Carter Ron, born Ronald Levin Carter, *4 May 1937 Ferndale (Michigan), American jazz double bassist and cellist. As a child, he played the cello, later the violin, clarinet and trombone. He studied double bass at the Eastman School of Music and the Manhattan School of Music (graduated in 1961). At the age of 20, he began performing regularly with C. Hamilton’s quartet. In the early 1960s, he collaborated with E. Dolphy, D. Ellis, C. Adderley, M. Waldron and T. Monk. Between 1963 and 1968, he was a member of Miles Davis Quintet (albums include Seven Steps to Heaven, 1963; My Funny Valentine, 1964; E.S.P., 1965; Nefertiti, 1967; Miles in the Sky, 1968; Filles de Kilimanjaro, 1968). In 1968, he recorded with H. Merrill (Shade of Difference), and in the 1970s with G. Benson and S. Turrentine; he also performed with S. Rollins, the V.S.O.P. group and M. Tyner; throughout this period, he was the most sought-after session musician. In the 1980s, he recorded with W. Marsalis (Wynton Marsalis, 1982), C. Walton (Heart and Soul, 1981; Etudes, 1983), J. Hall (Telephone, 1984) and many other musicians. In 1992, he performed with Miles Ahead, a group bringing together members of Davis’s quintet from the 1960s; in 1994, together with H. Hancock, W. Shorter, W. Roney and T. Williams, he recorded the album A Tribute to Miles. Carter’s albums as leader also include Where?, 1961; Blues Farm, 1973; All Blues, 1973; Piccolo, 1977; Peg Leg, 1977; Ron Carter Plays Bach, 1988; Ron Carter Meets Bach, 1992; The Bass and I, 1997; So What, 1998.
Carter is one of the most outstanding double bassists in the history of jazz. He showcased his skills (also as a cellist) in his early recordings with E. Dolphy (Out There, 1951). He achieved musical maturity in Miles Davis Quintet (later called the Second Great Quintet); together with H. Hancock and T. Williams, he co-created one of the best rhythm sections in the history of modern jazz. He is an extremely versatile musician, his playing, firmly rooted in the style of acoustic post-bop, is characterised by impeccable technique, inventiveness in improvisation and classical elegance. As a member of the rhythm section, he is able to perform simultaneously as an accompanying musician and an independent soloist. He is highly regarded as a sideman (performances and recordings with vocalists L. Horne, A. Franklin, H. Merrill). Carter’s achievements have contributed to establishing the role of the double bass in jazz both as an element of the rhythm section and as a fully-fledged solo instrument.
