I was lucky to see and hear her at Caravan of Dreams, Fort Worth, TX, somewhere around 1986-8. She lived in the songs, and the songs found a different life in her. The musicians she chose had to be super attentive to know where she was leading and heading.
I consider myself so lucky to have seen her twice in San Francisco--actually Oakland-, at a jazz club called, "Yoshi's." There will never be another Betty Carter--never. Her "ghostly" vocals were her signature. And she always seemed to feature young musicians in her performances--opening the door for them to excel in their own careers.
Completely written out of Jazz History because Black people don't appreciate the things they create! So other races take them and say the white man created that! I started listening to this beautiful lady at the ripe old age of 19 when I was living in Philadelphia! My aunt and uncle loved Jazz and Jazz singers with a passion! Ella Fitzgerald, Dinah Washington, Sarah Vaughn, Dinah Washington, Carmen McRae and the one and only the legendary Billy Holiday would play into the wee wee hours of the morning! Oh my those were good old days!
