orig. Bennett Lester Carter
born Aug. 8, 1907, New York, N.Y., U.S.
died July 12, 2003, Los Angeles, Calif.
U.S. jazz musician.
Known as one of the primary stylists of the alto saxophone, he was also an accomplished arranger, composer, clarinetist, trumpeter, and bandleader. He played in the big bands of Chick Webb and Fletcher Henderson before assuming leadership of McKinney's Cotton Pickers (1931–32). Carter worked in Europe (1935–38) and moved to California in 1945 to write music for film and television. His best-known composition is "When Lights Are Low." He was awarded the National Medal of Arts in 2000.