Benny Carter and Me…

My whole philosophy of presenting Jazz, both in concert and on records, has always been that I believe Jazz to be a give and take proposition between the artists and wherever possible, I've always tried to combine great artists of the same instrument so that they "blew" against each other. I felt in that way you often produced the best kind of Jazz, I've always wanted to get the great alto saxophonists of our time to play against each other, and I finally managed it. I was lucky to get the "Big Three" of the alto saxophone to play on the same date: Charlie Parker, Johnny Hodges, and Benny Carter.
Norman Granz on producing Jam Session #1 in 1952

Jam Session #1 (1952) signed by Benny, Ray Brown, Oscar Peterson

The problem of expressing the contributions that Benny Carter has made to popular music is so tremendous it completely fazes me, so extraordinary a musician is he.
Duke Ellington

Swingin’ The ‘20s (1958) signed by Benny

Everyone should listen to Benny Carter. He's a whole musical education.
Miles Davis

Further Definitions (1961) signed by Benny

You got Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and my man, the Earl of Hines, right? Well, Benny's right up there with all them cats. Everybody that knows who he is calls him 'King.' He is a king!
Louis Armstrong

The King (1976) signed by Benny, Milt Jackson, Tommy Flanagan

A composer, arranger and bandleader, Benny Carter is one of the only musicians who recorded for eight decades. Blessed with this amazing longevity, Benny's career spanned almost the entire Twentieth Century, from swing to bebop to modern, essentially the history of Jazz in popular American music. He played alto saxophone, trumpet and clarinet with equal facility and skill. Benny is also a noted composer of the jazz standards "When Lights Are Low", "Blues In My Heart", "My Kind Of Trouble Is You" and "Only Trust Your Heart."

In the late 1930s, Benny spent time in Europe recording and touring with Coleman Hawkins and Django Reinhardt. and when he returned to New York, he helmed an acclaimed orchestra at Harlem's Savoy Ballroom. His arrangements and charts were so good that Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Count Basie and Glenn Miller used them on some of their recordings.

Benny was also a trailblazer. When he moved to Los Angeles in 1943, he began composing music for Stormy Weather, a movie in which he became one of the first African Americans to write music in Hollywood. Other celebrated movies Benny worked on include An American In Paris (1951) and The Snows Of Kilimanjaro (1952). Quincy Jones considered Benny a role model and mentor, especially when Q started to write for movies and television in the 1960s. Benny's blueprint for success was the road map Quincy followed. Without Benny Carter's leadership and innovation, Quincy's scores for In The Heat Of The Night, In Cold Blood and dozens of others would not have happened. Benny also arranged for vocalists Billie Holiday, Ray Charles, Peggy Lee, Lou Rawls, and Sarah Vaughan, and for all his contributions to vocalists and film scores, Benny Carter was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame in 1995.

Wonderland (1976) signed by Benny, Ray Bryant, Harry “Sweets” Edison, Grady Tate

In the mid 1990s, I saw Benny perform at the old Iridium Jazz Club, a basement venue near Lincoln Center in New York City. He was probably eighty-eighty or eighty-nine years young and he sounded great. Though frail and halting off stage, he was robust and vital on stage, especially when blowing his alto saxophone. His sound was rich, full and soulful and he played for about seventy-five minutes, including a swinging "Secret Love", a calypso infected “The Shadow Of Your Smile", and a lilting "When Lights Are Low." His performance and stamina was remarkable and he made it look so effortless as the notes elegantly cascaded from his alto. It seemed that Benny swung harder than his much younger forty-something year old colleagues: pianist Chris Neville, bassist Steve LaSpina, and drummer Sherman Ferguson.

After the show, Benny was happy to sign a bunch of albums. He was suave and urbane. A sly smile creased his face when he saw Jam Session #1, his epic 1952 blowing session with Charlie Parker, Johnny Hodges, Oscar Peterson et al. He said, "I'm going to sign it big so you can really see me." Perhaps Benny sensed that his star had been eclipsed by Parker and Peterson among the Jazz immortals in the ensuing years, but as Norman Granz, his long time producer and friend wrote in The King liner notes,

"Duke Ellington once told me years ago when musicians had an argument about a musical point, they would look for Benny Carter. "Benny would be" as Duke recalled, "standing on the corner and would always settle the matter." He still remains the King."

Yes, Benny Carter is the King, and a musician's musician.

Choice Benny Carter Cuts (per BKs request)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vCwcKHGGVU

“On Green Dolphin Street” New York Nights 1997

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QHJy1yUYLY

“Oh Lady Be Good” Norman Granz Jam Session 1953

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15Xc_OJLDpc

“A Walkin’ Thing” Jazz Giant 1958

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDI-dWMS8bw

“When Lights Are Low” Benny Carter And His Swing Quartet 1936

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzW_31YtlY8

“Misty” Live at Princeton with Clark Terry 1990