Benny Carter - His Eight Finest Albums (2020)

• 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. 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 favorite 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.

• The vagaries of international copyright law continue to make it possible for British labels to gather up mid-century jazz albums (all of which are still under copyright in the US) and reissue them in omnibus editions that offer tremendous value for money to people who don't need much in the way of detailed information and just want to luxuriate in the music. (In fairness to the Enlightenment label, their recent box sets have started including important details like musician credits, which marks a huge improvement.) The albums in this collection were led by the magnificent alto sax and trumpet player Benny Carter date from 1995 to 1962, and cover a nice variety of styles and settings: the 1955 release New Jazz Sounds finds him in a bluesy and boppish mode alongside Dizzy Gillespie and Herb Ellis, among others; Aspects (1959) is a big-band date that burns with feverish intensity; Further Definitions is a 1961 date on which he plays with an amazing group that includes Phil Woods, Coleman Hawkins, Jimmy Garrison, and Philly Jo Jones. Are these really his eight ''finest'' albums? I don't know he recorded a lot. But they re certainly outstanding. ~ Rick Anderson -- CD HotList October 2020