Cosmopolite (album)

Cosmopolite
Studio album by Benny Carter
Released	1956
Recorded	December 4, 1952, December 31, 1953 and January 4, 1954 Radio Recorders, Los Angeles, CA
Genre	Jazz
Label	Norgran MGN 1070
Producer	Norman Granz
Benny Carter chronology
Alone Together (1952) Cosmopolite (1952-54) Benny Carter Plays Pretty (1954)
The Urbane Mr.Carter Cover

Cosmopolite is an album by American jazz saxophonist Benny Carter recorded at three sessions between 1952 and 1954 and released on the Norgran label.^[1][2] The album features tracks that were initial released on the 10 inch LP The Urbane Mr. Carter.^[3]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[4]

Allmusic awarded the album 3 stars stating "This long out-of-print LP from the 1950s showcases altoist Benny Carter in two very different settings. Side one finds him interpreting ballads in front of a string section while the flip side matches Carter with the Oscar Peterson Trio and drummer J.C. Heard. It is a credit to his versatility and talents that Benny Carter plays quite well in both formats".^[4]

Track listing

1. "Can't We Be Friends?" (Paul James, Kay Swift) - 2:38 Originally released on MGN 10
2. "Symphony" (Alex Alstone, Jack Lawrence, Andre Tabet) - 2:16 Originally released on MGN 10
3. "Sorry" (Benny Carter) - 3:04Originally released on MGN 10
4. "I'll Be Around" (Alec Wilder) - 2:34 Originally released on MGN 10
5. "Beautiful Love" (Wayne King, Victor Young, Egbert Van Alstyne) - 2:50 Originally released on MGN 10
6. "Blue Star" (Carter) - 3:08 Originally released on MGN 10
7. "Street Scene" (Alfred Newman) - 3:17
8. "Imagination" (Jimmy Van Heusen, Johnny Burke) - 3:30
9. "Pick Yourself Up" (Jerome Kern, Dorothy Fields) - 2:31
10. "I Get a Kick Out of You" (Cole Porter) - 2:51
11. "With a Song in My Heart" (Richard Rogers, Lorenz Hart) - 2:32 Originally released on MGN 10
12. "Flamingo" (Ted Grouya, Edmund Anderson) - 2:50 Originally released on MGN 10

• Recorded at Radio Recorders in Los Angeles, CA on December 4, 1952 (tracks 6-10), December 31, 1953 (tracks 4-6 & 12) and January 4, 1954 (tracks 1-3 & 11)

Personnel

• Benny Carter - alto saxophone, arranger
• Oscar Peterson (tracks 7-10), Gerald Wiggins (tracks 1-6, 11 & 12) - piano
• Barney Kessel (tracks 7-10), Jack Marshall (tracks 1-6, 11 & 12) - guitar
• Ray Brown (tracks 7-10), Red Callender (tracks 1-6, 11 & 12) - bass
• J. C. Heard (tracks 7-10), Jackie Mills (tracks 1-3 & 11), Alvin Stoller (tracks 4-6 & 12) - drums
• Joseph Eger, John Graas, Gale Robinson - French horn (tracks 4-6 & 12)
• Hoyt Bohannon, Joe Howard, Pullman Pederson - trombone (tracks 1-3 & 11)
• Juan Tizol - valve trombone (tracks 1-3 & 11)
• Benjamin Barrett - concertmaster (tracks 1-6, 11 & 12)
• Sam Albert (tracks 1-3 & 11), Sam Cytron (tracks 1-6, 11 & 12), John DeVoogdt (tracks 4-6 & 12), Henry Hill (tracks 1-6, 11 & 12), Anatol Kaminsky (tracks 1-3 & 11), George Kast (tracks 1-6, 11 & 12), Jack Shulman (tracks 1-6, 11 & 12), Cyril Towbin (tracks 4-6 & 12) - violin
• Joe DiFiore (tracks 1-3 & 11), Lou Kievman (tracks 1-6, 11 & 12), Abraham Weiss (tracks 4-6 & 12) - viola
• Armand Kaproff, Ray Kramer - cello (tracks 1-6, 11 & 12)
• Joe Glover - arranger, conductor (tracks 1-6, 11 & 12)

References

1. Edwards, D. & Callahan, M. Norgran Label Discography, accessed March 29, 2016
2. Norgran Records Catalog: 1000 series accessed March 29, 2016
3. Norgran Records Catalog: Ten Inch series accessed March 29, 2016
4. Yanow, Scott. Cosmopolite – Review at AllMusic. Retrieved March 30, 2016.