1. Did You Call Her Today? For Ben Webster
2. Ceora For Lee Morgan
3. Good Queen Bess For Johnny Hodges
4. Prelude to a Kiss For Duke Ellington
5. Little Jazz For Roy Eldridge
6. Blue Monk For Thelonious Monk
7. Someday You’ll Be Sorry For Louis
Armstrong
8. Nuages For Django Reinhardt
9. Undecided For Charlie Shavers
10. Elegy in Blue
Benny Carter – Alto sax
Harry "Sweets" Edison – Trumpet
Cedar Walton – Piano
Mundell Lowe – Guitar
Ray Brown – Bass
Jeff Hamilton – Drums
Original release 1994, this release 2008.
Just a glance at the line-up
tells any serious jazz fan that they are in
for a treat. Benny and Sweets are (along with
Ray Brown) some of the older musicians, but
they are also among the best and the album
demonstrates this throughout. What inspired
choices Cedar Walton, Jeff Hamilton and Mundell
Lowe were to complete the band: they all play
their part to perfection. In these days, where
a lot of the so-called jazz has no recognisable
chord sequence or for that matter no time
and swing, this record makes for most pleasurable
listening. The music is always accessible
and at the same time cleanly played.
The idea behind the choice
of tunes is that with each track Benny should
play a tribute to one of his illustrious contemporaries.
According to the sleeve-notes, the guys had
a great time in the studio and it shows in
the music they produced. It all works well,
because there is no attempt by any of the
soloists to copy the style of the person to
whom the tune is dedicated; instead in each
case they interpret the tune in their own
way. With a rhythm section like this one,
the front-line men must have thought they
were in heaven!
If, like me, you are tired
of trying to understand the complex concoctions
presented by many contemporary musicians on
the jazz scene today, have a day off, sit
in a comfortable chair, relax and enjoy this
record.
Don Mather
CD Reviews
Nimbus Records NI 2702
