John Carter recordings

John Carter was born on September 24, 1929 in Ft. Worth, Texas. He was an only child and his father died when John was a child. John was a multi-instrumentalist. He played soprano, alto and tenor sax, oboe and flute.

He attended college at Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Missouri. He earned a degree in Music Education and graduated at the age of 19. He then continued his studies at the University of Colorado at Boulder, where he was awarded a Masters degree in 1956.

In 1961, John, his wife Gloria, and their children moved to Los Angeles, Ca. Carter worked as a music teacher in the LA public school system. Some of his notable students were drummer Ronald Shannon Jackson and Sax player Julius Hemphill.

When Carter was 41, he made his first commercial recording: “West Coast Hot” with Bobby Bradford (1969). From the early 1980’s until his death in 1991, John Carter was very prolific. He played at many festivals and concerts in Europe, recorded at least ten albums, helped to found an alternative music school called The Wind College, had his own recording label, and produced records for other musicians.

John Carter died in Los Angeles, Ca., March 31, 1991. He was postumously inducted into Down Beat Magazine’s Jazz Hall of Fame.