About

Betty Carter (born Lillie Mae Jones; May 16, 1929 – September 26, 1998) was an American jazz singer known for her improvisational technique, scatting and other complex musical abilities that demonstrated her vocal talent and imaginative interpretation of lyrics and melodies. Vocalist Carmen McRae once remarked: "There's really only one jazz singer—only one: Betty Carter." Even at a young age, Carter was able to bring a new vocal style to jazz. The breathiness of her voice was a characteristic seldom heard before her appearance on the music scene. She also was well known for her passion for scat singing and her strong belief that the throwaway attitude that most jazz musicians approached it with was inappropriate and wasteful. Her scatting was known to display a degree of spontaneity and basic inventiveness that was seldom seen elsewhere

This 1960 album’s inventive Richard Weiss arrangements combine with Carter’s uniquely masterful – and modern - vocals for fresh takes on standards. Highlights include a lively run through “What A Little Moonlight Can Do”, inspired scatting on “On The Alamo” and a beautifully tender take on “There’s No You”.

The Verve By Request Series features 180-gram vinyl, pressed at Third Man in Detroit. — (via Verve)

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Label: Verve Records, UMG Recordings
Series: Verve By Request
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo, 180g
Country: Worldwide
Reissued: Feb 23, 2024 / Original Release: 1960
Genre: Jazz
Style: Vocal
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File under: Jazz – Vocals