Benny Carter led an extraordinarily long life in jazz; as his biographer pointed out, he was probably the only musician who both recorded into an acoustic horn and surfed his own website. Big-band veteran and arranger, author of jazz standards such as “When Lights Are Low” and “Blues in My Heart,” pioneer for black composers in Hollywood, master of two instruments (alto sax and trumpet), and inspiration and mentor to many young jazz musicians, Carter came to be known as “the King.”
Carter died at the age of 95 in July of 2003, having recorded and performed well into his 80s. This weekend on Night Lights we’ll celebrate his 100th birthday (August 8th) with music from the middle of his career, including records he made with pianists Oscar Peterson, Teddy Wilson, and Art Tatum; his 1946 big band; songs he wrote and either arranged or performed on for vocalists Julia Lee and Sarah Vaughan; and music that he scored for film and television.
Carter and fellow swing-to-modern saxophonist Coleman Hawkins made some classic records together in Paris in the late 1930s, and Hawkins appeared on Carter’s postwar masterpiece Further Definitions. Watch them perform Carter’s composition “Blue Lou” (that’s jazz impresario Norman Granz doing the introduction):
Update: worthwhile reflections on Carter from Doug Ramsey (with a followup) and Marc Myers.
Air date: Aug. 11, 2007
David, I realize you’re quoting someone else, but it’s unlikely Benny Carter ever “recorded into an acoustic horn”. The earliest B.C. recording I’ve ever run across was with Charlie Johnson’s band in early 1927 for Victor, in NYC. It was an electrical recording…
Ted, Ed Berger (Benny Carter biographer) has cleared up the mystery. He writes:
Benny did make an acoustical recording in 1924 or 1925 with singer Clara Smith (Benny’s first recording). He remembered this event quite clearly. Unfortunately he was unable to recall precisely which title(s) he was on, as several of these are listed with uncertain personnel. We played many of these recordings for him but nothing leaped out. It’s also possible that the sides were never issued.
David J.