This 1959 six disc set from Ella Fitzgerald is the largest and most ambitious in her celebrated Song Book series, consisting of her interpretations of 59 Gershwin tunes, including her Grammy-winning version of But Not For Me. The album also marks Fitzgerald's first collaboration with arranger Nelson Riddle, a partnership that would yield further recordings in the 1960s.

Although he has played trumpet, trombone, clarinet, tenor and piano, it is as an alto saxophonist that Benny Carter has achieved his enviable reputation as an instrumentalist. The Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winner has acted as an inspiration to generations of young musicians, all of whom have been fascinated by the seemingly effortless way in which that flawless tone was produced. The broad, sweeping phrases of his improvisations have the structural stability of compositions in their own right. This 1980 session, recorded for the Danish Storyville label, finds Carter backed by a fine quintet including pianist Kenny Drew, bassist Jesper Lundgard, drummer Ed Thigpen and Richard Boone, who sings on "All That Jazz".

This 1956 album of standards from Billie Holiday has long been out of print, despite receiving a five star review in DownBeat magazine when released. Holiday was always very demanding about the quality of her musicians and this session was no exception; she is backed by a superb sextet that features Benny Carter on alto sax, Harry “Sweets” Edison on trumpet, Barney Kessel on guitar and Larry Bunker on drums.

This budget LP just contains ten short selections and does not give personnel or exact recording dates. Recorded in London during 1936-37, the brief program does contain more than its share of rewarding moments, most notably the debut recording of Carter's "When Lights Are Low," the advanced "Waltzin' the Blues" (performed at a time when jazz waltzes were unheard of), the atmospheric "Nightfall," "Just a Mood" and a fine version of "Royal Garden Blues." Carter is heard throughout, switching between alto, clarinet, tenor and trumpet.