Louis Carter (September 15, 1918 – September 25, 2005) was an American

jazz pianist Jazz piano is a collective term for the techniques pianists use when playing jazz. The piano has been an integral part of the jazz idiom since its inception, in both solo and ensemble settings. Its role is multifaceted due largely to the Musical ...

, composer, and songwriter. He had a long yet low-profile career.

Biography

Carter played in various big bands, especially those led by

Jimmy Dorsey James Francis Dorsey (February 29, 1904 – June 12, 1957) was an American jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, composer and big band leader. He recorded and composed the jazz and pop standards " I'm Glad There Is You (In This World of Ordinary Peopl ...

and

Glenn Gray Glenn Gray Knoblauch (June 7, 1900 – August 23, 1963), known professionally as Glen Gray, was an American jazz saxophonist and leader of the Casa Loma Orchestra.''The Mississippi Rag'', "Glen Gray and the Casa Loma Orchestra," George A. Bo ...

. In 1946, he founded the trio "The Soft Winds" together with

Herb Ellis Mitchell Herbert Ellis (August 4, 1921 – March 28, 2010) was an American jazz guitarist. During the 1950s, he was in a trio with pianist Oscar Peterson. Biography Born in Farmersville, Texas, Ellis grew up on a farm. He was first exposed ...

and

Johnny Frigo Johnny Frigo (December 27, 1916 – July 4, 2007) was an American jazz violinist, bassist and songwriter. He appeared in the 1940s as a violinist before working as a bassist. He returned to the violin in the 1980s and enjoyed a comeback, recordin ...

. The group recorded on the Majestic and Mercury labels and wrote a number of hits, among them are "

I Told Ya I Love Ya, Now Get Out "I Told Ya I Love Ya, Now Get Out" is a popular song composed by Herb Ellis, Lou Carter, and John Frigo. The three men were members of Jimmy Dorsey's big band, but left in 1946 to form the jazz trio "The Soft Winds." While in the group, they comp ...

" and "

Detour Ahead "Detour Ahead" is a jazz standard with words and music credited to Herb Ellis, Johnny Frigo, and Lou Carter. Background The song was written in 1948 while Carter, Ellis and Frigo were part of The Soft Winds, a group they created after leaving Ji ...

". The latter became the

jazz standard Jazz standards are musical compositions that are an important part of the musical repertoire of jazz musicians, in that they are widely known, performed, and recorded by jazz musicians, and widely known by listeners. There is no definitive List ...

and was played by such prominent musicians as

Billie Holiday Billie Holiday (born Eleanora Fagan; April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959) was an American jazz and swing music singer. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and music partner, Lester Young, Holiday made significant contributions to jazz music and pop ...

Sarah Vaughan Sarah Lois Vaughan (, March 27, 1924 – April 3, 1990) was an American jazz singer and pianist. Nicknamed "Sassy" and "List of nicknames of jazz musicians, The Divine One", she won two Grammy Awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award, ...

Ella Fitzgerald Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April25, 1917June15, 1996) was an American singer, songwriter and composer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phra ...

Irene Kral Irene Kral (January 18, 1932 – August 15, 1978) was an American jazz singer. Life She was born to Czechoslovak parents in Chicago and settled in Los Angeles, California, in the early 1960s. She died from breast cancer in Encino, Los Angeles. ...

Stan Getz Stan Getz (born Stanley Gayetski; February 2, 1927 – June 6, 1991) was an American jazz saxophonist. Playing primarily the tenor saxophone, Getz was known as "The Sound" because of his warm, lyrical tone, with his prime influence being the wis ...

, and

Woody Herman Woodrow Charles Herman (May 16, 1913 – October 29, 1987) was 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. Its roo ...

. After the trio disbanded in 1950, Carter was a sideman for various bands and worked on two of

Buck Clayton Wilbur Dorsey "Buck" Clayton (November 12, 1911 – December 8, 1991) was an American jazz trumpeter who was a member of Count Basie's orchestra. His principal influence was Louis Armstrong, first hearing the record " Confessin' that I Love You" ...

's studio albums. A reunion of the Soft Winds occurred during the 1995 Floating Jazz Festival. The double album ''Then and Now...: The Soft Winds, 1946–1996'' was released. The album included previously unreleased radio recordings from 1947 to 1948 and 11 new tracks. Carter also had a side career as a performer of novelty songs, in the persona of "Louie the Singing Cab Driver." Bronx-accented Louie was a regular on ''

The Perry Como Show Pierino Ronald "Perry" Como (; May 18, 1912 – May 12, 2001) was an American singer, actor, and television personality. During a career spanning more than half a century, he recorded exclusively for RCA Victor for 44 years, from 1943 until 1987 ...

'' in the 1950s, and recorded an album in 1957 titled ''Louie's Love Songs.'' Tracks included "If I Had a Nose Full of Nickels" and "The Murials on the Wall." ''Louie Writes Again'' followed in 1958, containing songs like "I Don't Talk Very Good" and "Her Toot'brush Was Gone." A longtime resident of

Bloomfield, New Jersey Bloomfield is a township in Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, and an inner-ring suburb of Newark. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 53,105, an increase of 5,790 (+12.2%) from the 2010 census cou ...

, Carter died at the age of 87 at

Mountainside Hospital Hackensack Meridian Health Mountainside Medical Center, also known as Mountainside Hospital, is an acute-care hospital located in Glen Ridge, New Jersey, United States. The hospital has 365 beds and serves Northern Essex County. A part of the H ...

Glen Ridge, New Jersey Glen Ridge is a Borough (New Jersey), borough in Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 7,802, an increase of 275 (+3.7%) from the 2010 United St ...

."Louis Carter"
''Glen Ridge Voice'', October 6, 2005. Accessed July 19,2023, via

Newspapers.com Ancestry.com LLC is an American genealogy company based in Lehi, Utah. The largest for-profit genealogy company in the world, it operates a network of genealogical, historical records, and related genetic genealogy websites. It is owned by The ...

. "A Mass for Louis Carter, 87, of Bloomfield was offered Sept. 28 in St. Thomas the Apostle Church, Bloomfield, after the funeral from the Biondi Funeral Home of Nutley. Mr. Carter died Sept. 25 in Mountainside Hospital, Glen Ridge.... Born in Newark, he lived in Bloomfield for 41 years."

Discography

Studio albums

*''How Deep Is Which Ocean?'' (1960) *''Louie Writes Again'' (1958) *''Louie's Love Songs'' (1957)

Songs

" *"

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Carter, Lou 1918 births 2005 deaths 20th-century American pianists American jazz musicians Chesky Records artists American male pianists Musicians from Newark, New Jersey People from Bloomfield, New Jersey Jazz musicians from New Jersey 20th-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians