You could make a pretty convincing argument that Betty Carter was the last of the female singers that had her own personal and unique sound. Her style, swinging yet as flexible as salt water taffy, melded swinging bebop with avant garde free jazz, and you couldn’t tell where one stitch ended and the other began. This concert at JALC from March 29. 1992 has Betty Boop Carter in wondrous form in settings of big band, strings and small combo. The small group of Cyrus Chestnut/p, Ariel Roland/b, Greg Hutchinson/dr and Clarence Penn/b has Carter at her hippest, richly delivering her “30 Years” and getting deep and blue on the shadowy “Why Him?/Where Or When/What’s New?” with her purring like a kitten. She pulsates to Roland on “Bridges” and glistens on an intimate duet with Geri Allen on a pleading “If I Should Lose You.”
With strings and big band she is rich, blue and romantic on a flexible “Make It Last” and she slithers like a salamander on the hip “Social Call” and flies like a falling star on “Moonlight in Vermont.” The band shows it’s own moxie on “Ms. BC” with Alex Foster and Kamau Adilifu bopping on tenor sax and trumpet respectfully. The evening is filled with excitement and celebrative art. Be glad someone finally released it for our ears and hearts.