Ron Carter

[Alon Marcus]

There seems to be a consensus (at least in my family!) about this guy. Everybody loves and have respect for his playing. Ron Carter has an immense and an impressive list as sideman but he also has terrific solo albums.

I'll be glad to here recommendations and opinions on him.

One of his latest efforts is "Golden Striker". The album was recorded in the summer of 2002 and it has Mulgrew Miller on piano (great player, and he deserves his own thread) and Russell Malone on guitar. It can be thought as commercial jazz because:

1. The album contains another version of the famous "Adagio" from Aranjues and "Autumn Leaves" (probably the most worn out sentimental tunes)

2. It has an easy going feeling like in the best Oscar Peterson records in this format (IMHO - a virtue!)

Nevertheless this is a good and solid mainstream album. All players are in top form.

Robert Freedman arranged all the songs.

By the way – the cd is copy controlled.

Edited November 25, 2004 by ztrauq22

[BFrank]

I always enjoyed this album. A solid quartet with Kenny Barron, Ben Riley and Buster Williams. Definitely an unusual lineup with 2 bass players - but it works.

[Noj]

As a leader, I enjoy Uptown Conversation with Herbie Hancock, Hubert Laws, Grady Tate/Billy Cobham.

As a sideman, he is on a number of my all-time favorite albums including Herbie Hancock's Empyrean Isles and Joe Henderson's Mode For Joe.

Edited November 25, 2004 by Noj

[jlhoots]

Obviously a key part of Miles 2nd great quintet.

[mikeweil]

I always enjoyed this album. A solid quartet with Kenny Barron, Ben Riley and Buster Williams. Definitely an unusual lineup with 2 bass players - but it works.

That was a great band that's best represented on this album - the double LP had one more track.

Carter's on so many albums it's hard to pick one, but I very much enjoyed his humorous bluesy solos on McCoy Tyner's "Extensions" (Blue Note) and Alice Coltrane's "Ptah the El Daoud" (Impulse).

The best of his CTI LPs, "All Blues" with Joe Henderson and Roland Hanna, still awaits a CD reissue - hard to understand.

[Jim R]

If you like, or are at all curious about Brazilian music, I would highly recommend this 2003 Chesky CD:

Carter's brazilian roots go way back (he also recorded with Jobim in the 60's/70's). Rosa Passos is one of the greatest of contemporary brazilian artists.

[Guy Berger]

You can hear Ron Carter torturing a cello on McCoy Tyner's Expansions.

Guy

[mikeweil]

You can hear Ron Carter torturing a cello on McCoy Tyner's Expansions.

That's why he had this piccolo bass made ...

[BFrank]

The best of his CTI LPs, "All Blues" with Joe Henderson and Roland Hanna, still awaits a CD reissue - hard to understand.

Yeah, that's good, too.

I forgot about that one, but I still have it (vinyl, that is).

[marcello]

Ron lays down some SERIOUS funk on Joey Baron's 'Down Home' along with Arthur Blythe and Bill Frisell. Its on Intuition Music and Media Intuition Mucic & Media /Songtone I had never heard of it before but Ron turned on our mutual friend, vibraphonist Joe Locke, to it. It smokes!

[Michael Fitzgerald]

Kenny Barron told me he couldn't stand the Piccolo album because of the out of tune piano. I do think it's the best thing that quartet did, though.

Mike

[Alon Marcus]

When I first heard the Piccolo album I thought it was unbalanced.

I changed my mind after hearing almost the same team on Pick 'Em.

Riley, Barron and Williams are enhanced with 4 celli. Don't remember noticing an out of tune piano on Piccolo. Anyway IMHO Pick 'Em is a bit better.

[BFrank]

Kenny Barron told me he couldn't stand the Piccolo album because of the out of tune piano. I do think it's the best thing that quartet did, though.

Mike

Now that you mention it, it does sound slightly out of tune........but that's OK. It actually works in a weird sort of way. I wouldn't expect Barron to agree, since I suspect he's somewhat of a perfectionist.

[brownie]

Preferred Ron Carter remains his debut album 'Where?' on New Jazz. Because of Eric Dolphy!

[Swinger]

I always enjoyed this album. A solid quartet with Kenny Barron, Ben Riley and Buster Williams. Definitely an unusual lineup with 2 bass players - but it works.

This one is great.Another goodie is Third Plane.

[Brandon Burke]

Preferred Ron Carter remains his debut album 'Where?' on New Jazz. Because of Eric Dolphy!

[Alon Marcus]

Still listening to the wonderfull compilation: Pick 'Em/Super strings. What I like there the most is

1. Ron's compositions

2. Kenny Barron's playing.

...also here are two previous threads about him

http://www.organissimo.org/forum/index.php...indpost&p=42714

http://www.organissimo.org/forum/index.php...indpost&p=54753

[JohnS]

I'd go for "All Blues" too. Nice Joe Henderson for good measure.

[marcoliv]

Telephone with Jim Hall is great

Marcus

[kinuta]

Nobody has mentioned the great ' The Bass And I'.

Try to get the Somethin' Else copy if possible, the mastering is better than the Blue Note one.

Another good one is 'Holiday In Rio' which is not, as the title might imply, a bossa nova session, but a great grooving live session,recorded, mysteriously, in mono.

[marcoliv]

as a sideman, i love his playing on The Other Side Of Abbey Road

Ron is scheduled to perform here in January/05...

Marcus

[Drew Peacock]

I have always been fond of his Orefu recording but in all honesty I've not heard a peep out of him in a few years. I went to his website which shows that he's still very active but in semi-retirement. I see that Dan Ouellette penned his biography - is this a worthwhile read?

What is the consensus on his 2006 recording Dear Miles?

Has he stopped playing free?

AllMusic.com rates his recordings all over the map but with very few 4 and 5 star ratings. Is it because of his compositions that he's not higher rated?

[Hot Ptah]

I have always liked his playing on this album.

[Aggie87]

Preferred Ron Carter remains his debut album 'Where?' on New Jazz. Because of Eric Dolphy!

Picked this up in the recent Concord sale, and dig it too!

[clifford_thornton]

I picked up a copy of James Spaulding's Brilliant Corners CD on Muse recently. Carter's in fine form here, with Marcus Miller & Kenny Washington also in the rhythm section. Miller's kind of florid for my taste normally, but he's not too distracting here and it's a pretty fiery date.