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Benny Carter

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Benny Carter was an American jazz musician: saxophonist, clarinettist, trumpeter, composer, arranger and bandleader. He was born in 1907 in New York and received piano lessons from his mother and others. He played the trumpet, briefly tried the C-melody saxophone and then chose the alto saxophone. In the 1920s he played with, among others, Earl Hines and Horace Henderson's Wilberforce Collegians, of which he was bandleader until 1929. In 1927 he made his first recording, with Charlie Johnson's Paradise Ten.

Music and breakthrough

As an arranger he took over Don Redman's place with Fletcher Henderson in his early twenties. He learned the trade by trying things out and by studying existing scores. His arrangements were complex, such as Keep a Song in Your Soul from 1930 for Henderson and Symphony in Riffs. He then led McKinney's Cotton Pickers in Detroit and in 1932 a band of his own in New York with, among others, Chu Berry, Sid Catlett and Teddy Wilson. In the early 1930s he and Johnny Hodges were regarded as the best alto saxophonists in jazz, and he also became a leading trumpet soloist. In 1933 he played in the sessions with the British musician Spike Hughes. He then worked for two years as an arranger for the BBC Big Band in London and in 1938 recorded in Paris with Django Reinhardt. His albums include Cosmopolite in 1953, Jazz Giant in 1958 and Sax A La Carter! in 1960.

Influence

Carter's career continued into the twenty-first century. He helped shape the swing style with his arrangements, above all for the saxophone section, and showed how an alto saxophone with a soft, smooth tone can sing.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to Sax A La Carter! from 1960. Notice the smooth, singing tone of the alto saxophone and how every phrase sounds like a well-built arrangement.

Discography

Studio albums

In School of Rock

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See also

Categories: Artists