Artist: Betty Carter

Betty Carter was an American jazz singer known for her improvisational  technique, scatting, and other complex musical abilities that demonstrated her vocal talent and imaginative interpretation of lyrics and melodies. 

Even at a young age, Carter was able to bring a new vocal style to jazz. The breathiness of her voice was a characteristic seldom heard before her appearance on the music scene. 

Detroit, where Carter grew up, was a hotbed of jazz growth. After signing with a talent agent after her win at amateur night, Carter had opportunities to perform with famous jazz artists such as Dizzy Gillespie, who visited Detroit for an extensive amount of time. Gillespie is often considered responsible for her strong passion for scatting. In earlier recordings, it is apparent that her scatting had similarities to the qualities of Gillespie's. 

Carter's confidence was well-founded when, in 1948, she was asked by Lionel Hampton to join his band. Working with Hampton's group gave her the chance to be bandmates with artists such as Charles Mingus and Wes Montgomery, as well as with Ernest Harold "Benny" Bailey, who had recently left Gillespie's band, and Albert Thornton "Al" Grey, who would later go on to join Gillespie's band.

Being a part of Hampton's band provided a few things for "The Kid" (a nickname bestowed upon Carter that stuck for the rest of her life): connections, and a new approach to music, making it so that all future musical attitudes that came from Carter bore the mark of Hampton's guidance.

Carter moved to New York City in 1951. soon after her arrival, she recorded with King Pleasure and the Ray Bryant Trio, becoming more recognizable and well-known and subsequently being granted the chance to sing at the Apollo Theatre. Carter was propelled into prominence, recording with Epic label by 1955, and was a well-known artist by the late 1950s. Her first solo LP, Out There, was released on the Peacock label in 1958. 

Miles Davis can be credited for Carter's bump in popularity, as he was the person who recommended to Ray Charles that he take Carter under his wing. Carter began touring with Charles in 1960, then making a recording of duets with him in 1961 (Ray Charles and Betty Carter), including the R&B-chart-topping "Baby, It's Cold Outside", which brought her a measure of popular recognition.