Benny Carter is superman. This album was recorded in 1987 to celebrate his 80th birthday. 80th! And the guy is playing as he did decades ago. Each song on the CD is
composed by him stretching back to 1937 and ending only a few hours before the recording. Carter also arranges all the numbers.

And he has some pretty fair cats with him. The most famous is only on three cuts but he has recorded with Benny during almost every decade since the 30's. His name is Dizzy
Gillespie.

Louie Bellson is on drums and he first met and played with Benny in 1943 while with Benny Goodman. Bellson is a master of percussion who has led his own bands.

Roland Hanna is on piano and he and Benny have played together since 1970. Hanna is a great creator of music himself.

George Mraz was born and raised in Europe but his early love for jazz brought him to the states in the '60's where he has been one of the busiest bassmen around.

Howard Alden is a master on the guitar with his own strong sound although influenced by several other masters: Django, Charlie Christian, Jim Hall to name a few.

The first song "I'm in the Mood for Swing" is from 1937 and amazingly Carter had not played this number for almost 50 years before this recording. Carter was one of the three
early giants on the alto, the others being Johnny Hodges and Charlie Parker. Benny was not as smooth as Hodges (nobody has been) nor as creative as Parker (again, nobody has been) but Carter has taken from both masters and added his own style. All the musicians play fine solos with Mraz and Bellson trading fours beautifully.

"Another Time, Another Place" was written for this recording and it features the beautiful unison work of Benny and Dizzy for several choruses before Benny comes on with authority with his straightahead force. Mraz solos with Hanna and Bellson quietly adding gorgeous touches. And then Dizzy eases on in with his muted horn and is full of grace. Hanna picks up the pace with a powerful solo and the horns play some call and respond to end the song.

Carter wrote the next song in 1976 and he starts "The Courtship" with a gentle, melodic solo with a Latin beat behind him and Alden's guitar quietly soloing before Hanna again plays a powerful solo. Carter comes in at a faster tempo and you just can't believe this guy is 80.

"Rock Me to Sleep" was always sung by a myriad of girl singers in the big band days and this is the first time Carter took the lead on the song. What a mind and what techniques he exhibits her.

"Janel" starts with a few quiet notes from Alden's guitar and then Benny plays a plaintive tribute to the world of music in his incredible solo. Truly beautiful. This was another song finished only hours before the recording.

"The Romp" is aptly titled beginning with a nice bass solo by Mraz with Bellson playing great as usual. Alden has a fine solo, followed by Hanna on piano and Carter finally
joins the romp with a solo that is wonderful with its imaginative phrasing.

A calmer song follows, "Summer Serenade", is a bossa nova number from 1980. The whole ensemble shines here on this laid back reminder of warm months in a tropical location. Hanna has his best solo on the album here before Carter comes back in with a sweet statement of the melody.

"Not So Blue" is not a typical blues and Carter and Dizzy play a duo to announce the melody. Carter then solos at such a low register that his alto sounds like a tenor. He's
talking to us through his sax and Mraz makes Dizzy clap for joy.

"You, Only You" starts off with Hanna playing a gentle jazz waltz on one chorus doubling the tempo on the second. Carter comes in with the melody and answers Hanna's
explorations in his second chorus. It swings quietly with great improvisation.

The next number, "Blue Moonlight" is at a mid-tempo which has musician sounding his best. Mraz starts it, but Carter blows several choruses of pure beauty.

The last cut, "South Side Samba" is a calypso celebration filled with excellent musicianship. Dizzy, of course, has played Latin Jazz for years and adds his expertise to
the gentle samba and Carter is a little like P. De Rivera here.

Benny Carter shows here that his music is never really dated. What he wrote in the 30's in just as great as his recent compositions. What he also shows is an incredible staying power in a music that often loses its stars to "other" distractions. This is a great album.

Recommended: Yes

Great Music to Play While: Romancing