Betty Carter
 
Discography

We like to give credit where it's due. I'd like to thank Tim Cramm who with the help of Tom Storer, Adam Rubin, Danny Michael, John Walker and Bruce Robinson have put together this extensive listing of Betty Carter's Discography.

Albums featuring Betty Carter as a main performer

Following the link to each album will reveal an image of the album cover (If available), information about sidemen, a list of songs on the album, and any reviews/comments I can collect. The dates below are the dates the albums were recorded, not necessarily the dates they were released.


Meet Betty Carter and Ray Bryant (1955)
Social Call  (1956)    
I Can't Help It (1958-60)
Ray Charles and Betty Carter (1961)    
Round Midnight  (1962-3)    
Inside Betty Carter (1964)
Finally, Betty Carter (1969)    
Round Midnight (1969)    
At the Village Vanguard (1970)
The Betty Carter Album (1972)    
Now It's My Turn (1976)    
I Didn't Know What Time It Was (1976)
The Audience with Betty Carter (1979)    
Whatever Happened to Love? (1982)    
Carmen McRae-Betty Carter Duets (1987)
Look What I Got (1988)    
Droppin' Things (1990)    
Compact Jazz - Betty Carter (1990 compilation)
It's Not About the Melody (1992)    
Feed the Fire (1993)    
I'm Yours, You're Mine (1996)
1955-1969 (1998 compilation)

Betty as a guest performer:

These albums feature Betty as a guest performer with another artist or group.  Of special interest is the King Pleasure Sings album, which contains the earliest available recording of Ms. Carter.  I have tracked down some evidence of the early airnchecks with the Lionel Hampton band, and I am in the process of acquiring these.   When I get the information on what must be her earliest known recordings, I'll post it here.  Note that, unlike in the compilations section, these tracks are not available on her earlier albums.

* Stay Awake - Music From Disney Films (Verve)  [1988] - "Feed the Birds/Whistle While You Work/I'm Wishing"

* September Songs - The Music of Kurt Weill (Sony) [1997] - "Lonely House"


* King Pleasure Sings (Original Jazz Classics) [1954] - "Red Top"


* Jazz at Lincoln Center Presents: The Fire of the Fundamentals (Sony) [?] - "You're Mine You"


* Verve Christmas Album: Jazz for Joy (Verve) [1996] - "Let It Snow" & "Home for the Holidays"

Compilations

These albums contain tracks pulled from previously released material. Listed here you will find the album title and label, the year the compilation was released, the title of the song Ms. Carter sings.  When known, the original album from which the track is taken; however seeing as I don't own any of these albums and seeing as Ms. Carter recorded several versions of some of the included songs, I can't be sure in some cases.

    * Night and Day (Verve B000047) [1990] -

"Everytime We Say Goodbye"
    * 1950s The Singers (Columbia Jazz Masterpieces) [?] -

"Frenesi" from Social Call
    * Jazz Divas: Studio (Verve 15563) [1992] -

"Goodbye"
    * Singers (Atlantic Jazz) [?] -

"The Good Life"
    * Cigar Classics: Volume 3 - Cool Smokes (UHI/HIP-O) [1997] -

"I Can't Help It"
    * I Get a Kick Out of You: Cole Porter Songbook, Vol. 2 (Verve 19828) [1991] -

"Most Gentlemen Don't Like Love"
    * Blue Vocals, Vol. 2 (?) [1992] - "My Favorite Things"
    * Best of the 60s, Vol. 2 (Atlantic Jazz 71727) [1994] -

"When I Fall in Love" from Round Midnight
    * 'S Wonderful - The Gershwin Songbook (Verve 13928) [1995] - "The Man I Love" {note: also released as disc 1 of a 3 disc set called The Complete Gershwin Songbooks}
* Voices of Cool, Vol. 2 (Atlantic Jazz) [1994] -

"Round Midnight"
    * Vocal Classics (Atlantic Jazz) [1998] -

"Round Midnight"
    * Jazz Divas: Live (Verve) [1992] -

"Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most" from The Audience with Betty Carter & "I Could Write a Book"
    * The Jazz Singers (Smithsonian) [1998] {5 CD box set} -

"This is Always" {disc 5} from Inside Betty Carter & "Frenesi" {disc 5} from Social Call
    * Playboy's 40th Anniversary: Four Decades of Jazz 1953-1993 (?) [1993] -

"?"
    * Verve's Grammy Winners (Verve 21485) [1998] -

"Look What I Got" from Look What I Got!
    * Genius and Soul: The 50th Anniversary Collection {a tribute to Ray Charles} (?) [1998] {5 CD box set} - "Baby It's Cold Outside" & "Every-time We Say Goodbye" {disc 2}from Ray Charles and Betty Carter
    * American Beauty - Soundtrack from the Movie - "Open the Door" from Inside Betty Carter (and even if you don't go just to hear Betty, go see the movie - it's excellent.