Saving the Classics  

Keter Betts....Bassist Extrodinaire!

Keter Betts (WilliamThomas Betts)

Born July 25th died August 6th 2005, In Port Chester, New York was an American Jass Double Bassist extrodinaire....He was, nickednamed.... "Keter", a short form of the word mosquito. starting out originally as a Jass drummer....He traveled to New York City to pratice....but later got a bit discouraged, having to haul his Gene Krupa, Jass drum kit up four flights of stairs.

As a musician, Keter player with just about every major mover in Jass. In fact, I don't believe that there was a major musician that keter didnot play with at some time on the other....My cousin Ella Fitzgerald, Dinah Washington, Oscar.... Peterson, Nat Adderlt (Trumpet) Cannonball Adderly, Nat's Brother. Then there is Stan Getz (Saxophone), and Charlie Byrd....He also played with....Tommy Flanagan (Piano) and Junior Mance....another great musician (Pianist). Later....He join forces with the likes of Hamiet Bluiett (Baritone Saxophone), Sam Jones (Bass), Joe Pass (Guitarist), Clifford Brown (Trumpet), Kenny Burrell (Guritar)...... Louie Bellsom (Drummer), the husband of the great vocalist, Peat Bailey; and  the legendary (Jass & Blues Vocalist) Big Joe williams....Yet, while accompaning Ella Fitzgerald, as a member of the Tommy Flanagan Orchestra....

Later approximately a year or two, Keter became a member in Ella's band....A union which lasted, oh, Three Decades....though, his discography....reads like a who's who in Jass, after being in the business for over fifty years, it was not until 1998
that Keter recorded under his own name....

"Bass, Buddies & Blues (1999), followed approximately a year later by, Bass. Buddies & Beauty Too! Featuring the legendary and Beautiful Baltimore Vocalist Ms. Ethel
Ennis. Soon the to follow: "Live @ The East Coast Jass Festival in (2001),
featuring the Lovely and Sain Voiced, Ms. Etta Jones, the wife and life long partner of "Saxophonist" Houston Persons.

In his later years, Keter maintained an impressive schedule, performing and lecturing at schools and youth muic workshops in he Washington D.C.  area. He also served as music coordinator for Jass programing at Black.... Entertainment Television a.k.a. (BET), and as an instructor / lecture at Howard University. Keter Betts passed away at the age of 77 in his home in Silver Spring, Maryland, in 2005.

JASS!