Currently living in Austin, Texas, Duane Carter - trumpet/flugelhorn player, composer/arranger, playwright/writer, comes from Los Angeles, California. His roots are deeply embedded amongst the Black Creoles of New Orleans. His cousin, jazz trumpeter and songwriter Dave Bartholomew , is still a prominent figure in the Crescent City. His father, Johnny Carter from Mansfield, Louisiana is a singer whose voice has been likened to the stylistic smoothness of Billy Eckstine .
Duane was born in Chicago, Illinois, but moved to Los Angeles at age 5. He began learning trumpet when he was 7 years old. Unable to afford lessons, he was self-taught until joining the band in elementary school. By time he reached junior high school, he sat 1st chair in both band and orchestra winds. He formed his own jazz trio with guitarist Glen Jeffery and percussionist Earl Henry, while also performing with the jazz combo at school that featured flautist Andrew Jerald and pianist Michael Nash. Once in high school the two groups combined to form Duane's band Watashi. Other musicians that have played with Watashi at some point includes saxophonist Ricky Washington, bassist Charles Meeks , drummers Cornell Fauler, Shasta Harville, George Buckner, Jr. and pianists Wayne Vaughn and Patrice Rushen .
Duane went on to study with trumpet greats Bobby Bryant, Sr. , Oscar Brashear , Uan Rasey , and John Moots . He studied theory and composition with Hugh Mullins at California State University, Los Angeles and Angela Jelliffe at the Univeristy of Redlands. Duane was a member of the United States Army Band from 1981-1991. He toured throughout South and Central America while serving as a principal trumpet player, soloist and arranger with the 79th Army Band, "SouthCOM Ambassadors", stationed in the Republic of Panama. He was also a principal trumpet player, soloist, arranger, jazz combo leader, dance band leader and stage band leader with the prestigious 6th Army Band from the Presidio of San Fransisco. While in the Bay Area he lead his jazz quintet, Quintessence and 9 piece R & B band, Out of Control.
He received a B.A. in Music Performance from California State University, Los Angeles, a M.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies - which combined the disciplines of Music, Theatre, and English - from California State University, San Bernardino, and a MSIS (Master of Science in Information Studies) with a focus on academic music librarianship from The University of Texas at Austin. Duane's work at California State University, San Bernardino focused on writing for musical theatre. In the process he honed his skills in both playwriting and screenwriting, while at the same time learning to incorporate his compositional skills in a musical theatre setting. Besides writing the libretto and score for his own musical, Forever Yours, Duane wrote and arranged music for several other productions while a student. His work for Shakespeare's Twelfth Night earned him honors at the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (KCACTF). Upon completion of his degree, Duane was hired as associate professor to create a score and act as sound designer for the experimental play Keep Hedz Ringin' by Rickerby Hinds . This was a hip-hop adaptation of Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen, which also won Duane acclaim at the KCACTF.
After touring with the Army Band during the 1980s, Duane felt it was important to provide his children with a more stable lifestyle, so he continued his career in education as a middle school teacher in the Inland Empire. Even so, he found time to freelance in and around Los Angeles. Some of the bands he's performed with include the Creative Arts Ensemble, John Thomas Band, Tibor Molnar's Sevensemble, Nate Morgan's Ujaama Ensemble, Joshua's Natural Sound, the Nightfire Orchestra, Pro2Call , the J-Love Band, the San Bernardino Diocesan Orchestra, and the 300th Army Reserve Band.
Duane is currently researching and writing a book on an advanced improvisation concept based on the metaphysical relationship between music and sacred geometry. The music on this site is from his latest CD, Never Say Never and his debut CD, Boundless.
Over the years Duane has been privileged to share the stage with many notables to include:
Gerald Wilson
Oliver Nelson
Clark Terry
Jimmy Smith
Jeff Clayton
Bobby Shew
Justo Almario
Gerald Albright
Patrice Rushen
Gary Bias
Nate Morgan
Wayne Vaughn
Bill Churchville
Joshua Spiegelman
Daniel LeMelle
John Lewis