I Can't Help It
This CD compiles two very different sessions from 1958 and 1960, presenting contrasting sides of the great bop vocalist Betty Carter. The first is with an outstanding 13-piece big band, with thoughtful arrangements by several band members including trombonist Melba Liston, altoist Gigi Gryce, tenorist Benny Golson, and trumpeter Ray Copeland. The setting suits the bop side of Carter perfectly; her approach challenges and matches the horn solos of Golson and trumpeter Kenny Dorham. The second session, with a string orchestra arranged and conducted by Richard Wess, emphasizes the gentler, ballad side of Carter's repertoire, but she hardly sounds repressed. The renditions of "My Reverie" and "Stormy Weather" show what Carter can do with a song in even the most formal settings.--Stuart Broomer