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
