Betty Carter - The Music Never Stops

[mjzee]

Release date March 29.

'The Music Never Stops' is a beautiful piece of unheard history: an archival recording of a concert headlined by the late, great vocalist Betty Carter. Recorded in 1992, the show was a centerpiece of one of Jazz at Lincoln Center's earliest seasons. Carter titled the singular show 'The Music Never Stops,' because, well, the music never really stopped. She assembled three trios, a big band, and a string section on the stage and darted back and forth between the different ensembles, transitioning seamlessly and effortlessly between burning be-bop and deeply felt ballads, wearing out the musicians with her stamina. The album highlights the legendary Carter's many talents: her effortless way with a melody, her endlessly inventive improvisations, and her unparalleled ability to build both a narrative and a mood by spontaneously weaving jazz standards and her own genius material together. But this concert wasn't just another night for Carter, and the record also features contributions from some of the best contemporary jazz instrumentalists working in NYC. The music contained everything one would anticipate from Carter: mesmerizing balladry, exhilarating swing, impeccable lyricism, stunning improvisation, and brilliantly constructed song-stories that are still visionary today.

[JSngry]

https://www.jazz.org/press/blue-engine-records-announces-betty-carters-the-music-never-stops/

THE MUSIC NEVER STOPSTRACK LISTING:

1. “Ms. B.C.”
Written by Pamela Watson
Arranged by Bobby Watson
Personnel: The Big Band*
Soloists: Alex Foster (tenor saxophone), Kamau Adilifu (trumpet)

2. “Make It Last”
Written by Dick Haymes
Arranged by Melba Liston
Personnel: Betty Carter (vocals), The Big Band*, The Strings**

3. “30 Years”
Written by Betty Carter
Personnel: Betty Carter (vocals), Cyrus Chestnut (piano), Ariel Roland (bass), Greg Hutchinson (drums)
4. “Why Him? / Where or When / What’s New?
 Why Him?”
Written by Burton Lane & Alan Jay Lerner
Personnel: Betty Carter (vocals), Cyrus Chestnut (piano), Ariel Roland (bass), Greg Hutchinson (drums)

“Where or When”
Written by Lorenz Hart & Richard Rodgers
Personnel: Betty Carter (vocals), Cyrus Chestnut (piano), Ariel Roland (bass), Greg Hutchinson (drums)

“What’s New?”
Written by Bob Haggart & Johnny Burke
Personnel: Betty Carter (vocals), Cyrus Chestnut (piano), Ariel Roland (bass), Greg Hutchinson (drums)

5. “Tight! / Mr. Gentleman”
Written by Betty Carter
Personnel: Betty Carter (vocals), Cyrus Chestnut (piano), Ariel Roland (bass), Greg Hutchinson (drums)

6. “Social Call”
Written by Qusim Basheer & Jon Hendricks
Arranged by Gigi Gryce
Personnel: Betty Carter (vocals), The Big Band*
Soloists: Lou Marini (tenor saxophone)

7. “Moonlight in Vermont”
Written by John M Blackburn & Karl Suessdorf
Personnel: Betty Carter (vocals), The Big Band*

8. “The Good Life”
Written by Sacha Distel, Jean Broussolle & Jack Reardon
Personnel: Betty Carter (vocals), Cyrus Chestnut (piano), Ariel Roland (bass), Clarence Penn (drums)

9. “Bridges”
Written by Betty Carter
Personnel: Betty Carter (vocals), Cyrus Chestnut (piano), Ariel Roland (bass), Clarence Penn (drums)

10. “If I Should Lose You”
Written by Leo Robin & Ralph Rainger
Personnel: Betty Carter (vocals), Geri Allen (piano)

11. “Most Gentlemen Don’t Like Love”
Written by Cole Porter
Personnel: Betty Carter (vocals), Cyrus Chestnut (piano), Ariel Roland (bass), Clarence Penn (drums)

Includes interpolation of:

“Everything I Have Is Yours”
Written by Harold Adamson & Burton Lane
Personnel: Betty Carter (vocals), Cyrus Chestnut (piano), Ariel Roland (bass), Clarence Penn (drums)

12. “Make Him Believe”
Written by Betty Carter
Personnel: Betty Carter (vocals), Cyrus Chestnut (piano), The Strings**, Geri Allen (conductor)

13. “Frenesi”
Written by Alberto Dominguez & Leonard Whitcup
Arranged by Gigi Gryce
Personnel: Betty Carter (vocals), The Big Band*

PERSONNEL:

The Trios
Cyrus Chestnut – piano
Ariel Roland – bass
Clarence Penn – drums
John Hicks – piano
Lisle Atkinson – bass
Kenny Washington – drums

Featuring
Geri Allen – piano
Greg Hutchinson – drums

The Big Band*
Jerry Dodgion – alto saxophone
Rick Wald – alto saxophone
Alex Foster – tenor saxophone
Lou Marini – tenor saxophone
Joe Temperley – baritone saxophone
Art Baron – trombone
Robin Eubanks – trombone
Joe Randazzo – trombone
Lew Soloff – trumpet
Earl Gardner – trumpet
Ron Tooley – trumpet
Kamau Adilifu – trumpet
John Hicks – piano
Lisle Atkinson – bass
Kenny Washington – drums

The Strings**
Jeanne LeBlanc – cello
Akua Dixon – cello
Julie Green – cello
Bruce Wang – cello
John Beal – bass
Dave Finck – bass

https://www.amazon.com/Music-Never-Stops-Betty-Carter/dp/B07N1MZJ86

 

[king ubu]

NY Times review of the concert:

https://www.nytimes.com/1992/03/30/arts/review-jazz-nonstop-improvisation-with-a-big-band-backup.html

[JSngry]

Listening now. It's good, but it sounds like a recording from the hall rather than on the stage. I very much value direct contact with Carter's voice, and this is lacking that by a degree or two.

Other than that, I bet it kicked ass to be there!

[Hardbopjazz]

I have The complete concert.  

Betty Carter The Music Never Stops 

Aaron Davis Hall, New York, N.Y 

1992-03-29

 

Betty Carter- voc,

John Hicks- p, 

Geri Allen- p, 

Cyrus Chestnut- p, 

Cecil McBee- b, 

Lisle Atkinson- b, 

Ariel (i.e. Ari) Roland- b, 

John Beal- b, 

Dave Finck- b, 

Jack DeJohnette- d, 

Kenny Washington- d, 

Gregory Hutchinson- d, 

Clarence Penn- d, 

Art Baron- tb, 

Robin Eubanks- tb, 

Joe Randazzo- tb, 

Jerry Dodgion- sax, 

Rick Wald- sax, 

Alex Foster- sax, 

Lou Marini- sax, 

Joe Temperley- sax, 

Lew Soloff- tp, 

Earl Gardner- tp, 

Ron Tooley- tp, 

Kamau Adilifu- tp, 

Jeanne LeBlanc- strings, 

Akua Dixon- strings, 

Julie Green- strings, 

Bruce Wang- cello.

 

 

Time 114:56

 

01. Announcer 1:31

02. Make It Last 10:22

03. I Love Music 12:50

04. 30 Years/Why Him 20:11

05. Tight 4:27

06. Social Call 2:57

07. Moonlight in Vermont 5:48

08. The Good Life 6:10  

09. Goodbye 3:49

10. Scatting 9:19

11. You Go To My Head 5:52

12. Just Like The Movies 9:35

13. If I Should Lose You 7:01

14. Most Gentlemen Don't Like Love 4:28

15. Frenesi 5:25

16. Down To Mexico 4:53