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.
This Can
Benny Carter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Because I feel so well
No sobs, no sorrows, no sighs
This can't be love
I get no dizzy spells
My head is not in the skies
My heart does not stand still
This is too sweet to be love
This can't be love
Because I feel so well
I love to look in your eyes
I love to look in your eyes
This can't be love
Because I feel so well
No sobs, no sorrows, no sighs
This can't be love
I get no dizzy spells
My head is not in the skies
My heart does not stand still
Just hear it beat
This is too sweet to be love
This can't be love
Because I feel so well
I love to look in your eyes
I love to look in your eyes
Benny Carter's "This Can't Be Love" is a love song that explores the idea of feeling completely content and happy in a relationship. The opening line, "This can't be love/Because I feel so well," suggests that the singer cannot believe that their feelings are related to love, as love is traditionally associated with heaviness and emotional turmoil. The singer describes feeling no sadness, no tears, and no longing in the relationship, indicating that they have found true happiness with their partner.
The song continues with the singer expressing their feelings of contentment, saying that they experience no dizziness or feelings of being swept away by their emotions. They even acknowledge that their head is not in the clouds, remaining grounded in their feelings for their partner. The final stanza features the singer speaking directly to their love interest, admitting that they love looking into their eyes and expressing their disbelief that this could be love, as it feels too sweet and easy.
Carter's lyrics challenge the traditional idea of love being synonymous with pain and heartbreak but instead presents the idea that love can be joyful and fulfilling. The song has been covered by many jazz artists over the years and remains a popular standard in the genre.
Line by Line Meaning
This can't be love
The strong emotions felt towards someone cannot be defined by love.
Because I feel so well
Since there are no negative emotions accompanying these feelings, it's unlikely that this is love.
No sobs, no sorrows, no sighs
There are no negative emotions accompanying these feelings, which is uncommon for love.
I get no dizzy spells
There are no overwhelming feelings of passion, which is also uncommon for love.
My head is not in the skies
The person does not feel lost in their emotions or disconnected from reality, which some might describe as characteristics of love.
My heart does not stand still
The person's heart is beating at a stable rate, which is not typically associated with love.
Just hear it beat
The steadiness of the person's heartbeat further emphasizes the lack of passion often found in love.
This is too sweet to be love
The person is enjoying these emotions too much for it to be love, which can bring pain and sorrow as well as happiness.
I love to look in your eyes
The person enjoys the company of their love interest, but still doesn't believe what they're feeling is love.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: LORENZ HART, RICHARD RODGERS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Play Like The Greats . com
This is a brilliant transcription, and a wonderful choice of music! Well done, guys! Keep up the good work <3
Play Like The Greats . com
Imagine a guitar arrangement of this ;)
Secret Identity Network
He is a God on Art Tatum's "I'm Left With The Blues In My Heart". Incomparable.
Sharp Eleven Music
What do you think of Benny Carter's playing, is he an underrated player?
jalen wyn
Incredible Benny Carter!!!
Quintin Pace
Wow. I'll have to check out some more of his stuff; that was great
Sharp Eleven Music
Glad you got inspired Quintin! He is absolutely great, also started digging him very recently
MrSumpfdrache
I own a Saxofone suitcase badged "Benny Carter 1924". Just googled his name, surprised to learn he is famous! And for good reason, as I can hear now...
Roger Legends
Why isn't Benny Carter better known ? Amazeballs .
Sharp Eleven Music
There is a difference between competence and popularity 🙂He maybe wasn't as good as a businessman as for example Miles was.