I was a first-year arranging student in the masters program at Eastman in the spring of 1996. Fred Sturm, my mentor and the head of the program at the time, arranged for Benny to do a short residency and Fred had asked him to send some charts. I will never forget when Fred showed me the old trunk that Benny sent with his original, hand-written parts! They were priceless manuscripts, and Benny just sent them to us.
I also remember that in the first rehearsal, Benny teared up after hearing us play and he said something like, and this is a paraphrase from my memory, "I haven't heard this music live since we first played it in 1940. I can't believe that you young guys are even interested in it, never mind that you sound just like the original." I don't think that any of us ever got over that moment. I get goosebumps just thinking about it.
I also remember that Benny's alto sound filled the Eastman Theatre. It was huge and warm. Listening back to his recordings from the 1920s, his style hadn't really changed, but it was an education to be in the room with a human time machine. He also apologized for not being able to play the trumpet anymore, but his chops were gone. Benny was 89 years old at this time!!!
As a person, he was very generous and kind. I will never forget how warmly he greeted us. I don't think he looked at the clock once. Benny Carter was charming, funny, and self-effacing, so much so that you might forget that, along with Johnny Hodges, he literally invented the jazz alto saxophone. (He remarked that he wanted to play C-melody like Trumbauer, but he could only afford an alto, so that was it!)
Below are my notes from Benny's masterclass, where he was assisted by his biographer, Ed Berger. When Benny couldn't remember an answer, Ed would answer for him and Benny would say, "That's right! How do you remember more about my life than I do?" It was simply unforgettable and I'm so happy that I found these notes.
David Pope’s notes from Benny Carter Masterclass
with Ed Berger (Benny’s biographer)
Eastman School of Music, 1996
Inspired by Frankie Trumbauer (“I’ll Never Miss the Sunshine, I’m So Used To The Rain”), Wayne King, Coleman Hawkins, Mamie Smith Jazz Band
Contemporaries with Johnny Hodges
[Graciously skirted around the issue of the King of Thailand’s talent/sax playing]
Encouraged to play trumpet by Doc Cheatham, still uses mouthpiece given to him in 1932
On the direction of jazz: “Still progressing,” he was very positive
Taught off & on at Princeton: “I learned more than the students did!”
Started arranging without scores, writing part by part, because he didn’t KNOW about scores!!!
“I don’t think anything really fresh has happened since Charlie Parker”
Played with Duke Ellington in 1926 (when Harvey Boone was ill) and in 1968 (when Harry Carney was ill)
Always only use kind words: “I’d like to make the best of a bad picture”
“I’m not really the grandfather of jazz, just a god son.”
When offered a film score gig in the style of Oliver Nelson, he said, “I could do it, but why not just call Oliver?”
Said, “I avoided drugs by a lack of money and pure luck!”
Q: Are you writing anything new?
A: “No . . . well, new to me. I thought you meant revolutionary!”
“Some of today’s music is very interesting, although I may not like it.”
“Quincy Jones can do anything. He is the real renaissance man of the music business. He knows where the pulse of the public is.”
On Ornette Coleman: “Very interesting and original. He calls it ‘harmolodic’ but I don’t understand what that is. I guess I’m not musically intellectual enough.”
On the movie, Bird: “I think that Clint Eastwood clearly had good intentions and loved the music, but he did Charlie Parker no favors with the film.”
“ . . . I do listen to music I don’t like once in a while to see which way the wind is blowing.”
“I’m glad I didn’t come along after Charlie Parker!”
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