Benny Carter: Central City Sketches

Benny Carter was six months shy of his 80th birthday when he debuted this extended composition at a "standing room only" concert at the Great Hall of Cooper Union. After a quarter of a century devoted primarily to work for movies and television, Carter could easily have been forgotten by the jazz world. Life ain't fair? Well, for once life did the right thing. Carter was given a major platform and he produced a major work -- an extended composition in six movements of Ellingtonian proportions. And like the Duke, Carter made no attempt to update his sound or jump on the latest bandwagon. The composer may be revisiting the harmonic and stylistic palette of the Swing Era, but nothing here sounds out-of-date. Carter's swinging lines and memorable melodies were captivating in 1937 and 1987 . . . and will still be charming listeners 50 years hence. Kudos as well to the all-too-short-lived American Jazz Orchestra for a winning performance.