The great Benny Carter was so much in demand as an arranger/composer in the studios that for 15 years, starting in the early ’60s, he rarely recorded or performed in jazz settings, instead choosing to concentrate on writing movie scores. The drought ended when Carter, then in his late 60s, started recording for Pablo. As The King (his first small-group session since 1966) proves, the masterful altoist had not lost a thing through the years. In a sextet with vibraphonist Milt Jackson, guitarist Joe Pass and pianist Tommy Flanagan, Benny Carter is in masterful form, stretching out on eight of his own compositions and showing that his name always has to be ranked near the top of jazz improvisers, whether one is considering the 1930s or the 1990s. – Scott Yanow
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