Isaac M. "Ike" Carpenter

Isaac Monroe Carpenter (March 11, 1920 – November 17, 1998) was an American jazz bandleader and pianist active in the 1940s and 1950s, most noted for his success in nightclubs on the West Coast during the post-World War II rise in popularity of American jazz music.

Musical career Carpenter began performing on piano with bands at a very young age, in the mid-1930s. After graduating from college, he performed with a number of successful musicians, including Johnnie Davis.

In the 1950s, he left the band scene, and worked as an accompanist for performers in the Ice Capades. He also recorded for the Aladdin Records and Decca Records labels. Notable musicians who played with him include Lucky Thompson, Gerald Wilson, Ted Nash, and George Weidler. He is buried in the Maplewood Cemetery in Durham.