Alto sax player and arranger Benny Carter passed away on Saturday, removing one of the last living links to the birth of the big band.

http://www.cnn.com/2003/SHOWBIZ/Music/07/13/carter.obit.ap/index.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/14/obituaries/14CART.html?hp

Anyone interested in hearing Carter’s tight, elegant arrangements and playing may want to start with 1961's Further Definitions, which features Carter playing with an all star saxophone section that includes Coleman Hawkins, Phil Woods, and Charlie Rouse.

:m: Peace.

apparently, no one cares. :)

Plenty care.
Goofy, there was a great article in the Toronto Star the other day around Oscar Peterson, but it was mainly about the fact that all of his comrades are dying. Jazz is certainly loosing those of it's golden era. However, if you ask me, modern jazz has just begun to take the genre in it's greatest direction. What makes jazz so amazing is the emphasis on improvisation and freedom in the music. In my opinion, much of early jazz is unfortunatly far too structured, or "pre-composed". Look to greats now like Medeski Martin and Wood, or Galactic, or Karl Denson, and you find much more free-wheeling. Some of the best jazz on the market is modernized classics, such as most of Robert Randolph's work.

http://thestar.ca/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&call_pageid=971358637177&c=Article&cid=1060294209325
Check out the article.