Betty Carter

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jazz, female vocalists, jazz vocal, vocal jazz, soul… see all

Betty Carter (May 16, 1929 – September 26, 1998) was a prominent American jazz singer who was renowned for her improvisational technique and idiosyncratic vocal style. Carter expanded the role of the vocalist in jazz, to a full, improvising member of the band. Although her voice was not as admired by the public as such vocalists as Sarah Vaughan or Ella Fitzgerald, many consider her to have exercised mastery of the human voice previously unheard in jazz. Carmen McRae once claimed that “there’s really only one jazz singer - only one: Betty Carter.”[1]

Carter was born Lillie Mae Jones in Flint, Michigan and grew up in Detroit, where her father led a church choir. She studied piano at the Detroit Conservatory. She won a talent contest and became a regular on the local club circuit, singing and playing piano. When she was sixteen, she sang with Charlie Parker. She later performed with Dizzy Gillespie and Miles Davis and toured with Lionel Hampton, (from whom she received the nickname “Betty Bebop”) where she perfected her scat singing of bebop.

Her career was eclipsed somewhat during the 1960s and 1970s, though a series of duets with Ray Charles in 1961, including the R&B-chart-topping “Baby, It’s Cold Outside,” brought her a measure of popular recognition. She recorded for various labels during this period, including Peacock, ABC-Paramount, and Atco, but was rarely satisfied with the resulting product.

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Top Albums

Inside Betty Carter
Betty Carter
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Verve Remixed 2
Various Artists
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Finally
Betty Carter
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Betty Carter's Finest Hour
Betty Carter
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Top Tracks

1	Open the Door full track	647
2	Naima's Love Song (DJ Spinna remix) full track	232
3	Naima's Love Song full track	79
4	Ego (Live)	60
5	Let's Fall In Love full track	52
6	Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most full track	50
7	Beware My Heart full track	48
8	There Is No Greater Love full track	47
9	Once in Your Life full track	45
10	My Favorite Things full track	43
11	Social Call full track	33
12	Isn't It Romantic full track	31
12	I Could Write a Book full track	31
14	Most Gentlemen Don't Like Love full track	30
15	I Can't Help It full track	29

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SirAlecHendrix wrote:
last month

brand new group with betty carter : jazz lounge

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Rainha_Lupa wrote:
last month

this lady's awesome, i love her voice and her style

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SikTh wrote:
last month

'my favourite things' from an audience with betty carter, easily one of the greatest vocal jazz cuts ever

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kalkunpanggang wrote:
January 2008

she has a very light voice, yet beautiful

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rakshasa07 wrote:
August 2007

legend :)

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vaklavn wrote:
July 2007

WOHNOUT

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Similans wrote:
July 2007

I just love her. :)

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2Serenity wrote:
May 2007

She sings with her soul! I can feel it! Simply beautiful!

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lizaminnelli wrote:
February 2007

Betty so good !!!

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Xavierism wrote:
June 2006

Betty Carter was a Grand Soulful Diva! Her music, vocals, and passion, gets me every time I listen to her!

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