As a youth, Carter lived in Harlem around the corner from Bubber Miley who was Duke Ellington's star trumpeter. Carter was inspired by Miley and bought a trumpet, but when he found he couldn't play like Miley he traded the trumpet in for a saxophone.
Carter began playing professionally at 15. He first recorded in 1928 and formed his first big band the following year. He played with Fletcher Henderson in 1930 and 1931, then briefly led McKinney's Cotton Pickers before returning to lead his own band in 1932. The few recordings his band made between 1933 and 1934 are considered by most jazz scholars to be milestones in early swing arranging. They were sophisticated and very complex arrangements, and a number of them became swing standards which were performed by other bands ("Blue Lou" is a great example of this.) He also arranged for Henderson and Duke Ellington during these years and wrote two hits, "Blues in My Heart" and "When Lights are Low." By the early 1930s he and Johnny Hodges were considered the leading alto players of the day. Carter also quickly became a leading trumpet soloist, having rediscovered the instrument. He recorded extensively on trumpet in the 1930s. Also, in 1933, Carter took part in an amazing series of sessions that featured the British band leader Spike Hughes, who came to New York specifically to organize a series of recordings featuring the best Black musicians available. These 14 sides were only issued in England at that time, though they are available on CD and worthwhile looking for. (The musicians were mainly made up from member of Carter's band and from Luis Russell's.)
In 1935 he moved to Europe, where he became staff arranger for the British Broadcasting Corporation dance orchestra and made several records. He returned to the United States in 1938 and led a big band and sextet before moving to Los Angeles in 1943 to write for movie studios. Carter continued writing and performing into his 90s. He arranged for Louis Armstrong, Ray Charles, Ella Fitzgerald, Peggy Lee, and Sarah Vaughan, among many others.
His biggest hit was "Cow Cow Boogie", a song he co-wrote with Don Raye and Gene DePaul, which was a hit for Ella Mae Morse in 1942.
In the 1940s and 1950s, Carter was one of the first black men to compose music for films. He was an inspiration and a mentor for Quincy Jones when Jones began writing for television and films in the 1960s. Also in the 1940s, Carter's successful legal battles in order to obtain housing in then-exclusive neighborhoods in the Los Angeles area made him a pioneer in an entirely different area.
He also appears uncredited in the 1952 film, The Snows of Kilimanjaro, as a sax player.
Carter was admired for his ability to write saxophone solis, which are sections of music that the entire section plays as one unit in the manner of a solo.
Carter was a member of the music advisory panel of the National Endowment for the Arts. He was also a member of the Black Film Makers' Hall of Fame and in 1980 received the Golden Score award of the American Society of Music Arrangers. Carter was also a Kennedy Center Honoree in 1996 and received honorary doctorates from Princeton, Harvard, Rutgers, and the New England Conservatory.
He died, aged 95, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles of what is thought to have been bronchitis.
Lazy Afternoon
Benny Carter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So I walked on down the road a mile,
Went to the house that brings a smile
Sat upon my grandpa's knee
And what do you think he said to me?
When you awake you will remember ev'rything
You will be hangin' on a string from your
You will relieve the only soul
That you were born with to grow old and never know
Ollie showed me the fork in the road
You can take to the left or go straight to the right
Use your days and save your nights,
Be careful where you step, and watch wha-cha eat
Sleep with the light on and you got it beat
When you awake you will remember ev'rything
You will be hangin' on a string from your
When you believe
You will relieve the only soul
That you were born with to grow old and never know
Ollie warned me it's a mean old world
The street don't greet ya, yes, it's true
But what am I supposed to do
Read the writing on the wall
I heard it when I was very small
When you awake you will remember ev'rything
You will be hangin' on a string from your
When you believe
You will relieve the only soul
That you were born with to grow old and never know
Wash my hand in lye water
I got a date with the captains daughter
You can go and tell your brother
We sure gonna love one another, oh!
You may be right and ya might be wrong
I ain't gonna worry all day long
Snow's gonna come and the frost gonna bite
My old car froze up last night
Ain't no reason to hang your head
I could wake up in the mornin' dead
Oh! And if I thought it would do any good
I'd stand on the rock where Moses stood
The lyrics to Benny Carter's song "Lazy Afternoon" are full of wise advice and commentary on life. The song begins with the singer being called a "fool" by someone named Ollie. He walks away and goes to his grandfather's house, where he sits on his knee and listens to his advice. He tells the singer that when he awakes he will remember everything and that he should hang onto the only soul that he was born with to grow old and never know.
Ollie shows the singer the fork in the road where he can choose to take the left or go straight to the right. He tells him to use his days and save his nights, be careful where he steps, watch what he eats, and sleep with the light on. Ollie warns the singer that the world is mean and the streets don't greet you. The singer reflects on his past and remembers hearing the writing on the wall when he was very small.
The song ends with the singer washing his hands in lye water, describing a date with the captain's daughter, and saying that he's not going to worry all day long. He acknowledges that snow is going to come and the frost is going to bite, and that his car froze up the night before. He also says that he could wake up in the morning dead, but that he's not going to worry about it. The song concludes with the singer saying that if he thought it would do any good, he would stand on the rock where Moses stood.
Line by Line Meaning
Ollie told me I'm a fool.
I received criticism from someone named Ollie who thinks I am not smart.
So I walked on down the road a mile,
I decided to take a stroll to clear my head.
Went to the house that brings a smile
I visited a house that cheers me up.
Sat upon my grandpa's knee
I sat next to my grandfather and listened to his wisdom.
And what do you think he said to me?
I asked my grandfather for his advice.
When you awake you will remember ev'rything
You will have a clear understanding of your experiences when you wake up.
You will be hangin' on a string from your
You will be at the mercy of fate.
When you believe
When you have faith.
You will relieve the only soul
You will bring comfort to yourself.
That you were born with to grow old and never know
Yourself, the one constant in your life.
Ollie showed me the fork in the road
Ollie pointed out that there is a decision to be made.
You can take to the left or go straight to the right
You have a choice to make about which path to take.
Use your days and save your nights,
Spend your days wisely so you can rest at night.
Be careful where you step, and watch wha-cha eat
Be mindful of your actions and be cautious of what you consume.
Sleep with the light on and you got it beat
If you take these precautions you will be safe from harm.
Ollie warned me it's a mean old world
Ollie cautioned me that the world is tough.
The street don't greet ya, yes, it's true
People in the streets will not be friendly.
But what am I supposed to do
I am unsure how to proceed.
Read the writing on the wall
Pay attention to the signs and signals around you.
I heard it when I was very small
I have been aware of this idea since childhood.
Wash my hand in lye water
I will use strong soap to clean my hands.
I got a date with the captains daughter
I have a romantic appointment with someone of high rank.
You can go and tell your brother
You can inform your sibling of my plans.
We sure gonna love one another, oh!
We will definitely love each other.
You may be right and ya might be wrong
You could be correct, or you might not be.
I ain't gonna worry all day long
I am not going to stress about it for too long.
Snow's gonna come and the frost gonna bite
Winter is coming and it will be harsh.
My old car froze up last night
My car stopped working due to the cold temperature.
Ain't no reason to hang your head
There's no reason to feel down about it.
I could wake up in the mornin' dead
I might not make it through the night.
Oh! And if I thought it would do any good
Oh! And if I thought it could make a difference.
I'd stand on the rock where Moses stood
I would go to great lengths to achieve my goal.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOHN LATOUCHE, JEROME MOROSS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
『 Phagalizer 』
Walked around college listening to this. Best walk I've ever had. Thank you Benny Carter and youtuber for uploading this masterpiece.
Thea van Nooijen
A balm for your soul,from the past,so nessecary in this hectic time.Oldies,but goodies!
Apple'Inc Man
I have this record on 78 rpm Brunswick
Валерия Лисицына
Mmmmm, super.