Benny Carter: His Eight Finest Albums (4 CDs)

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 it's 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 it's 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.



- Disc 1 -
1 Just One of Those Things
2 Marriage Blues
3 Angel Eyes
4 That Old Black Magic
5 The Song Is You
6 This Can't Be Love
7 Frenesi
8 I Still Love Him So
9 The Moon Is Low
10 I Missed My Hat
11 Ballad Medley
12 Polite Blues
13 Close Your Eyes
14 Where's Art
15 I Don't Know
16 Striding
17 Wailing

- Disc 2 -
1 Old Fashioned Love
2 I'm Coming Virginia
3 A Walkin' Thing
4 A Walkin' Thing Blue Lou
5 Ain't She Sweet
6 How Can You Lose
7 Blues My Naughty Sweetie Gives to Me
8 Thou Swell
9 My Blue Heaven
10 Just Imagine
11 If I Could Be with You (One Hour Tonight)
12 Sweet Lorraine
13 Who's Sorry Now'
14 Laugh, Clown, Laugh
15 All Alone
16 Mary Lou
17 In a Little Spanish Town
18 Somone to Watch Over Me
19 A Monday Date

- Disc 3 -
1 June in January
2 February Fiesta
3 March Wind
4 I'll Remember April
5 One Morning in May
6 June Is Busting Out All Over
7 Sleigh Ride in July
8 August Moon
9 September Song
10 Something for October
11 Swingin' in November
12 Roses in December
13 And the Angels Sing
14 Everything I Have Is Yours
15 Understand
16 All or Nothing at All
17 I'll Never Smile Again
18 If I Loved You
19 Far Away Places
20 I Should Care
21 For All We Know
22 I Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance
23 The One I Love
24 Moon of Manakoora

- Disc 4 -
1 Honeysuckle Rose
2 The Midnight Sun Will Never Set
3 Crazy Rhythm
4 Blue Star
5 Cotton Tail
6 Body and Soul
7 Cherry
8 Doozy
9 Opening Blues
10 Lula
11 When Lights Are Low
12 You Can't Tell the Difference