This week on the MCG Jazz Spotlight - drummer and jazz historian Thomas Wendt stops in for a monthly visit, this time focusing on the remarkable compositional voice of Benny Carter.
Trace Carter’s evolution through key recordings, starting with early classics like “All of Me” from 1940 and “I Can’t Escape from You,” recorded in Los Angeles in 1944—glimpses of a writer already shaping melody with unmistakable clarity and sophistication.
Also hear Carter’s mid-century writing style., blending swing traditions with a more modern, narrative approach.
Plus, Carter’s large-scale works, including selections from Harlem Renaissance Suite like “Lament for Langston” and “Sunday Morning,” as well as theTales of the Rising Sun Suite with “August Moon” and “Tea Time,” showcasing his ability to paint vivid musical landscapes well into the later years of his career.
Benny Carter - not just as a legendary performer, but as a composer whose voice remained elegant, expressive, and unmistakably his own across more than five decades.
Friday and Sunday night at 6, Saturday at 1 on WZUM
Show Playlist
Title, Artist, Album
All of Me, Benny Carter, All of Me
I Can't Escape From you, Benny Carter, The Music Master
Something for October, Benny Carter, Aspects
Hello, Benny Carter, Central City Sketches
Central City Blues, Benny Carter, Central City Sketches
People, Benny Carter, Central City Sketches
Sky Dance, Benny Carter, Central City Sketches
Harlem Renaissance Suite: Lament for Langston, Benny Carter, Harlem Renaissance
Harlem Renaissance Suite: Sunday Morning, Benny Carter, Harlem Renaissance
Tales of The Rising Sun Suite: August moon, Benny Carter, Harlem Renaissance
Tales of the Riising Sun Suite: Tea Time, Benny Carter, Harlem Renaissance
