The Audience with Betty Carter | ||||
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Live album by Betty Carter | ||||
Released | 1980 | |||
Recorded | December 6 - 8, 1979, San Francisco | |||
Genre | Vocal jazz | |||
Length | 91:20 | |||
Label | Betcar, Verve (reissue) | |||
Producer | Betty Carter | |||
Betty Carter chronology | ||||
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Professional ratings | |
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Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
Allmusic |
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Penguin Guide to Jazz | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Audience with Betty Carter is a 1979 (see 1979 in music) live double album by the American jazz singer Betty Carter.
The album's first track, "Sounds (Movin' On)", is 25 minutes in length and features an epic scat solo. "The Trolley Song" is a nod to the city of San Francisco, where the album was recorded. The second half of the album features several songs written by Carter. The penultimate track is a fresh take on Rodgers and Hammerstein's "My Favorite Things from The Sound of Music, echoing the revolutionary rendition by John Coltrane on his 1960 album of the same name. The set ends with the plaintive "Open the Door," Carter's signature tune.
The Audience With Betty Carter was first released on Carter's own Bet-Car Records and later reissued on Verve.
The Penguin Guide to Jazz awarded the album four out of four stars, including a special crown for a "recording of merit." The review states that "she works the room with consummate skill," and noting that "Billie Holiday doesn't have a crowned album."Billboard magazine gave the album a lukewarm review on its release in 1980, saying that "She won't please all jazz fans - some of her affectations are annoying. But overall, it's a strong package." The Audience with Betty Carter was later included in an appendix to 1000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die.
Disc One
Disc Two
Recorded December 6 - 8, 1979, Great American Music Hall, San Francisco: