Detroit-born Betty Carter sounded like no one else in jazz, with her own diction, her own phrasing and her own sense of pitch. Her rich, pure voice sounded instrumental, with curved, beautifully shaped notes. It was immediately noticeable that she was after something different, and that her technique, always extraordinary, was there to work for her ideas. It was equally clear that she was a jazz musician first and a singer second. Disillusioned with recording contracts and their restraints, she

National Endowment for the Arts #JazzMaster #BettyCarter sounded like no one else in jazz, with her own diction, her own phrasing and her own sense of pitch. Her rich, pure voice sounded instrumental, with curved, beautifully shaped notes. It was immediately noticeable that she was after something different, and that her technique, always extraordinary, was there to work for her ideas. It was equally clear that she was a jazz musician first and a singer second. Just take a listen to her version