''New York Nights'' is a live album by saxophonist/composer

Benny Carter Bennett Lester Carter (August 8, 1907 – July 12, 2003) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, trumpeter, composer, arranger, and bandleader. With Johnny Hodges, he was a pioneer on the alto saxophone. From the beginning of his career ...

recorded at the

Iridium Iridium is a chemical element with the symbol Ir and atomic number 77. A very hard, brittle, silvery-white transition metal of the platinum group, it is considered the second-densest naturally occurring metal (after osmium) with a density of ...

in 1995 and released by the MusicMasters label in 1997.

Reception

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

reviewer Scott Yanow stated "To say that Benny Carter is a marvel is to make an obvious understatement. 87 at the time of this live quartet set Carter could easily pass for 47, playing without any hesitant or faltering moments in a timeless swing style that he largely invented. There are no surprises to the repertoire ... No matter; Benny Carter comes up with fresh variations during his enthusiastic solos ... His logical and thoughtful improvisations manage to be unpredictable, except in their consistent excellence. An easily recommended set from an apparently ageless master". In

JazzTimes ''JazzTimes'' is an American magazine devoted to jazz. Published 10 times a year, it was founded in Washington, D.C. in 1970 by Ira Sabin as the newsletter ''Radio Free Jazz'' to complement his record store. Coverage After a decade of growt ...

Bill Bennett wrote "At 88, Benny Carter still had it: that’s the inescapable conclusion to be drawn from this recital, recorded in June, 1995, at Iridium in New York. “It” in this context is one of the most distinctive and distinguished alto sax voices in the history of jazz, built on phrasing of genuine inspiration. Ranging from a legato that ranks with Johnny Hodges’ as one of the most beautiful sounds in Western music, to a clipped staccato that brings the architecture of a melody into warm relief, Carter builds his solos with a grand conception that defies most composers, let alone improvisers"Bennett, B
JazzTimes Review
accessed June 11, 2019

Track listing

# "

What Is This Thing Called Love? "What Is This Thing Called Love?" is a 1929 popular song written by Cole Porter, for the musical '' Wake Up and Dream''. It was first performed by Elsie Carlisle in March 1929. The song has become a popular jazz standard and one of Porter's most ...

" ( Cole Porter) – 6:56 # "Easy Money" (Benny Carter) – 8:44 # "

The Shadow of Your Smile "The Shadow of Your Smile", also known as "Love Theme from ''The Sandpiper''", is a popular song. The music was written by Johnny Mandel with the lyrics written by Paul Francis Webster. The song was introduced in the 1965 film '' The Sandpiper' ...

" (

Johnny Mandel John Alfred Mandel (November 23, 1925June 29, 2020) was an American composer and arranger of popular songs, film music and jazz. The musicians he worked with include Count Basie, Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee, Anita O'Day, Barbra Streisand, Tony Benn ...

, Paul Francis Webster) – 6:38 # " Secret Love" ( Sammy Fain, Webster) – 8:47 # "When Lights Are Low" (Carter,

Spencer Williams Spencer Williams (October 14, 1889 – July 14, 1965) was an American jazz and popular music composer, pianist, and singer. He is best known for his hit songs " Basin Street Blues", "I Ain't Got Nobody", " Royal Garden Blues", " I've Found a New ...

) – 5:23 # " On Green Dolphin Street" (

Bronisław Kaper Bronisław Kaper (; February 5, 1902 – April 26, 1983) was a Polish film composer who scored films and musical theater in Germany, France, and the USA. The American immigration authorities misspelled his name as Bronislau Kaper. He was also va ...

Ned Washington Ned Washington (born Edward Michael Washington, August 15, 1901 – December 20, 1976) was an American lyricist born in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Life and career Washington was nominated for eleven Academy Awards from 1940 to 1962. He won the Bes ...

) – 7:45 # " But Beautiful" ( Jimmy Van Heusen, Johnny Burke) – 7:00 # " Just in Time" ( Jule Styne,

Betty Comden Betty Comden (May 3, 1917 - November 23, 2006) was an American lyricist, playwright, and screenwriter who contributed to numerous Hollywood musicals and Broadway shows of the mid-20th century. Her writing partnership with Adolph Green spanned ...

Adolph Green Adolph Green (December 2, 1914 – October 23, 2002) was an American lyricist and playwright who, with long-time collaborator Betty Comden, penned the screenplays and songs for some of the most beloved film musicals, particularly as part of Ar ...

) – 6:54 # " Perdido" ( Juan Tizol,

Ervin Drake Ervin Drake (born Ervin Maurice Druckman; April 3, 1919 – January 15, 2015) was an American songwriter whose works include such American Songbook standards as " I Believe" and "It Was a Very Good Year". He wrote in a variety of styles and his w ...

Hans Lengsfelder Hans Lengsfelder (October 19, 1903 in Vienna, Austria – February 6, 1979 in Hallandale Beach, Florida) was a composer and playwright who also wrote under the pen name(s): H.J. Lengsfelder, Harry Lenk and John Peters. He emigrated to the U.S. in ...

) – 7:57

Personnel

– alto saxophone *Chris Neville – piano * Steve LaSpina – bass * Sherman Ferguson – drums

References

{{Authority control 1997 live albums Benny Carter live albums MusicMasters Records live albums