Results for "Betty Carter"

Betty Carter

Betty Carter was born Lillie Mae Jones in Flint, Michigan, on May 16, 1930. At a young age, she began the study of piano at the Detroit Conservatory of Music, and by the time she was a teenager she was slready sitting in with Charlie Parker and other bop musicians when they performed in Detroit. After winning a local amateur contest, she turned professional at age 16, hooking up with the Lionel Hampton band by 1948, billed as Lorraine Carter. Hampton was the man who hung the nickname 'Betty Be-Bop' on her (a nickname she hated, as she found bebop limiting and wanted to do more than just scat), but it stuck, and ultimately she changed her stage name to Betty Carter

The Way You Look Tonight - Celebrating Dorothy Fields

By MARY FOSTER CONKLIN

The first hour celebrates the birthday of legendary lyricist Dorothy Fields in addition to new releases from Susan Tobocman, Emilie-Claire Barlow and Bocana, Callum Au and Claire Martin plus an instrumental by Mimi Fox of “Better Times Will Come," part of Janis Ian's Better Times Project. Birthday shout-outs to guitarist Mary Osborne, baritone saxophonist Lauren Sevian, ...

How Sweet it Is

By H WILLIAM STINE

Sweet. It's a word you don't hear much, especially now. Home Sweet Home? After four months of sheltering in place, what's so sweet about being home? Sweet Dreams? It's been months since I had one. Sweet Spot? I know what it used to mean, but now it means keeping six feet away from people. Sweet Nothings? ...

Women in Jazz, Pt. 3: The International Women in Jazz Organization

By KARL ACKERMANN

In part 1 and part 2 of the Women in Jazz series, we looked at the historical marginalization of women in jazz from Lil Hardin Armstrong and Blanch Calloway in the 1920s to Tia Fuller in 2019. Part 2 focused on several prominent pioneering artists including the all-female International Sweethearts of Rhythm, Marian McPartland, and Melba ...

Gemini Jazz - Birthday Celebrations for Irene Higginbotham, Hazel Scott, Geri Allen and More

By MARY FOSTER CONKLIN

Included are mid-June birthday shoutouts to Irene Higginbotham ("Good Morning Heartache"), and pianists Hazel Scott, Kenny Barron, Monika Herzig and Geri Allen, along with new releases from La Lucha, Dena DeRose, Sara Serpa and a final recording from Larry Willis. Thanks for listening and please continue to support all of these fine musicians -buy their recordings ...

Lonnie Liston Smith & The Cosmic Echoes: Expansions

By CHRIS MAY

If ever a first wave jazz-funk album deserved a 180gm vinyl reissue in 2020 it is this near masterpiece. It was originally released in 1975 on Flying Dutchman, the label Bob Thiele set up after he left Impulse!. Jazz-funk divided the jazz world in the 1970s as much as free-jazz had done a ...

John Lewis @ 100 and More May Birthdays

By MARC COHN

May birthdays this week on G&M! Some big ones (of course): the John Lewis centennial, Dave McKenna @ 90, Arthur Blythe and Carlos Ward @ 80. It's also Stevie Wonder's 70th this month, and May celebrant salutes are in the house (Theo Hill, Ronnie Foster, Mel Lewis, and Groove Holmes) doing 'Wonderful' tunes. We also celebrate ...

The Music Never Stops: Tales of Wonder and Ms. B.C.

By MARY FOSTER CONKLIN

This week we focus on new releases from pianist Danny Green's band LP and the Vinyl, vocalist Linda Purl, saxophonist Brian Landrus, the duo Const, plus a Stevie Wonder tribute by various Posi-Tone artists for his 70th birthday and a special single from Cynthia Scott, with more birthday shoutouts to lyricist Betty Comden and Betty Carter ...

Bob Thiele's Flying Dutchman Records: Ten High Altitude Albums

By CHRIS MAY

Bob Thiele is best remembered for his years as the artistic director and house producer of Impulse!. He took over from founder producer Creed Taylor in 1961 and stayed with the label until 1969, when he left to run his own Flying Dutchman Records. Thiele's tenure at Impulse! was its most glorious period, when Thiele curated ...

Space Is The Place: The Lives And Times Of Sun Ra

By IAN PATTERSON

Space Is The Place: The Lives And Times Of Sun Ra John F. Szwed 512 Pages ISBN: 978-1-4780-0841-5 Duke University Press 2020 Of all the 20th century jazz figures, perhaps only John Coltrane and Miles Davis have achieved greater cult status than Sun Ra. Unlike Coltrane, Ra lived into ...