Wayman Alexander Carver was born December 25, 1905 in Portsmouth, Virginia. His parents were Alexander and Catherline Carver. Wayman was the second born of eight children – four boys and four girls.

At an early age, Carver showed not only an interest in but talent for music. Both his father and uncle were accomplished musicians who played in the Metropolitan Marching Band of Portsmouth, Virginia. The band was a combined jazz and marching band composed largely of “ear musicians”. Carver’s uncle, Derrick Copeland, had some musical training and was the leader of the band as well as the town’s music teacher. Copeland gave Carver his first instrument and directed his music training. Carver related that his first flute was one that was found in the trash at the naval yard where his father worked. He was then 14 years old.

During Carver’s formative years, he played with the Metropolitan Band and small combos that played for social functions. Meanwhile, Carver’s mastery of instruments expanded to include the clarinet, saxophone, and flute.

Carver’s elementary and high school education were completed in Portsmouth.

Mr. Sykes, a local resident of Portsmouth, who was a professor of music at Haven Music Conservatory, MS., noted the music potential of Carver. Sykes secured a scholarship for Carver to attend Haven. It was at Haven Conservatory that Carver got his first experience as a concert performer and as a soloist. When Sykes received an offer to join the music faculty at Clark University, Atlanta, Georgia, he took Carver with him and continued to guide his musical training.

While a student at Clark University, Carver was not only active but outstanding in the Music Department. He assisted with instrument and band direction. Carver often gave band concerts with voices added. Although Carver played other wind instruments, he played flute most of the time. A highlight of his school performance was playing flute during the recital of the world renown soprano, Madame Lillian Evanti, when she appeared at Clark University for a concert.

Carver’s talent ran the gamut from classical flutist to jazz instrumentalist. During his college years, Carver organized a group known as the Collegiate Ramblers or Collegians. The Collegians was composed of Clark University students as well as other players from the city. The group, composed of six or eight instrumentalists, would play for social events on and off the campus.

Wayman Carver graduated from Clark University in 1929. Not too many of the Afro-American musicians of the swing era had formal educational background. He then moved to New York City. He formed a band which played in New York City and Atlantic city, New Jersey. The formation of this band is obscure. It is not certain whether it included Collegians or whether it was a new entity.

While in New York, Carver married his college sweetheart, Savannah Joyce Sinkler. Before marriage he wrote to her the song “Won’t Be Long Before I’ll See My Sweetie”. It was never published, but the handwritten manuscript exists. One daughter was born, Avis Joyce, in 1931.

Exactly when Carver gave up his own band is not known, but in 1931, Carver recorded with other bands.

WAYMAN CARVER ON RECORD

Note: (F) = fast,  (FM) = fast medium, (M) = medium tempo

                                                                                                                 



In 1934, Carver joined the Chick Webb orchestra. While a member of this orchestra, Carver wrote several of the orchestral arrangements, of which “Spinning The Web” was among the most notable. Others are “Down Home Rag”, “Tain’t What You Do”, “My Heart Belongs To Daddy”, “Holiday In Harlem” and “Pack Up Your Sins”. While with Webb, he also wrote, arranged and copyrighted an original, “Swinging on The Reservation”. In 1938 he wrote “All’s Fair At The World’s Fair”, but it is not known if any orchestra ever played it.



(Click on image for full-size)

CHICK WEBB AND HIS ORCHESTRA                 NYC. July 6, 1934 – March 24, 1937 Personnel including Wayman Carver (fl, ts).
Among the large number of titles recorded for Decca by this orchestra, Carver is heard on flute in one item only, which he also arranges:

39615-A            Down Home Rag                                    Straight with orchestra. (FM)

  The opening arrangement gives his flute an important role, but the item has slight interest from a soloistic point of view.

                                                                                                                          Feb. 1936 Same/similar personnel.
Two titles from radio transcriptions may be of interest:

                        Keepin’ Out Of Mischief Now           Possibly clarinet solo 22 bars. (M)

                        Go Harlem                                          Possibly clarinet solo 8 bars. (FM)

These clarinet soli, which are pale and far from really interesting, have some details which suspiciously sound Carver-like. Opinions will be welcomed!

Carver has been reported to play the brief flute soli on the Bluebird recording of “The Right Somebody To Love” by Willie Bryant and his orchestra, but this has never been documented, and Charles Frazier is more likely.

THE GOTHAM STOMPERS                                                             NYC. March 25, 1937 Wayman Carver wrote the arrangements for the four titles recorded for Variety: “My Honey’s Lovin’ Arms”, “Did Anyone Ever Tell You?”, “Alabamy Home” and “Where Are You?”.

His most notable flute contributions during the Chick Webb era came as a part of an interior ensemble, “The Little Chicks”, which included clarinet, piano, bass, drums and Carver on the flute.

CHICK WEBB AND HIS LITTLE CHICKS                                    NYC. Sept. 21, 1937 Chauncey Haughton (cl), Wayman Carver (fl), Tommy Fulford (p), Beverly Peer (b), Chick Webb (dm).
Three titles were recorded for Decca, Wayman Carver soloes on flute in all:

62618-A                     In A Little Spanish Town      In ensemble. Solo 14 bars. (FM)

62619-A                      I Got Rhythm                            In ensemble. Solo 8 bars. (F)

62620-A                      I Ain’t Got Nobody                In ensemble. Solo 32 bars. (M)

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           NYC. Nov. 1, 1937
Same. One title:
62737-B                       Sweet Sue, Just You                 In ensemble. Solo 32 bars. (F)

These examples of early jazz chamber music are really something special! One may easily find the combination flute/clarinet somewhat fragile and the ensembles not too exciting. However, the opportunity to study Chick’s work in a small group setting is alone enough to make these items noteworthy. And Wayman Carver, not too much recorded, does some very nice contributions. “… Nobody” is the weakest item, he does not quite seem to get a firm grasp of this song, but the opening is very charming. In “I Got Rhythm” he is shamefully given only a bridge, however, to great success, almost ericdolphyesque in his eagerness. “… Spanish Town” has a very good, inventive solo, comparable with those of the great pre-Chick days. At last, “Sweet Sue …”, the highlight! Although I find the flute solo here not quite as exciting as its famous Hughes-predecessor, it is still of very good quality and admirably different!

CHICK WEBB AND HIS ORCHESTRA                       NYC. Oct. 27, 1937 – Oct. 6, 1938 Among the large number of titles recorded for Decca in this period, Carver is heard only on one session, having the following personnel: Mario Bauza, Bobby Stark, Taft Jordan (tp), Sandy Williams, Nat Story (tb), George Bushell (cl, as), Louis Jordan (ts), Wayman Carver (fl, ts), Tommy Fulford (p), Bobby Johnson (g), Beverly Peer (b), Chick Webb (dm, ldr), Ella Fitzgerald (vo):

                                                                                                                                          NYC. Dec. 17, 1937

62886-A                     I Want To Be Happy               Duet with clarinet. Solo 8 bars. (FM)

62886-B                     I Want To Be Happy                                                      Same. (FM)

62888-A                    If Dreams Come True                 Possibly tenorsax solo 8 bars. (M)

62889-A                   Hallelujah!                                               Straight in orchestra. (FM)

“… Happy” is a mixture of orchestra and “chicks”, and Carver has a brief flute solo, even with an alternate originally issued only in Australia! In “… True”, where Ted McRae takes the intro, another tenorsax takes some modest, almost straight eight bars, can this be Carver?

CHICK WEBB AND HIS ORCHESTRA                                              NYC. Jan. 9, 1939 Personnel similar to above.
Several Thesaurus radio transcriptions, Carver flute soloes on one item:

                                Dinah                                       Solo with orchestra 32 bars. (FM)

A reasonably good solo but not quite with the sting of five years earlier. We shall, however, not draw any general conclusions from one item only.

CHICK WEBB AND HIS LITTLE CHICKS                                           NYC. Jan. 1939 Chauncey Haughton (cl), Wayman Carver (fl), Tommy Fulford (p), Beverly Peer (b), Chick Webb (dm).

Saturday Night Swing Program. One title:

                            Stompin’ At The Savoy                            In ensemble. Solo 32 bars. (F)

A very pleasant surprise, to encounter Carver with an agile Chick Webb drumming as if he knew the end was coming close. The flute solo, which seems to be the last one preserved, is brilliant, both technically and conceptually, and it only shows what a waste of talent the recording policy of the Webb organization, or probably rather Decca, represented.

CHICK WEBB AND HIS ORCHESTRA                               NYC. Feb. 10 – May 4, 1939 Personnel including Wayman Carver (fl, ts).
Three recording sessions for Decca as well as two broadcasts existing, however, no flute soloing.

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After the death of Chick Webb (June 16, 1939), Ella Fitzgerald took over the Webb orchestra. Carver remained for awhile but left the orchestra in 1940. (He is not listed in Brian Rust’s “Jazz Records” among the personnel of the recording session of Feb. 14, 1940). 

ELLA FITZGERALD AND HER ORCHESTRA         NYC. June 29, 1939 – Jan. 26, 1940 Personnel including Wayman Carver (fl, ts).
Four recording sessions for Decca, however, no flute soloing.

After leaving the Ella Fitzgerald orchestra, Carver established a music repair and accessory business in New York City, and was arranging for various bands during this time. As the big band era drew to a close, Carver accepted a position as Associate Professor of Music at his Alma Mater, Clark College, Atlanta, Georgia, 1942.

Carver’s short but impressive career as a jazz musician earned for him an outstanding recognition. International Musician, April, 1963, cited Carver as being known internationally as the first and only jazz musician to play the flute (which with regard to Alberto Socarras is not quite true). Time Magazine, January 3, 1944, cited Carver as being a brilliant hot flutist who had played with some of the best jazz bands.






The life of Wayman A. Carver, after becoming Associate Professor of Music at Clark College, was perhaps as noteworthy as his life during the big band era. While a professor at Clark College, Carver directed the marching and concert bands, composed an overture “Road To Metropolis” (dated April 12, 1948), a march “Jolly Roger”, and wrote the music to the College fight song “Hail Roaring Panther”.

In 1950, Clark College presented a musical “Paradise Park” written by Clark College Professor M. Carl Holman with music written by Carver. The musical, performed by Clark College students, was presented at the Atlanta Municipal Auditorium, the only large auditorium in the city at that time. One song from that musical was an especially beautiful ballad, “Dark Song”. Avis remembers that her father sent a copy of the ballad to Ella Fitzgerald asking her if she would sing it and push it for him, and she can recall the deep disappointment that her father felt when he received absolutely no reply from her. The family heard no more about that song nor any other song from the musical.


BLOW TOP LYNN                                                                      Atlanta, May 10, 1951
Personnel including Clyde William “Blow Top” Lynn (as, ts), Wayman Carver (ts).
Four titles were recorded for Victor but regrettably no soloing by Carver.


The entire handwritten musical score for “Dark Song” with different instrumental parts written in pencil on manuscript paper exists (and is now in the possession of “Christiana 12”, a Norwegian swing orchestra looking at it). The piano score is written separately on manuscript paper, and the words “Copyright date, 1961” appear at the bottom of the score. The family was disappointed that Ella did not respond to Wayman’s request. Several of Ella’s autographed photos to him referred to him as her “brother”.

Carver did further study at Juliard School of Music, NYC.. Carver received the Master of Music Education Degree from Vandercook College of Music in 1952.

Wayman Carver’s impact was felt not only in the college world but in the outer community as well.

Acting upon the request of Mrs. Jessie Wartman, Atlanta Public School Music Educator, Carver organized the first elementary school bands of the City Schools of Atlanta. This pioneer feat brought together students from elementary schools throughout the city. The performance of these students, under the direction of Carver was heralded as a major break-through in public school education.

Carver played local engagements sometimes with a band, “The Troubadours”, lead by Ralph Mays. Some of the band members were in Clark College in the 50’s.





Throughout his years in Atlanta, Georgia, Wayman Carver was a member of Warren Memorial United Methodist Church and participated faithfully as a member of the choir. He was also an active member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity.

As a music educator, Wayman Carver inspired and molded many young musicians. The musician graduates of Clark College were often in demand to fill positions as teacher-band director throughout the public school systems of the Atlanta Metro Area and other cities as well. Through these men and women the impact of Wayman Carver continues today. His significance in the jazz world and as a music educator is most ardently kept alive by Clark Atlanta University under the auspices of Associate Professor James Patterson, former student of Carver, an accomplished musician in his own right, and present director of the Clark Atlanta Jazz Orchestra.


Wayman Carver died May 6, 1967, after serving twenty-five years as professor at Clark College, Atlanta, Georgia. He is buried in Southview Cemetery, Atlanta.

Carver familytree

The Wayman Carver Papers are in the Archives & Special Collections of the Robert W. Woodruff Library of the Atlanta University Center:
http://www.auctr.edu
http://www.auctr.edu/collections/archives.html
http://www.auctr.edu/collections/manuscripts/titles/carver.html

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