Benny Carter
To say that Benny Carter had a remarkable and productive career would be an extreme understatement. As an altoist, arranger, composer, bandleader, and occasional trumpeter, Carter was at the top of his field since at least 1928, and in the late '90s, Carter was as strong an altoist at the age of 90 as he was in 1936 (when he was merely 28). His gradually evolving style did not change much through the decades, but neither did it become at all stale or predictable except in its excellence. Benny Carter was a major figure in every decade of the 20th century since the 1920s, and his consistency and longevity were unprecedented.
Essentially self-taught, Benny Carter started on the trumpet and, after a period on C-melody sax, switched to alto. In 1927, he made his recording debut with Charlie Johnson's Paradise Ten. The following year, he had his first big band (working at New York's Arcadia Ballroom) and was contributing arrangements to Fletcher Henderson and even Duke Ellington. Carter was with Henderson during 1930-1931, briefly took over McKinney's Cotton Pickers, and then went back to leading his own big band (1932-1934). Already at this stage he was considered one of the two top altoists in jazz (along with Johnny Hodges), a skilled arranger and composer ("Blues in My Heart" was an early hit and would be followed by "When Lights Are Low"), and his trumpet playing was excellent; Carter would also record on tenor, clarinet (an instrument he should have played more), and piano, although his rare vocals show that even he was human.
In 1935, Benny Carter moved to Europe, where in London he was a staff arranger for the BBC dance orchestra (1936-1938); he also recorded in several European countries. Carter's "Waltzing the Blues" was one of the very first jazz waltzes. He returned to the U.S. in 1938, led a classy but commercially unsuccessful big band (1939-1941), and then headed a sextet. In 1943, he relocated permanently to Los Angeles, appearing in the film Stormy Weather (as a trumpeter with Fats Waller) and getting lucrative work writing for the movie studios. He would lead a big band off and on during the next three years (among his sidemen were J.J. Johnson, Miles Davis, and Max Roach) before giving up on that effort. Carter wrote for the studios for over 50 years, but he continued recording as an altoist (and all-too-rare trumpeter) during the 1940s and '50s, making a few tours with Jazz at the Philharmonic and participating on some of Norman Granz's jam-session albums. By the mid-'60s, his writing chores led him to hardly playing alto at all, but he made a full "comeback" by the mid-'70s, and maintained a very busy playing and writing schedule even at his advanced age. Even after the rise of such stylists as Charlie Parker, Cannonball Adderley, Eric Dolphy, Ornette Coleman, and David Sanborn (in addition to their many followers), Benny Carter still ranks near the top of alto players. His concert and recording schedule remained active through the '90s, slowing only at the end of the millenium. After eight amazing decades of writing and playing, Benny Carter passed away quietly on July 13, 2003 at a Los Angeles hospital. He was 95.
© Scott Yanow /TiVo
Artistes similaires
-
The Urbane Jazz Of Roy Eldridge And Benny Carter
Jazz - Paru chez Verve Reissues le 1 janv. 1955
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Skyline Drive and Towards
Jazz - Paru chez Vax Records le 10 avr. 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
"Livin' with the Blues". Barbara Dane with Earl Fatha Hines and His Orchestra Plus "On My Way" With Kenny Whitson Quartet
Earl Hines, Kenny Whitson, Barbara Dane
Jazz vocal - Paru chez Fresh Sound Records le 19 avr. 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Elegy in Blue
Jazz - Paru chez Jazz Heritage Society le 1 janv. 2002
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Journey To Next
Benny Carter, Dizzy Gillespie, Quincy Jones
Jazz - Paru chez LIGHTYEAR (LTY) le 1 janv. 1996
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Another Time, Another Place (feat. Chris Neville, John Lockwood, & Sherman Ferguson) [Live]
Jazz - Paru chez Evening Star le 1 janv. 1996
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Benny Carter & American Jazz Orchestra: Central City Sketches
Benny Carter, American Jazz Orchestra
Jazz - Paru chez Musical Heritage Society le 15 nov. 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Sunny Days
Jazz - Paru chez Beat Machine Records le 30 oct. 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
My Man Benny/My Man Phil
Be Bop - Paru chez Jazz Heritage Society le 1 janv. 2002
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
-
In Copenhagen
Jazz contemporain - Paru chez Storyville le 14 avr. 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Anthology: The Deluxe Collection (Remastered)
Jazz - Paru chez Master Tape Records le 24 avr. 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
-
Jazz Giant
Jazz - Paru chez Firefly Entertainment le 1 janv. 1958
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
-
Further Definitions
Benny Carter, And His Orchestra
Jazz - Paru chez Black Sheep Music le 1 janv. 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
-
Jazz Giant (Remastered)
Jazz - Paru chez Avid Entertainment le 1 janv. 1958
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Complete Jazz Heritage Society Recordings - Vol. 3: Live Recordings
Jazz - Paru chez Jazz Heritage Society le 18 nov. 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Further Definitions (Bonus Track Version)
Jazz - Paru chez Jazz Musts le 15 juin 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Benny Carter All Stars
Benny Carter, Nat Adderley, Red Norvo
Jazz - Paru chez Universal Music AB le 1 janv. 2004
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo