Al was born and raised in Chicago. He grew up a jazz lover and has been a frequent presence on Chicago radio as a jazz radio announcer for several decades. He is remembered as one of the voices on AM jazz radio station WBEE 1570 and is also known for his work on WOJO and WHPK. In 2015, he wrote his first book "It Was Jug That I Dug," a memoir/bio about growing up a jazz fan in Chicago and the life of saxophonist Gene Ammons.

Al Carter-Bey can be heard hosting jazz on WDCB in a variety of shows. He is the regular host of “Chicago Jazz Spotlight” every Wednesday from 9 to 10 p.m., and the frequent host of WDCB's “Saturday Sunrise Set” each Saturday morning from 6:30 to -7 a.m. You can also catch Al as he shares his knowledge and love of jazz as an occasional substitute host of ‘DCB Jazz!