Photo taken by John Rogers
Primary Scene: New York
Daniel Carter, born in Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania, in 1945, is a musician and writer. Since coming to New York City, in 1970, he has sought out musicians and situations that encourage free expression. Carter is a renowned multi-instrumentalist, playing tenor, alto and soprano saxophones, clarinet, flute, and trumpet, as well as voice. In the 1950s he sang in so-called doo-wop groups, took clarinet lessons, played in school bands (into the 60s), and the 49th Army Band (ca. 1967-69). When he first came to NYC, he played in soul bands as well as avant-garde jazz groups. He has always tried to transcend genre-boundaries, which is, today, as daunting a challenge as ever, but he’s found that the many musicians he’s met and played with, and the invaluable treasure of a huge, ever-growing, number of recordings and videos (so many, readily available on the internet, cable TV, and radio), have recharged and renewed him, all along the way. He lives in Manhattan with his wife, visual artist, Marilyn Sontag, and their two cats, Minnie and Sophie.
Some of his writing can be found in the following publications: The Tinker: Innovative Arts and Literature Magazine, 50 Miles of Elbow Room, Number One (2000), Callaloo: A Journal of African Diaspora Arts and Letters, Dyed-in-the-Wool (2000), Intervalsss: The Poems and Words of Musicians (2000), Sex Sells Magazine (1997), Wandering Archive One (1998).
He has performed, recorded, and/or toured, with many musicians, through the decades, since the mid 60s, including TEST, The No Neck Blues Band, Dissipated Face, Other Dimensions in Music, WAKE UP!, D.J. Logic, LP, XBOP, Reuben Radding, Federico Ughi, Sun Ra, Cecil Taylor, Sam Rivers, Alan Silva, Ras Moshe, Jeffrey Shurdut, David Newbro, David Henderson, Sabir Mateen, Marianne Giosa, David Miller, Billy Bang, C. Spencer Yeh, Rakalam (Bob Moses), Ambrose Bye, Earl Freeman, Karl Berger, Sean Lennon, Amandine Pras, Yoko Ono, William Parker, Earl Cross, David S. Ware, Jamaaladeen Tacuma, Billy Martin, Margie Beals, Todd Capp, Adam Lane, Miriam Atkins, Anne Waldman, Jair-Rohm Parker, Alfonia Tims, Frank Marino, Will Connell, Don Cherry, Matthew Shipp, Hamiet Bluiette, Nate Wooley, Hamid Drake, Mikey Holmes, John Blum, Tom Bruno, Kurt Ralske, Demian Richardson, Jonathan Wood Vincent, Clete DeBeat, Andrew Cyrille, David Moss, Connie Crothers, Joan Miller, Greg Fox, Medeski, Martin, & Wood, Ed Schuller, Spring Heel Jack, Ninni Morgia, Jade Dylan, Daniel Lavine, Margo Grib, Ha Yang Kim, Laurie Hockman, Assif Tsahar, Steve, Dalachinsky, Rebecca Schmoyer, Jeff Platz, Vernon Reid, Fay Victor, Bern Nix, Devin Waldman, Patricia Nicholson Parker, Sana Nagano, Jonah Rosenberg, Michael T.A. Thompson, Kevin Shea, Warren Smith, Joanna Mattrey, Larry Roland, Mike Wimberly, Ava Mendoza, Christopher Dean Sullivan, Charles Gayle, Kyp Malone, Jochem van Dijk, Ryan Sawyer, Ted Daniels, Ryan Sawyer, Dewey Johnson, Thurston Moore, Roy Campbell, Earl Cross, Wilber Morris, Eri Yamamoto, Matt Lavelle, Atiba Wilson, Matthew Heyner, Yo La Tengo, Raphe Malik, Okkyung Lee, Denis Charles, Steve Swell, Gunter Hampel, David Grubbs, Alan Silva, Susie Ibarra, Butch Morris, and many others.
Carter, Daniel