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 for many decades. Essentially self-taught, he formed his first big band in 1928 and began contributing arrangements to Fletcher Henderson and Duke Ellington. By the mid-'30s, Carter was considered one of the two top altoists in jazz (along with Johnny Hodges). He relocated to Los Angeles in 1943, wrote for the film studios, and made a few tours with Jazz at the Philharmonic. His concert and recording schedule remained active through the '90s, slowing only at the end of the millennium after eight decades.