5 Minutes That Will Make You Love Betty Carter

We’ve spent five minutes with the likes of Alice Coltrane, Sarah Vaughan and Wayne Shorter; now, we’re taking time to highlight Betty Carter, the transcendent vocalist whose intricate phrasing and live improvisational skills made her a prominent figure in jazz, and whose mentorship of younger musicians fostered a new generation of like-minded singers and instrumentalists to craft music in her image. An entrepreneur, she started her own label, Bet-Car Records, in 1969 because of frustrations with the music business amid diminished interest in jazz, and released some of her most revered work through the imprint. Case in point: Four contributors this month chose songs from “The Audience With Betty Carter,” her epic 1980 album that properly showcased her mastery of performance and is considered one of the best jazz LPs of all time.

Almost four decades earlier, as a teenager, Carter cut her teeth as a member of Lionel Hampton’s band, a gig she held for three years. Even then, her power shone through: Carter had a singular tone that sounded like a trumpet or saxophone, which led to Hampton nicknaming her “Betty Bebop,” a nod to the subgenre of jazz being created in New York. She left the band in 1951 and re-emerged as a one-of-a-kind vocalist, working with Miles Davis and Ray Charles before releasing her debut album, “Out There,” in 1958.

If you want to know how important Carter became to jazz before her death in 1998, at age 69, think of the people who played in her bands along the way: Billy Hart, Geri Allen, Jack DeJohnette, Cecil McBee, Mulgrew Miller and so many others. Now, as always, Carter is a cornerstone for artists of all sorts, an example of how staying true to nonconformity can lead to dynamic results.

Below you’ll find a guide to Carter’s music, courtesy of 10 musicians and writers who consider her a north star. You can find a playlist at the bottom of the article, and be sure to leave your own favorites in the comments.

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Angélika Beener, writer, podcast host and D.J.

“Most Gentlemen Don’t Like Love”

When it comes to romance, no one renders a cautionary tale quite like Betty Carter. While her self-penned “Tight” is currently the most famous and widely covered words-to-the-wise composition in her repertoire, Carter made this rarer Cole Porter gem a classic with her singular treatment. During her 1992 performance from Jazz at Lincoln Center (first released in 2019), her fantastic trio swings behind her as she gives a comical preamble to the audience. “I didn’t have a thing to do with these lyrics,” she says, playfully absolving herself from the stinging words she’s about to deliver while simultaneously dedicating it “to the men.” “It’s just my concept,” she casually adds.

Indeed, Carter is a conceptual genius and unparalleled storyteller, using her vocal gifts and astonishing melodic choices to lay bare the intentions of “most gentlemen.” Her description of what men really want has the audience (and her) audibly giggling throughout, as she wittily sings the racy, chromatically structured phrases. At 63, she’s heard at the height of her powers here, seasoned to perfection and finally getting her just praises. Her wholehearted joy oozes from her heart to yours, and you can’t help but smile — and, at times, clutch your pearls.