Betty Carter - I Can't Help It

This CD compiles two very different sessions from 1958 and 1960, presenting contrasting sides of the great bop vocalist Betty Carter. The first is with an outstanding 13-piece big band, with thoughtful arrangements by several band members including trombonist Melba Liston, altoist Gigi Gryce, tenorist Benny Golson, and trumpeter Ray Copeland. The setting suits the bop side of Carter perfectly; her approach challenges and matches the horn solos of Golson and trumpeter Kenny Dorham. The second session, with a string orchestra arranged and conducted by Richard Wess, emphasizes the gentler, ballad side of Carter's repertoire, but she hardly sounds repressed. The renditions of "My Reverie" and "Stormy Weather" show what Carter can do with a song in even the most formal settings. --Stuart Broomer Amazon.com

bountiful betty

I first heard Betty Carter on a recording with King Pleasure called"Red Top" The amazing flexibility of voice(she was vocalizing the trumpet solo)made me an instant fan!This collection represents some of her finest work.She displays her ability to transform any song into her own personal anthem,with her inimitable styling and sexy delivery.Some of the standouts (on a album full of outstanding material) are; I Can't Help It, Foul Play, Babe's Blues,and I Don't Want To Set The World On Fire. Betty's musical interpretations were nonpareil .She was arguably the best jazz stylist out there,although she never quite acheived the acclaim some of her contemporaries like Sarah Vaughn and Ella Fitzgerald . There album is a must-heard for seious jazz lovers. December 11, 2006

Jazz singer with distinctive style

Some of the songs here may be familiar to fans of the Great American Songbook, but Betty's versions are distinctive. Betty was not one to pander to commercialism so her records were not promoted as much as they deserved, despite the enthusiastic support of Ray Charles, who recorded some duets with her (not included here). Betty's music is rooted in jazz but has plenty of soul in it. Betty could sing ballads and up-tempo songs equally effectively, though the up-tempo songs allow her excellent musicians to show their talents also and I generally prefer these.

The most familiar songs here are You're getting to be a habit with me (recorded by many singers from Bing Crosby in the thirties to Diana Krall in the nineties, but Betty's version is among the best), But beautiful, Something wonderful, What a little moonlight can do (my favorite here - a truly outstanding version of this classic up-tempo song), Mean to me, I don't want to set the world on fire, Stormy weather (normally associated with Lena Horne or Ethel Waters, but there have been countless versions) and My reverie (originally sung by Bea Wain).

If you enjoy the music of Sarah Vaughan or Billie Holliday, you may find Betty's music to your liking. Despite the absence of her duets with Ray Charles (available elsewhere), this is a fine representation of Betty's music. March 4, 2004

wow!

Before hearing this cd I had never heard of Betty Carter before but as soon as I heard the first track I wondered how she isn't known as the greatest jazz singer of all time! She has the best jazz voice I've ever heard, blowing even Sarah Vaughan and Ella Fitzgerald out of the water. Her scat solos are phenominal! She adapts so well to the backgrounds being played behind her solos and she does such a good job of making her voice sound like a horn its crazy. My personal favorite solo of hers is on "You're Driving Me Crazy". This 24 track cd shows Betty's wide stylistic range. She sings songs ranging from the slow bluesy "I Can't Help It" to the fast swingin "You're Driving Me Crazy" I love every song on this cd! Even if the song's not all that good, Betty makes it enjoyable. Definitly buy this cd, I would recomend it to anyone! June 22, 2003

The great Betty Carter from Her Early Times

It is young Betty but already showing her powerful re-creation mind. Master in jazz vocal. May 18, 2003

Had to know who that marvelous singer was!

I was driving in my car listening to a local jazz station play their daily uninterrupted noon CD, and this wonderful album completely mesmerized me. Unfortunately, having missed the beginning and arriving at my destination before the end, I did not hear whose work it was. The music stayed with me for days, until finally I had to track down the station's web site so I could identify the singer and the songs. Then I immediately went to amazon and ordered it. Haven't stopped listening to it since it arrived, and it only gets better. May 28, 2002

More reviews at Amazon.com ...