Benny Carter

[Late]

Why has there never been a Benny Carter Mosaic? And what's your favorite period of Benny's music in general?

[jazzbo]

Probably a licensing challenge for a Benny Carter set, and possibly sizing issues. I really haven't been into Benny Carter a lot during my jazz journey. I would probably say the Verve years would be my "favorite period."

Edited 17 hours ago by jazzbo

[Big Beat Steve]

If you look beyond the Norman Granz Jam Sessions that Benny Carter participated in, IMO his Verve years, while certainly fine, tend to be rather middle-of-the-roadish, i.e. mainstreamish on safe ground, and probably not all that distinctive above and beyond what else there was in major-label mainstream recordings of the 50s. 
And quite a few noteworthy recordings that he put his special touches to were under the leadership of others. 

Personally I find his early 30s and late 30s and 40s big band recordings as well as his European recordings from the "in-between" 30s period more stimulating to explore as a whole. But of course YMMV. 

[felser]

My favorite I'm aware of is the 'Further Definitions' album on Impulse!, but that may well be a function of the sidemen and my taste, rather than it being artistically superior to his other work.

[sonnymax]

Benny Carter, trumpet, alto sax; Frank Rosolino, trombone; Ben Webster, tenor sax; Andre Previn or Jimmie Rowles, piano; Barney Kessel, guitar; Leroy Vinnegar, bass; Shelly Manne, drums. Los Angeles, June 11 & 22, 1957. Contemporary C3555; Stereo S7028.

Edited 14 hours ago by sonnymax

[jlhoots]

2 hours ago, felser said:

My favorite I'm aware of is the 'Further Definitions' album on Impulse!, but that may well be a function of the sidemen and my taste, rather than it being artistically superior to his other work.

+1

[Late]

The Complete 1930-1940 Recordings

Recommended! There's a single disc out on JSP (1933-1934) that's also good.

[Peter Friedman]

I especially enjoy his recordings for the 70's,  80's & 90's .

Along with Further Definitions already mentioned a few times, here are some others I like.

Still some more:

[Ken Dryden]

I got to hear Benny Carter in the late 1980s and he put on a great set. He is well represented in my collection.

[clifford_thornton]

7 hours ago, sonnymax said:

Benny Carter, trumpet, alto sax; Frank Rosolino, trombone; Ben Webster, tenor sax; Andre Previn or Jimmie Rowles, piano; Barney Kessel, guitar; Leroy Vinnegar, bass; Shelly Manne, drums. Los Angeles, June 11 & 22, 1957. Contemporary C3555; Stereo S7028.

that's the one I am most familiar with.

[colinmce]

lots I like but I’m most fond of the Verve music collected on the Urbane Sessions, Cosmopolite, and 3 4 5 Small Group CDs. also have long enjoyed the Bluebird CD All Of Me with some earlier music 

[Stompin at the Savoy]

Yeah, I went through a Benny Carter thing a while back and I remember wishing there was a Mosaic of the early stuff.  I have some euro-compilations of Benny Carter albums, one with eight and one with 4 albums.  Also some Chronologicals for the early period. There is also a 1946 Benny Carter Quintet recording on disc 9 of the Keynote Collection.  It's hard to find a bad album. Carter is really a man of many parts, a multi-instrumentalist, composer and arranger too.  I'm fond of the Basie album, The Legend - From the Pen of Benny Carter.

Edited 4 hours ago by Stompin at the Savoy

[Big Beat Steve]

I must admit that when i wrote my post above I had not thought of his later Pablo recordings. I do not have many of these, but what I have picked up along the way is rather amazing. Will have to look into more of this, I guess.

2 hours ago, Stompin at the Savoy said:

It's hard to find a bad album. Carter is really a man of many parts, a multi-instrumentalist, composer and arranger too.  I'm fond of the Basie album, The Legend - From the Pen of Benny Carter.

Agreed about the man of many parts and "The Legend" - and "Kansas City Suite" too. This sort of combination of Carter and Basie is something special.