ENDEIT
Benny Carter
Photo: Ed Berger, Attribution, via Wikimedia Commons

Saxophonists · 1907–2003

Benny Carter

American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, trumpeter, composer, arranger, and bandleader (1907-2003)

Born
8 August 1907
Died
12 July 2003
Los Angeles
Country
United States
Record labels
Columbia Records
Discography
46 albums

Biography

Benny Carter was a jazz musician who played saxophone, trumpet, clarinet and alto saxophone. Benny Carter was born on 8 August 1907 and died on 12 July 2003 in Los Angeles. The music is usually filed under jazz and swing. Record labels: Columbia Records. The discography here lists 46 albums, from “Cosmopolite” (1953) to “Jazz: The Essential Collection, Vol. 17” (2024). Honours include Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame (1978), Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (1987) and NEA Jazz Masters.

Bennett Lester Carter (August 8, 1907 – July 12, 2003) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, trumpeter, composer, arranger, and bandleader. With Johnny Hodges, he was a pioneer on the alto saxophone. From the beginning of his career in the 1920s, he worked as an arranger, including writing charts for Fletcher Henderson's big band that shaped the swing style. He had an unusually long career that lasted into the 1990s. During the 1980s and 1990s, he was nominated for eight Grammy Awards, which included receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Read the full article on Wikipedia ↗ · From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Discography

Studio and live albums

Cosmopolite 1953
New Jazz Sounds 1955
Jazz Giant 1958
The Fabulous Benny Carter Band 1958
Aspects 1959
Sax A La Carter! 1960
BBB & Co. 1962
A Man Called Adam 1966
Additions to Further Definitions 1966
Jazz at the Philharmonic at the Montreux Jazz Festival 1975 1975 · Live
Live and Well in Japan! 1978 · Live
Summer Serenade 1983
A Gentleman and His Music 1986
Benny Carter All Stars 1986
Benny Carter Meets Oscar Peterson 1987
The Complete Benny Carter on Keynote 1987
Central City Sketches 1988
Swingin' the '20s 1988
In the Mood for Swing 1989
My Kind of Trouble 1989
My Man Benny, My Man Phil 1989
Cookin' at Carlos I 1990
All That Jazz: Live at Princeton 1992 · Live
Benny Carter, Dizzy Gillespie, Inc. 1992
Cosmopolite: The Oscar Peterson Verve Sessions 1994
Elegy in Blue 1994
Another Time, Another Place 1996 · Live
Songbook 1996
New York Nights 1997
Songbook, Volume II 1997
Tickle Toe 1997
More Cookin' 2002
Back Bay Boogie 2004
Anthology: The Deluxe Collection (Remastered) 2020
Princeton Concerts (And Beyond) [Vol 7. September 13, 1997 Live at Princeton] 2022 · Live
Princeton Concerts (And Beyond) [Vol. 2 October 22, 1973 Live at Princeton] 2022 · Live
Princeton Concerts (And Beyond) [Vol. 3 December 3, 1973 Live at Princeton] 2022 · Live
Princeton Concerts (And Beyond) [Vol. 4 March 18, 1977 Live at Princeton] 2022
Princeton Concerts (And Beyond) [Vol. 5 October 12, 1979 Live at Princeton] 2022 · Live
Princeton Concerts (And Beyond) [Vol. 6 May 21, 1982 Live at Princeton] 2022 · Live
Princeton Concerts (And Beyond) [Vol. 8 October 28, 1978 Live in Buffalo] 2022 · Live
Princeton Concerts (And Beyond) [Vol.1 April 19, 1973 Live at Princeton] 2022 · Live
Jazz: The Essential Collection, Vol. 17 2024
Jazz Giant: Complete Sessions
Live and Well in Japan · Live
Wonderland

Also plays on

Albums where Benny Carter is credited as a sideman

1955 Sweet and Hot — Ella Fitzgerald conductor
1955 Music for Torching — Billie Holiday alto saxophone
1957 Go West, Man! — Quincy Jones alto saxophone
1963 Ingredients in a Recipe for Soul — Ray Charles arranger
1968 30 by Ella — Ella Fitzgerald arranger, conductor, alto saxophone
1976 Stormy Weather — Lena Horne, Cab Calloway, Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, Fats Waller trumpet
1982 A Classy Pair — Ella Fitzgerald & The Count Basie Orchestra arranger, conductor
1989 All That Jazz — Ella Fitzgerald alto saxophone
1995 Love Me or Leave Me — Billie Holiday alto saxophone, clarinet
1998 Lullabies of Birdland / Sweet and Hot — Ella Fitzgerald conductor

Standards written by Benny Carter

TitleKeyFormGroove
When Lights Are Low E♭ major AABA · 32 Medium swing
Only Trust Your Heart C major AABAC · 40 Bossa nova
Summer Serenade D♭ major ABAC · 32 Bossa nova

Analysed solos by Benny Carter

Awards

Historic 78 rpm records

  • Diga, Diga, Do Benny Carter and his All Star Orchestra · Dickie Wells · Joe Newman… archive.org ↗
  • Some of These Days Benny Carter and His All Star Orchestra · Trummy Young · Benny… archive.org ↗
  • I'm the Caring Kind Benny Carter and His All Star Orchestra · Maxine Sullivan · Benny… archive.org ↗
  • BE COOL Benny Carter archive.org ↗
  • BE COOL - C; DISCOVERY; HEELS UP Benny Carter archive.org ↗
  • JAZZ WALTZ - A Benny Carter archive.org ↗
  • Once upon a time BØRGE ROGER-HENRICHSENS ORKESTER · Erik Parker · Benny Carter archive.org ↗
  • LONELY AFFAIR - A Benny Carter archive.org ↗

Listen on Spotify

Frequently asked questions

What instrument did Benny Carter play?

Benny Carter is known for playing saxophone, trumpet, clarinet and alto saxophone.

When and where was Benny Carter born?

Benny Carter was born 8 August 1907.

What are Benny Carter's best-known albums?

Albums in our database include Cosmopolite (1953), New Jazz Sounds (1955), Jazz Giant (1958), The Fabulous Benny Carter Band (1958) and Aspects (1959).

External links

Data compiled from open sources; see the source links below. Spotted an error? Let us know.