“DEEP PURPLE“: BENNY CARTER, GEORGE BARNES, JOE VENUTI, MICHAEL MOORE (Nice )

The lovely Peter Du Rose - Mitchell Parish lullaby (1939) here sweetly performed at the Grande Parade du Jazz by Benny Carter, alto saxophone; Joe Venuti, violin; George Barnes, guitar; Michael Moore, string bass. George had obviously had some technical problem just before the set: his amplifier is not working or is just whispering, but he plays beautifully throughout, eschewing those pistol-shot notes and runs for simple yet elegant rhythm, laying out the harmonies and keeping Venuti and Moore on track. In the ideal world, I would have unplugged Joe and plugged George in, but we can’t have everything. Perseverance, that’s the lesson in swing from Professor Barnes. Presented by Michael Steinman for JAZZ LIVES ().