Merrimans' Playhouse Jazz Performance Series presents Don Lerman Quartet - Benny Carter Tribute! at Merriman's Playhouse

Merrimans' Playhouse "Home Grown Series" presents the Don Lerman Quartet, for a special tribute concert to Benny Carter.

The Don Lerman quartet, comprised of Billy Foster on piano, Darrel Tidaback on bass, Lannie Turner on drums, and Don Lerman on alto sax present a tribute to the preeminent jazz performer and writer Benny Carter. Best known as an alto saxophonist, Carter (1907-2003) was also an excellent trumpeter, clarinetist, an outstanding composer/arranger and a noted bandleader. Early in his career in the 1920s and 1930s, Carter performed in the orchestras of Earl Hines, Duke Ellington, Fletcher Henderson, and Chick Webb, and formed his own orchestra (which included Teddy Wilson, Coleman Hawkins, and Sid Catlett) to record on the British Columbia label in 1933 and 1934. His writing for these and later sessions is often credited as forming the basis for big band jazz in the years to come. In the late 1930s, he performed and recorded throughout Europe, and in 1938 returned to New York to lead his orchestra at Harlem's famed Savoy Ballroom and to record on the Vocalion label in 1939. In 1943, Carter relocated to Los Angeles to do studio work and to write music for films ("The Snows of Kilimanjaro," "The Five Pennies") and for television ("M Squad," "Ironside"). During these years as a Hollywood composer, he continued to record and to perform in tours of Europe and Japan, and later taught in the music departments of Princeton and Harvard universities. In 1996, he made his last recording with fellow alto saxophonist Phil Woods. Jazz writer Joop Visser summarizes Carter as "one of the true giants of jazz, a creator of music of exquisite poise and elegance whose massive contribution to jazz was made in an active career that spanned an extraordinary eight decades."...

read more

Merrimans' Playhouse "Home Grown Series" presents the Don Lerman Quartet, for a special tribute concert to Benny Carter.

The Don Lerman quartet, comprised of Billy Foster on piano, Darrel Tidaback on bass, Lannie Turner on drums, and Don Lerman on alto sax present a tribute to the preeminent jazz performer and writer Benny Carter. Best known as an alto saxophonist, Carter (1907-2003) was also an excellent trumpeter, clarinetist, an outstanding composer/arranger and a noted bandleader. Early in his career in the 1920s and 1930s, Carter performed in the orchestras of Earl Hines, Duke Ellington, Fletcher Henderson, and Chick Webb, and formed his own orchestra (which included Teddy Wilson, Coleman Hawkins, and Sid Catlett) to record on the British Columbia label in 1933 and 1934. His writing for these and later sessions is often credited as forming the basis for big band jazz in the years to come. In the late 1930s, he performed and recorded throughout Europe, and in 1938 returned to New York to lead his orchestra at Harlem's famed Savoy Ballroom and to record on the Vocalion label in 1939. In 1943, Carter relocated to Los Angeles to do studio work and to write music for films ("The Snows of Kilimanjaro," "The Five Pennies") and for television ("M Squad," "Ironside"). During these years as a Hollywood composer, he continued to record and to perform in tours of Europe and Japan, and later taught in the music departments of Princeton and Harvard universities. In 1996, he made his last recording with fellow alto saxophonist Phil Woods. Jazz writer Joop Visser summarizes Carter as "one of the true giants of jazz, a creator of music of exquisite poise and elegance whose massive contribution to jazz was made in an active career that spanned an extraordinary eight decades."

This special Merriman's Playhouse tribute will include performances of several of Carter's compositions, such as well-know jazz standards "When Lights are Low" and "Only Trust Your Heart," as well as some of his earlier compositions "Krazy Kapers," "Gin and Jive," and "Malibu."


$10 General; $8 Student
PLEASE NOTE - you may use CREDIT CARD or PAYPAL: Once you've added the tickets to your cart in the Brown Paper Tickets site, click on the ORANGE "Pay via PayPal" button on the Buyer Details page, and this will take you to Merrimans' PayPal account. You will then have the option to pay with your credit card or your PayPal account.

show less