James Carter (born January 3, 1969) is an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

musician widely recognized for his technical virtuosity on

saxophones The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed on a mouthpiece vibrates to pr ...

and a variety of

woodwinds Woodwind instruments are a family of musical instruments within the greater category of wind instruments. Common examples include flute, clarinet, oboe, bassoon, and saxophone. There are two main types of woodwind instruments: flutes and reed ...

. He is the cousin of noted jazz violinist

Regina Carter Regina Carter (born August 6, 1966) is an American jazz violinist. She is the cousin of jazz saxophonist James Carter. Early life Carter was born in Detroit and was one of three children in her family. She began piano lessons at the age of t ...

Biography

Carter was born in

Detroit, Michigan Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at ...

, and learned to play under the tutelage of Donald Washington, becoming a member of his youth jazz ensemble Bird-Trane-Sco-NOW!! As a young man, Carter attended

Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp is a Michigan nonprofit organization located in the Manistee National Forest that provides summer fine arts camp and international exchange programs in music, art, dance, and drama. The Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp was found ...

, becoming the youngest faculty member at the camp. He first toured Scandinavia with the International Jazz Band in 1985 at the age of 16. On May 31, 1988, at the

Detroit Institute of Arts The Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA), located in Midtown Detroit, Michigan, has one of the largest and most significant art collections in the United States. With over 100 galleries, it covers with a major renovation and expansion project comple ...

(DIA), Carter was a last-minute addition for guest artist

Lester Bowie Lester Bowie (October 11, 1941 – November 8, 1999) was an American jazz trumpet player and composer. He was a member of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians and co-founded the Art Ensemble of Chicago. Biography Born in ...

, which turned into an invitation to play with his new quintet (forerunner of his New York Organ Ensemble) in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

that following November at the now defunct Carlos 1 jazz club. This was pivotal in Carter's career, putting him in musical contact with the world, and he moved to New York two years later. He has been prominent as a performer and recording artist on the jazz scene since the late 1980s, focusing on saxophones, flute and clarinets. In 1996 he took part in Robert Altman's film '' Kansas City'', where he played

Ben Webster Benjamin Francis Webster (March 27, 1909 – September 20, 1973) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. Career Early life and career A native of Kansas City, Missouri, he studied violin, learned how to play blues on the piano from ...

alongside several other contemporary jazz musicians playing the roles of players from the 1930s, including

Joshua Redman Joshua Redman (born February 1, 1969) is an American jazz saxophonist and composer. He is the son of jazz saxophonist Dewey Redman (1931–2006). Life and career Joshua Redman was born in Berkeley, California, to jazz saxophonist Dewey Redman ...

Lester Young Lester Willis Young (August 27, 1909 – March 15, 1959), nicknamed "Pres" or "Prez", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and occasional clarinetist. Coming to prominence while a member of Count Basie's orchestra, Young was one of the most ...

, Craig Handy as

Coleman Hawkins Coleman Randolph Hawkins (November 21, 1904 – May 19, 1969), nicknamed "Hawk" and sometimes "Bean", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist.Yanow, Scot"Coleman Hawkins: Artist Biography" AllMusic. Retrieved December 27, 2013. One of the first p ...

and

Geri Allen Geri Antoinette Allen (June 12, 1957 – June 27, 2017) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and educator. In addition to her career as a performer and bandleader, Allen was also an associate professor of music at the University of Pittsburgh ...

Mary Lou Williams Mary Lou Williams (born Mary Elfrieda Scruggs; May 8, 1910 – May 28, 1981) was an American jazz pianist, arranger, and composer. She wrote hundreds of compositions and arrangements and recorded more than one hundred records (in 78, 45, an ...

. “Seldom Seen” ’s fictional “Hey Hey Club” set the stage for several jam sessions caught on film in real time and included on a soundtrack produced by

Hal Willner Hal Willner (April 6, 1956 – April 7, 2020) was an American music producer working in recording, films, television, and live events. He was best known for assembling tribute albums and events featuring a wide variety of artists and musical sty ...

and trumpeter Steven Bernstein. Carter embraces all elements of jazz history, from

dixieland Dixieland jazz, also referred to as traditional jazz, hot jazz, or simply Dixieland, is a style of jazz based on the music that developed in New Orleans at the start of the 20th century. The 1917 recordings by the Original Dixieland Jass Band ...

fusion Fusion, or synthesis, is the process of combining two or more distinct entities into a new whole. Fusion may also refer to: Science and technology Physics *Nuclear fusion, multiple atomic nuclei combining to form one or more different atomic nucl ...

free jazz Free jazz is an experimental approach to jazz improvisation that developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s when musicians attempted to change or break down jazz conventions, such as regular tempos, tones, and chord changes. Musicians duri ...

, and was one of the few prominent players of his generation to do so, participating in a number of projects in all these styles, and incorporating these different influences in the compositions and soloing on his own albums. On his album '' Chasin' the Gypsy'' (2000), he recorded with his cousin

. Carter has won '' DownBeat'' magazine's Critics and Readers Choice award for baritone saxophone several years in a row. He has performed, toured and played on albums with Lester Bowie, Julius Hemphill, Frank Lowe & the Saxemble,

Kathleen Battle Kathleen Deanna Battle (born August 13, 1948) is an American operatic soprano known for her distinctive vocal range and tone. Born in Portsmouth, Ohio, Battle initially became known for her work within the concert repertoire through performance ...

, the

World Saxophone Quartet The World Saxophone Quartet is an American jazz ensemble founded in 1977, incorporating elements of free jazz, R&B, funk and South African jazz into their music. The original members were Julius Hemphill (alto and soprano saxophone, flute), ...

Cyrus Chestnut Cyrus Chestnut (born January 17, 1963) is an American jazz pianist, composer and producer. In 2006, Josh Tyrangiel, music critic for '' Time'', wrote: "What makes Chestnut the best jazz pianist of his generation is a willingness to abandon note ...

Wynton Marsalis Wynton Learson Marsalis (born October 18, 1961) is an American trumpeter, composer, teacher, and artistic director of Jazz at Lincoln Center. He has promoted classical and jazz music, often to young audiences. Marsalis has won nine Grammy Award ...

, Dee Dee Bridgewater and the

Mingus The name Mingus may refer to: * Charles Mingus (1922–1979), jazz composer and double bass player ** Sue Mingus, wife of the jazz composer ** ''Mingus'' (Charles Mingus album), 1961 album by Charles Mingus ** ''Mingus'' (Joni Mitchell album) ...

Big Band. Carter is an authority on vintage saxophones, and he owns an extensive collection of such instruments, including one formerly played by

Don Byas Carlos Wesley "Don" Byas (October 21, 1912 – August 24, 1972) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist, associated with swing and bebop. He played with Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Art Blakey, and Dizzy Gillespie, among others, and also led ...

Discography

* 1991: ''Tough Young Tenors: Alone Together'' * 1994: '' JC on the Set'' ( DIW) * 1995: '' Jurassic Classics'' (DIW) * 1995: '' The Real Quiet Storm'' (

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...

) * 1995: ''Duets'' (Atlantic) with

romotional CD* 1996: '' Conversin' with the Elders'' (Atlantic) * 1998: ''

In Carterian Fashion ''In Carterian Fashion'' is the 6th album led by saxophonist James Carter (musician), James Carter recorded in 1998 and released on the Atlantic Records, Atlantic label. Reception The AllMusic review by Scott Yanow had awarded the album 4 star ...

'' (Atlantic) * 2000: '' Chasin' the Gypsy'' (Atlantic) * 2000: '' Layin' in the Cut'' (Atlantic) * 2003: '' Gardenias for Lady Day'' ( Columbia) * 2004: '' Live at Baker's Keyboard Lounge'' (

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...

) - recorded 2001 * 2005: '' Out of Nowhere'' (

Half Note ''Half Note'' is a live album by saxophonist Clifford Jordan which was recorded in 1974 and first released on the SteepleChase label in 1985.

) * 2005: '' Gold Sounds'' (Brown Brothers) * 2008: ''

Present Tense The present tense (abbreviated or ) is a grammatical tense whose principal function is to locate a situation or event in the present time. The present tense is used for actions which are happening now. In order to explain and understand present ...

'' ( EmArcy) * 2009: '' Heaven on Earth'' (Half Note) * 2009: ''Skratyology'' (Stotbrock) with De Nazaten * 2011: '' Caribbean Rhapsody'' (EmArcy) * 2011: '' At the Crossroads'' (EmArcy) * 2019: ''Live From Newport Jazz'' (Blue Note)

As sideman

With Karrin Allyson *''Ballads: Remembering John Coltrane'' (

Concord Jazz Concord Jazz is a record company and label founded in 1973 by Carl Jefferson, the former owner of Jefferson Motors Lincoln Mercury dealership in Concord, California. The label was named after the city in the East San Francisco Bay area, and the j ...

, 2001) With the

Art Ensemble of Chicago The Art Ensemble of Chicago is an avant-garde jazz group that grew out of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians ( AACM) in the late 1960s. The ensemble integrates many jazz styles and plays many instruments, including "little ...

*''

Salutes the Chicago Blues Tradition ''Salutes the Chicago Blues Tradition'' is a live album recorded on 7 July 1993 in Geneva, Switzerland by the Art Ensemble of Chicago and released on their own AECO Records, AECO label. It features performances by Lester Bowie, Joseph Jarman, Ros ...

'' ( AECO, 1993) With

Ginger Baker Peter Edward "Ginger" Baker (19 August 1939 – 6 October 2019) was an English drummer. His work in the 1960s and 1970s earned him the reputation of "rock's first superstar drummer", for a style that melded jazz and African rhythms and pi ...

and the DGQ20 *''Coward of the County'' (Atlantic, 1999) With

*''So Many Stars'' (Sony Classical, 1995) With

Hamiet Bluiett Hamiet Bluiett (; September 16, 1940 – October 4, 2018) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer. His primary instrument was the baritone saxophone, and he was considered one of the finest players of this instrument. A mem ...

*''Libation for the Baritone Saxophone Nation'' ( Justin Time, 1998) *''Bluiett Baritone Saxophone Group Live at the Knitting Factory'' ( Knitting Factory, 1998) with

's New York Organ Ensemble *''

The Organizer ''The Organizer'' ( it, I compagni"''I compagni''" literally translates into "''The Comrades''.") is a 1963 Italian-French-Yugoslavian-produced drama film written by Mario Monicelli and Age & Scarpelli, and directed by Mario Monicelli. Set in Tu ...

'' (DIW, 1991) *'' Funky T. Cool T.'' (DIW, 1992) With Dee Dee Bridgewater *'' Eleanora Fagan (1915-1959): To Billie with Love from Dee Dee Bridgewater'' (EmArcy, 2010) With

*''Motor City Moments'' (Verve, 2000) With

*''Cyrus Chestnut'' (Atlantic, 1998) ''With

Jayne Cortez Jayne Cortez (May 10, 1934 – December 28, 2012) was an African-American poet, activist, small press publisher and spoken-word performance artist whose voice is celebrated for its political, surrealistic and dynamic innovations in lyricism and ...

& The Firespitters *''Cheerful & Optimistic'' (Bola Press, 1994) With Benny Golson *'' Tenor Legacy'' (Arkadia Jazz, 1996) With Herbie Hancock *'' Gershwin's World'' (Verve, 1998) With the Julius Hemphill Sextet *'' Fat Man and the Hard Blues'' (Black Saint, 1991) *'' Five Chord Stud'' (Black Saint, 1994) With D. D. Jackson *''Paired Down Volume One'' (Justin Time, 1997) *''Anthem'' (RCA Victor, 2000) With

Ronald Shannon Jackson Ronald Shannon Jackson (January 12, 1940 – October 19, 2013) was an American jazz drummer from Fort Worth, Texas. A pioneer of avant-garde jazz, free funk, and jazz fusion, he appeared on over 50 albums as a bandleader, sideman, arranger, and ...

*''What Spirit Say'' (DIW, 1994) *''Live in Warsaw'' (Knit Classics, 1994

999 999 or triple nine most often refers to: * 999 (emergency telephone number), a telephone number for the emergency services in several countries * 999 (number), an integer * AD 999, a year * 999 BC, a year Books * ''999'' (anthology) or ''999: T ...

With

*''

Blood on the Fields ''Blood on the Fields'' is a two-and-a-half-hour jazz oratorio by Wynton Marsalis. It was commissioned by Lincoln Center and treats the history of slavery and its aftermath in the United States of America. The oratorio tells the story of two slav ...

'' (Columbia, 1995) With

Christian McBride Christian McBride (born May 31, 1972) is an American jazz bassist, composer and arranger. He has appeared on more than 300 recordings as a sideman, and is an eight-time Grammy Award winner. McBride has performed and recorded with a number of j ...

*''

SciFi Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel universe ...

'' (Verve, 2000) With Liz McComb *''Brassland'' (GVE/LMC, 2013) With Marcus Miller *'' M²'' (Telarc, 2001) With Junco Onishi *'' Baroque'' (Verve, 2010) With Madeleine Peyroux *'' Dreamland'' (Atlantic, 1996) With Odean Pope *''Odeans List'' (In+Out, 2009) With Steve Turre *''TNT (Trombone-N-Tenor)'' (Telarc, 2001) *'' The Spirits Up Above'' (HighNote, 2004) With

Roseanna Vitro Roseanna Elizabeth Vitro (born February 28, 1951) is a jazz singer and teacher from Arkansas. Biography Born Roseanna Elizabeth VitroScott Fredrickson and Gary W. Kennedy.Vitro (Wickliffe), Roseanna" In ''The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz'', 2 ...

and Kenny Werner *'' The Delirium Blues Project: Serve or Suffer'' (Half Note, 2008) With Rodney Whitaker *''Children of the Light'' (DIW, 1996) *''Hidden Kingdom'' (DIW, 1997) With the

*'' Yes We Can'' (Jazzwerkstatt, 2010)

References

External links

Official website
– article with photos by Tony Gieske
James Carter
– biography from ''American International Artists''

– photos by Bruce C. Moore
James Carter Interview (with Alexander Mclean) at ''All About Jazz''
Jazz History Online {{DEFAULTSORT:Carter, James 1969 births Living people Post-bop clarinetists Post-bop saxophonists American jazz bass clarinetists American jazz baritone saxophonists Musicians from Detroit Avant-garde jazz clarinetists Avant-garde jazz saxophonists African-American jazz musicians 21st-century saxophonists Jazz musicians from Michigan 21st-century clarinetists World Saxophone Quartet members 21st-century African-American people 20th-century African-American people