Droppin' Things

Droppin' Things (1990) finds Betty Carter in a small-group vocal jazz setting, emphasizing improvisation, rhythmic freedom, and her distinctive, elastic phrasing. The performances highlight her adventurous reworkings of material and close interplay with accompanists, with frequent scat passages, unexpected rhythmic shifts, and a focus on spontaneous, expressive delivery. The album is representative of her late-career artistry and her reputation for stretching standards and song forms in service of intense, personal interpretation.