Description
Release Date: 2020
Label: Enlightenment
Track List
Disc 1
- Just One Of Those Things
- Marriage Blues
- Angel Eyes
- That Old Black Magic
- The Song Is You
- This Can’t Be Love
- Frenesi
- I Still Love Him So
- The Moon Is Low
- I Missed My Hat
- Ballad Medley
- Polite Blues
- Close Your Eyes
- Where’s Art
- I Don’t Know
- Striding
- Wailing
Disc 2
- Old Fashioned Love
- I’m Coming Virginia
- A Walkin’ Thing
- A Walkin’ Thing Blue Lou
- Ain’t She Sweet
- How Can You Lose
- Blues My Naughty Sweetie Gives To Me
- Thou Swell
- My Blue Heaven
- Just Imagine
- If I Could Be With You (One Hour Tonight)
- Sweet Lorraine
- Who’s Sorry Now’
- Laugh, Clown, Laugh
- All Alone
- Mary Lou
- In A Little Spanish Town
- Somone To Watch Over Me
- A Monday Date
Disc 3
- June In January
- February Fiesta
- March Wind
- I’ll Remember April
- One Morning In May
- June Is Busting Out All Over
- Sleigh Ride In July
- August Moon
- September Song
- Something For October
- Swingin’ In November
- Roses In December
- And The Angels Sing
- Everything I Have Is Yours
- Understand
- All Or Nothing At All
- I’ll Never Smile Again
- If I Loved You
- Far Away Places
- I Should Care
- For All We Know
- I Don’t Stand A Ghost Of A Chance
- The One I Love
- Moon Of Manakoora
Disc 4
- Honeysuckle Rose
- The Midnight Sun Will Never Set
- Crazy Rhythm
- Blue Star
- Cotton Tail
- Body And Soul
- Cherry
- Doozy
- Opening Blues
- Lula
- When Lights Are Low
- You Can’t Tell The Difference
Notes
Born 8th August 1907, Benny Carter – American jazz saxophonist, clarinettist, trumpeter, composer, arranger, and bandleader – was, with Johnny Hodges, the pioneer of alto-sax. From the beginning of his career in the 1920s he was a popular arranger, having written chart hits for Fletcher Henderson’s big band that shaped the swing style. He had an unusually long career that lasted into the 1990s. During the ’80s and ’90s, he was nominated for eight Grammy Awards, which included receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award. But it was during the period from the mid-1950s until the early-1960s that Carter produced his finest albums, during which time he bought in a staggering array of up and coming jazz musicians to accompany him on such. Indeed, his ’55 album, New Jazz Sounds (Nogran, 1955) featured such names as Dizzy Gillespie, Oscar Peterson, Herb Ellis, Ray Brown and Buddy Rich amongst its line-up. Likewise, his follow-up, Urbane Jazz (Verve, 1957) featured Roy Eldridge on piano and double bass, and Alvin Stoller on drums. Jazz Giant (Contemporary, 1958) was among Carter’s very finest releases, of which jazz critic Scott Yanow said, “a particularly strong septet session” and stated, “This timeless music is beyond the simple categories of ‘swing’ or ‘bop’ and should just be called ‘classic.'” The record featured the likes of Ben Webster, Andre Previn, Barney Kessel and Shelley Manne among its line-up and the album remains a favourite among fans and critics alike. This 4 CD set contains eight of Benny Carter’s best ever records, all beautifully remastered, and presented elegantly in this new box set. Providing a superb starting point for those beginners wishing to extend their musical appreciation of this maverick genius, and a welcome reminder for those already somewhat versed, this compilation will prove a delight for anyone and everyone ready to swing.
