Keep a song in your soul

‘‘If Benny was not there, we wouldn’t be here,’’ said composer and arranger Quincy Jones, a close friend and protege.

In a career that spanned seven decades, Carter played with such luminaries as pianist Willie The Lion Smith, Fats Waller, Miles Davis and Dizzie Gillespie. He is also credited with launching Ella Fitzgerald’s career by introducing her to bandleader Chick Webb.

A largely self-taught musician, Carter established the swing-era. Born in 1907 in New York City, Carter studied piano with his mother and was inspired by his neighbour Bubber Miley. He began sitting in at Harlem night spots at the age of 15, having left school. By 1928, he was recording with Fletcher Henderson’s band and is credited with groundbreaking works like Keep A Song In Your Soul.

‘‘He was one of the architects of the big band sound,’’ said long-time Carter friend and biographer Ed Berger. The major big bands at the peak of their popularity in the 1930s sought him out and his own orchestra attracted a who’s who of jazz musicians.

Carter was also a pioneer in breaking down colour barriers for black musicians and composers. He formed the first international and inter-racial band in the mid-1930s and a decade later became one of the first black composers to work in film and television. ‘‘No one was ever more articulate than Benny Carter,’’ said Berger. ‘‘He would not admit that this was any great, earth-shattering thing. To him it was just another gig.’’ (Reuters)