Betty Carter
Brett Cemer
discussed here before. But I want to read what people have
to say about Betty Carter's recent work. I must say that I
am impressed by the level of discussion on rmb (especially
compared to most newsgroups), and I have no doubt that some
readers have some interesting things to say about her.
I have never heard her live and am familiar only with the
following recordings: Droppin' Things; It's Not About the
Melody; Feed the Fire; and Ray Charles and Betty Carter (so
it doesn't quite fit!).
It seems to me that there is a split in the world of jazz
singing about the status of Carter's accomplishments. Carmen
McCrae's disdain -- both personal and musical -- for her is
well documented, and I remember a recent comment in Downbeat
by an up-and-comer that a jazz singer must "sing in tune,
please" -- no doubt directed at Carter. Of course, this also
gets in to the silly Sarah Vaughan vs Ella thing.
I line up rather on the other side. I find Betty Carter to
be a very good composer, a sensitive ensemble player and
leader, an important teacher and mentor for young musicians,
and a fearless and honest explorer and innovator, not to
mention a great singer (although of course this doesn't
necessarily mean a great *voice* like Sarah's). Carter is
anything but conventional in her approach to jazz singing,
for example: her controversial insistence that "it's not
about the melody" but rather about line and colour (like
painting); her "instrumental" (horn-like) approach to
phrasing, scatting, etc; and her notorious use of "dissonant"
harmonies, which always seem at first to be a half tone or
quarter tone "off" but which usually find stunning intervals
that really ring. These are the things which seem to
characterise her style, and they are the things which others
have used to denigrate her explorations and achievements.
What do RMBers think? Obviously most jazz lovers believe
that there is room in jazz singing for both "pure" singers /
interpreters and what Betty does (and many shades in
between). But this does not address her actual technique and
direction and their significance.
Toni C
Jeff Taylor
criticisms of her is that she sings flat (and she certainly has in the
various times I have seen her live). Is this intentional? (her early
recordings are all right on key). I always assumed one was supposed to
ignore the intonation and focus on phrasing, color, and rhythm, but I find
this difficult to do at times.
By the way, there was an interesting spot about Carter on a local NYC program
called "City Arts"; it showed her rehearsing with a group of young musicians.
She kept a very tight rein on the proceedings; I can see why some of her
former musicians felt that, as much as they learned from working with her,
she tended to stifle their creativity...
--Jeff
John Levine
Toni C
Fascinating, and to my mind, a very accurate assessment - but it could
be Monk, as a vocalist, whom you're describing. No?
I have seen B.C. in person - she adds a lot of warmth, humor and great
audience rapport to her performances - most of which I don't seem to find
present on any of the 6 or so recordings, both live and studio, that I own.
To me she's the singer who is most like another instrument, rather than
just a vocalist, working today.
One thing though - great though she is, I find her tiring to listen to for
an extended time. Something Sarah, Carmen, Dinah and Ernestine simply
don't do to me.
John Levine
jle...@direct.ca
Reid Flem
Levine's comments. I have seen B.C numerous times, and I feel that her
"style" is definitely more appealing when it is experienced live. I too
have many of her recording and just don't get that same sensation that I
experience when I see her perform live. In seeing her in performance you
get to watch her put her band throught its paces. I remember one time when
I say her, she stopped in the middle of a song and corrected the pianist
(marc carey) on how she wanted the song to be played. She was kinda of
hard on him if you ask me, but I guess it was "tough love." By the way
Marc Carey is a tremendous pianist, I had a chance to see him play with
the Roy Hargrove quartet.
Albert Crawford
supposed to be associated with jazz.It is is a shame there aren't more
new singers trying to embody that spirit of freedom. It's also a shame
colleges don't put emphasis on solo jazz singing and the scarcity of
jazz vocal books, transcriptions ( not to mention record contracts)
shows jazz singers to be looked at as second class. I know jazz is
primarily an instrumental form but it still can be approached as an art
that can be mastered through systematic study with passion and
reverance.
Chip CrawfordOn 6 May 1995, John Levine wrote:
> Date: 6 MAY 1995 05:55:22 GMT
> From: John Levine <jle...@Direct.CA>
> Newgroups: rec.music.bluenote
> Subject: Re: Betty Carter
Tom Storer
(and she certainly has in the various times I have seen her live)>>
Maybe I'm just tone deaf or tolerant, but I've never been bothered
by Betty's intonation, live or otherwise. She's certainly not afraid
to sing some pretty dissonant notes by choice, and they work, IMHO.
Abbey Lincoln manages to get accolades and she sings virtually as
flat as I do, which is saying a great deal!
--
"Le jazz, c'est comme les bananes - ca se consomme sur place."
Sartre
R. Lynn Rardin
In a previous article, 10034...@CompuServe.COM (Tom Storer) says:
><<one of the most frequent criticisms of her is that she sings flat
>(and she certainly has in the various times I have seen her live)>>
>
>Maybe I'm just tone deaf or tolerant, but I've never been bothered
>by Betty's intonation, live or otherwise. She's certainly not afraid
>to sing some pretty dissonant notes by choice, and they work, IMHO.
>
>Abbey Lincoln manages to get accolades and she sings virtually as
>flat as I do, which is saying a great deal!
I was bothered by her intonation at first, but have gotten used to it and
don't find it bothers me much these days.
--
-Lynn (rar...@auriga.rose.brandeis.edu)
DSTOL
one occasion, Betty sat in on Mark Whitfield's debut gig, along with
Shirley Horn sitting in on piano and George Benson on guitar. After a few
tunes, Betty and Shirley traded fours over "Green Dolphin Street". It was
a memorable evening.
Cuda Brown
That must have been incredible! Last year I got to see Betty and Abbey
perform with their bands on the same bill in SF. At the end, they sang
"What a little Moonlight Can Do" together, doing the scattin at ya thing.
It was a perfect capper for a perfect evening.