He developed a love of popular music, moved to New York City where he was a member of the Clef Club, and became a pianist in James Reese Europe's orchestra.
They travelled to England, where they toured widely, performing in a jazz style as well as popular songs and classical arias, and made recordings for the Zonophone label.
In 1930 he separated from Hatch to work as a solo performer, with an act called "Pianoisms" ranging from jazz to opera, and appeared in London nightclubs.
[3] They toured Europe, and Carpenter also performed as a piano soloist in London, Paris, Cannes, Cairo and Buenos Aires.
[3] Carpenter remained active in Hollywood, and regularly performed at parties for movie stars, and on radio programs.