Benny Carter
Benny Carter
Bennett Lester "Benny" Carterwas an American jazz alto saxophonist, clarinetist, trumpeter, composer, arranger, and bandleader. He was a major figure in jazz from the 1930s to the 1990s, and was recognized as such by other jazz musicians who called him King. Carter performed with major artists from several generations of jazz, and at major festivals, such as his 1958 appearance with Billie Holiday at the Monterey Jazz Festival...
ProfessionTrumpet Player
Date of Birth8 August 1907
CityNew York City, NY
talking unfinished-work age
At my age, I realize that my most precious possession is time, and I've got too much unfinished work to do to spend even a minute talking about myself.
bills jazz clinton
He's no Bill Clinton!
thinking littles made
It (Strayhorn's Compositions) made us all think a little differently about what we were doing
piano house oscars
Get up from the piano ... Oscar is in the house. Who wants to be at the piano when Oscar is there? Find something else to do.
curiosity way world
I didn't know Charlie Parker well, but I spent some time with him, and he was articulate and well-spoken with a lot of curiosity about music and the world. But the only way he seems to be depicted is as a junkie. And that's not the full picture.
honesty thinking play
In all honesty, I think I just played what I felt was right for me. And I think I would have done the same thing, even if I'd been born later, when Charlie Parker was influencing everybody. The truth is, I never gave it much thought. I just played what I had to play.
except miami people played recording saxophone university
And you know, Doc Cheatham could play saxophone too. A lot of people don't know about that. There's also someone down at the University of Miami who made a big-band recording in which he played all the parts, except for the drums.
asked eye passed pulled reading sign test took
I took the eye test and passed it on the spot. Then, when he asked me to sign something, I pulled out my reading glasses.