AVID Jazz presents four classic Betty Carter albums , including original LP liner notes on a finely re-mastered and low priced double CD.
“Meet Betty Carter and Ray Bryant”; “Out There”; “The Modern Sound Of Betty Carter” and “Ray Charles and Betty Carter”
Introducing two new artists-two debut recording sessions….”Meet Betty Carter and Ray Bryant”. Ray Bryant, a new talent with an inventive piano style both as stylist and accompanist. Betty Carter, also a new talent with “a new approach to interpreting lyrics and a supple voice making old melodies sound fresh all over again”. As the original liner notes testify…” with this collection Betty Carter and Ray Bryant make their recording debuts with forceful and individual performances that mark them as important new names in jazz”. Let’s head “Out There” to New York in 1958 where Betty Carter is joined by a fine array of jazz talent including, Kenny Dorham, Ray Copeland, Melba Liston, Wynton Kelly, Tommy Gryce and Benny Golston. From the original liner notes….” The emphasis in this album is primarily on ballads, some of the most velvety jazzed melodies ever recorded by Betty or any other artist”. For “The Modern Sound of Betty Carter” we read….”this collection of songs is designed to showcase the young stylist’s versatility and includes up - tempo and medium- tempo jazz. Two of the songs were written especially for Betty….”Don’t Weep for the Lady” (a tribute to the late Billie Holiday who had been an admirer of Betty’s singing) and “Jazz (Ain’t Nothin’ But Soul)”. Our final selection “Ray Charles and Betty Carter” finds two great performers at a memorable recording session in 1961. Arranged and conducted by Marty Paich this coming together was a Ray Charles idea, Ray having discovered and formed an appreciation of the talents of Ms Carter. A final thought from the original liner notes…..” both Ray and Betty rendered unmistakably inspired performances on every take…….the inspiration proved to be contagious communicating itself to the musicians, technicians, engineers and producers”.
All four albums have been digitally re-mastered.
CD1
1-12: ‘Meet Betty Carter and Ray Bryant’
1. Sneaking Around
2. Moonlight in Vermont
3. What Is This Thing Called Love?
4. Thou Swell
5. Willow Weep For Me
6. I Could Write A Book
7. Threesome
8. Gone With The Wind
9. Old Devil Moon
10. The Way You Look Tonight
11. No Moon At All
12. Can’t We Be Friends?
13-24: ‘Out There’
13. You’re Driving Me Crazy
14. I Can’t Help It
15. By The Bend Of The River
16. Bab’s Blues
17. Foul Play
18. You’re Getting To Be A Habit
19. Only The Isle Of May
20. But Beautiful
21. All I’ve Got
22. Make It Last
23. Blue Bird Of Happiness
24. Something Wonderful
CD2
1-12: ‘The Modern Sound Of Betty Carter’
1. What A Little Moonlight Can Do
2. There’s No You
3. I Don’t Want To Set The World On Fire
4. Remember
5. My Reverie
6. Mean To Me
7. Don’t Weep For The Lady
8. Jazz (Ain’t Nothin’ But Soul)
9. For You
10. Stormy Weather
11. At Sundown
12. On The Alamo
13-24: ‘Ray Charles and Betty Carter’
13. Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye
14. You and I
15. Intro: Goodbye / We’ll Be Together Again
16. People Will Say We’re In Love
17. Cocktails For Two
18. Side By Side
19. Baby, It’s Cold Outside
20. Together
21. For All We Know
22. Takes Two To Tango
23. Alone Together
24. Just You, Just Me
