January 7, 2026 https://skopemag.com/2026/01/07/carl-clements-presents-retrospective-out-march-1-2026
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“Despite the album title, Retrospective is really a contemporary look at some of his compelling originals, making their recording debut here…Throughout this intriguing release he reveals an impressive command of both the western and eastern traditions… Over the years Clements has frequently collaborated with The Real Jazz Trio, which achieves a sympathetic and well-integrated ensemble sound, reflecting familiarity both with the music and with each other. Clements’ fluent tenor, revealing some Jerry Bergonzi and Chris Potter influences, is heard on One For Joe and Selene In Repose. He gets a full, rich soprano sound on Mobius, Remnants, Retrospect and A Change Of Rhythm… The bansuri flute from the Indian sub-continent…With its bamboo construction Clements achieves a suitably ethereal sound on Almodovar, Procession and Kadam.”
Gordon Jack
Jazz Journal
February 16, 2026
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“Retrospective, the latest album from Carl Clements and The Real Jazz Trio, serves as a contemporary continuation of Clements’ critically recognized 2023 release, A Different Light. Contrary to its title, Retrospective presents a modern interpretation of several original compositions making their debut. Clements is an accomplished multi-instrumentalist. With these tracks, he focuses on tenor and soprano saxophones and the traditional bansuri flute, demonstrating sensitivity and versatility throughout the album.
Clements’ collaboration with The Real Jazz Trio delivers an ensemble sound that is unified and keenly aware. The balanced ensemble sound achieved in this recording is attributable to Klaus Endel at Sound & More, whose engineering expertise deserves mention."
Greg Victor
Parc Bench
February 19, 2026
https://parcbench.live/2026/02/19/new-jazz-carl-clements-and-the-real-jazz-trio-retrospective/
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"When Carl Clements isn’t teaching saxophone and improvisation at Amherst College, the multi-talented artist is traveling the world soaking up global cultures and sharing his gifts on tenor and soprano sax and exotic flutes, including the bansuri… emphatically featured on two tracks with different rhythmic energies (“Almodovar,” “Processional”) that form the intense, emotional centerpiece and creative apex of Retrospective, a dynamics-filled collection spotlighting Clements’ longtime collaborations with the Real Jazz Trio, an all-star European based unit comprised of pianist Jean-Yves Jung, bassist Johannes Schaedlich and drummer Jens Biehl.
Elsewhere, the wondrously eclectic set rolls along… through numerous jazz traditions, from the high octane tenor-driven Joe Henderson tribute “One For Joe” and lyrical, mid-tempo contrapuntal straight eighths piece “Mobius” through three key soprano pieces showcasing the wide ranging emotions that horn is capable of – the moody, elegant romantic waltz “Remnants,” the booming, improvisation filled funk jam which fully embodies its title “A Change of Rhythm” (Jung’s ear popping piano solo is jazz derring do at its finest!) and the free-flowing 5/4 coolness of the title track."
Jonathan Widran
JW Vibe
February 14, 2026
https://www.jwvibe.com/single-post/carl-clements-and-the-real-jazz-trio-retrospective
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A Different Light:
One of the most energizing songs you’ll hear this year is the 7:48 opener, “Onset”… don’t be surprised if you find yourself spinning this tune over and over (and OVER) again; it’s definitely in the “instant hit” category!… “In Sight” … gives each of the players the chance to shine ever so brilliantly. Perfect timeing and flawless recording will have you completely absorbed from the opening note to the closing measure… I predict this song will win awards. This is an amazing jazz journey that gets a MOST HIGHLY RECOMMENDED rating from me, with an “EQ” (energy quotient) score of 4.99.
Dick Metcalf, Editor, Contemporary Fusion Reviews
May 1, 2024 https://contemporaryfusionreviews.com/tantalizing-tasty-original-jazz-carl-clements-a-different-light/
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Carl Clements – A Different Light, apart from his talents as a musician, is also a very inspired composer. The arrangements on this album prove it; everything here is done with lightness and intelligence. Across the 9 diverse tracks of “A Different Light,” the musician seems to paint us a novel drawn from his travels and encounters, as the way he manages the instruments in his compositions sometimes reminds me of the brilliant Joe Zawinul, especially when the latter performed accompanying other artists on the piano, allowing space for each while imposing his style. Clements does exactly the same thing, not with his instruments, but with his compositions, which are sometimes dauntingly complex yet always very aesthetic.
I would struggle to pigeonhole “A Different Light” into a too defined category, but with each listen, this album has become “Indispensable,” [highest rating] and I hope you will enjoy it as much as I do.
Thierry De Clemensat
USA correspondent – Paris-Move and ABS magazine
Editor in chief Bayou Blue Radio, Bayou Blue News
PARIS-MOVE, May 1st 2024 https://www.paris-move.com/reviews/carl-clements-a-different-light-eng-review/
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“Beautiful, blissful compositions come together with Carl Clements taking on a series of unexpected twists and turns with “A Different Light.” The instrumental richness feels genuinely inspired… Everything works. The balance between all the different elements gives the album a sunny disposition. Best of all, tracks work together, resulting in blooming kaleidoscopic bursts of color… ‘A Different Light’ presents the pitch-perfect style of Carl Clements in creating an aural environment that feels light, bright, and airy.”
Skope Mag
May 11, 2023 https://skopemag.com/2024/05/11/carl-clements-presents-a-different-light-out-may-23-2024
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Sunlight beaming into a church through a stained-glass window is a different light—tinted and soft-hued, suggestive of the presence of divinity. Saxophonist Carl Clements' quartet outing, A Different Light, gives the same impression. Looking to the album's stained glass-like cover art, artist Amanda Barrow's visual for the album seems a fine fit for this distinctive, modern jazz quartet… What is certain is that this saxophone and a rhythm section quartet makes a distinctive ensemble sound… World jazz shadings move in and out of the ensemble sound. The title tune has a spiritual, Wayne Shorter-like vibe; Clements is on the soprano here, and his tone is exquisite. There is patience in the storytelling of the tune… Much is made of John Coltrane's 1960s quartet with bassist Jimmy Garrison, pianist McCoy Tyner and drummer Elvin Jones, for the synchronicity and collective energy in their perfection of expression of the leader's vision. The same goes for saxophonist Oded Tzur and his quartets. Carl Clements and his A Different Light quartet travel a similar searching path on this remarkable recording.
Dan McClenaghan, All About Jazz
May 29, 2024 https://www.allaboutjazz.com/a-different-light-carl-clements-self-produced#:~:text=What%20is%20certain%20is%20that,workings%20of%20a%20solar%20system.
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"The impression is that the saxophonist Carl Clements is drawing musical high points, as it were... The saxophonist is as sonorous as he is quick-tempered…
Watercolored piano passages meet the fine tone of the soprano saxophone. Everything seems to flow… Crystal-clear sound waters seem to flow. And then a velvety flute sound rises when Clements plays his bansuri. It sounds like a whispering wind blowing through palm fronds... Clements then changes instruments and "intoxicates" us with the euphony of the soprano saxophone until the last bar.”
Ferdinand Dupuis-Panther, JazzHalo
June 4, 2024 https://www.jazzhalo.be/reviews/cdlpk7-reviews/c/carl-clements-a-different-light/
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A Different Light, the new album from jazz artist Carl Clements, is as ever-changing as the sky itself. The permutations, the overlaps, the gradations from one moment to the next, are as imperceptible as the day-to-night (or night-to-day) transition that occurs every 24 hours. In other words, these songs make perfect sense and offer profound truths… as long as the listener is willing to hear them.
The album offers a variety of aproaches—many based on world music traditions—that establish a musical language of action and reaction. The musicians—Carl Clements (saxophone), Chase Morrin (piano), Bruno Raberg (bass, acoustic), and Gen Yoshimura (drums)—are all given many opportunities to exceed the usual expectations. Working with a collection of refreshingly intuitive compositions, they find endless moments to invent and reinvent.
Greg Victor, Parc Bench
June 14, 2024 https://parcbench.live/2024/06/14/new-jazz-carl-clements-a-different-light/
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The opening tune titled “Onset” is a Carl Clements original, as are all nine of these carefully selected album compositions. Clements pulls his own style and interpretation of his original music through the bell of his horns and also from a North Indian bansuri flute. This first composition offers the listener a maze of music, with the piano creating mad rhythm beneath the smooth execution of the interesting melody Clements has created. Bruno Råberg opens the piece with a melodic bass line. Carl Clements rides the rhythmic wave created by his powerful rhythm section, smooth as a saxophone surfer. This song introduces us to the players of his entertaining package of jazz.
Chase Morris is a pianist, composer and educator, popular for his diverse musical range. He takes a jazzy solo, pumped up by the busy and delightful drums of Gen Yoshimura. What I found captivating about Morris’s piano solo was the way he built the tension and at the top of his crescendo, Bruno Råberg steps into the spotlight on double bass. His low notes growl throughout this arrangement and enhance it. Yoshimura takes a featured solo on drums and is quite impressive. Now we have met all the characters who are unraveling this musical story.
A song called “Sanyog” (an East Indian or Hindi word) plays next. It sounds very Middle Eastern and Carl Clements plays his flute during this arrangement. It’s a pretty original song. When Råberg enters on bass, his tone woos me. He has a definite style and unique presentation. Improvising freely, it is quite thrilling when his fingers pull that growl from his instrument, like a stalking tiger’s warning voice. Raberg is an internationally renowned bassist and composer. In fact, he has made six albums as a leader and five-times that many as a sideman. This Clements composition is quite intriguing. The group has a very youthful, energetic sound.
Gen Yoshimura is a versatile drummer, composer, and he too is an educator. His excitement and creative attitude on his trap drums is impressive. He teaches masterclasses at prestigious institutions around the world.
Together, this quartet will completely entertain you. Clements is an amazing composer and a master on both tenor and soprano saxophone, as well as on the bansuri flute. His bandmates match his intention and talent in spades!
Reviewed by Dee Dee McNeil, Makingascene.org
June 24, 2024, https://www.makingascene.org/carl-clements-a-different-light/
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Hints of the exoticism and blues of Yusef Lateef are heard on this creative album by Carl Clements, playing tenor and soprano saxes as well as the traditional folk instrument bansuri flute. He’s joined by Chase Morrin/p, Bruno Raberg/b and Gen Yoshimura/dr for a collection of originals. His soprano glides well on the Latin “Onset” and agonizes on the spacious “A Different Light”, with his big sounding tenor bopping on “A New Leaf” . Asian textures from the flute are featured on “Sanyog” , while Morrin shines on “Before Again” and the delicious “Absence/Return”. World wide ideas.
Reviewed by George W. Harris, Jazz Weekly
July 18, 2024, https://www.jazzweekly.com/2024/07/carl-clements-a-different-light/
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Other album review excerpts:
Carl Clements, the internationally acclaimed jazz saxophonist hailing from Massachusetts, weaves a remarkable tapestry of sound on both Tenor and Soprano saxophones. With a conversational style that's both explorative and emotionally invested, Clements mesmerizes listeners with his pensées and visions, while the guitar provides a beautiful backdrop to his sonic wanderings.
Mediaversal Music (US), July 2023 https://www.mediaversal.com/music/kastning-and-clements-strand-in-strands.html
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"Carl Clements is both a jazz master of tenor and soprano saxophones, as well as, alto flutes, again with many compositions."
Scott S Mertens, The Phantom Tollbooth (http://www.tollbooth.org/index.php/home/music-reviews/994-kevin-kastning-carl-clements-nowhere-no-here)
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"The 13 entirely improvised pieces on this sublimely beautiful recording by Kastning... and Clements... tap deep wells of subterranean feeling while simultaneously filtering light from the Empyrean."
Barry Cleveland, GuitarPlayer.com
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"catch the remarkable tone Clements invokes... sounding like a lost artifact from Oregon's prime, something providentially found on the cutting room floor during that remarkable band's Music from Another Present Era period...Clements is... conversationally inclined, explorative, emotionally invested, at times Garbarekesque... Clements.. wastes no time mesmerizing the listener as the guitar paints backdrops for his pensees and visions."
Mark S. Tucker, AcousticMusic.com
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"… some of the finest sax playing I've heard for some time"."
Roger Trenwith, DPRP, 2012 https://www.dprp.net/reviews/2012/037
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“a fine composer and player… … maybe due to his assimilation of Indian music performance techniques. Clements can articulate verbally and on his instrument with ease and dexterity."
Marc Medwin, Bagatellen.com
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"Clements tells a compelling story with his strong sense of time and linear development."
H. Allen Williams, Jazz Times
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“A touch of Hindustani inflected the entire performance….The scorching solos drew applause every single time.”
Arhat Sett, The Times of India
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“The mood is pensive and it flows musically through Carl's soprano saxophone solo as it tells the story in a very picturesque way.”
Peter LaBarbara, Jazz Zine
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“…brawny yet thematically rich tenor sax soloing”
Glenn Astarita, All About Jazz
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“Clements' style harkens back to early jazz by emphasizing the melodic variation of the piece's central theme rather than using it as a starting point to be abandoned. This results in spare yet friendly runs… Clements' saxophone is more aggressive, invoking the bluster and brilliance of Charlie.”
Ron Davies, Spendid Ezine
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“Carl… chirps with power, letting all share in his joy”
John Barrett, JazzUSA
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"North March" highlights the strong emotion of Carl Clements' singing soprano sax,” “The intriguing ‘Firefly’… Clements ‘flies’ in, as the sax glides over the track with intensity,” “Clements soulful sax gets the steam rolling.”
Denai Burbank, Jazz Review
"a throaty blues workout, with bracing solos by saxophonist Carl Clements..."
Nathaniel Friedman, Jazziz
Press Photos
