Y.T. presents
Ron Carter
Ron Carter is a true modern master of the upright bass as well as a noted composer, arranger, teacher, author, and producer. One of eight children, Ron was born on May 4, 1937, in Ferndale, Michigan; he began playing cello at age ten and started private lessons at 15. After his family moved to Detroit, he enrolled at Cass Tech, a high school that offered majors in music and art (and featured a student by the name of Paul Chambers). Although Motown's hard-bop scene was unfolding around him, Carter remained focussed on landing a position with a symphony orchestra.
Eventually realizing that the opportunities for African-Americans in the classical field were few and that the caliber of good bass players was low, Carter switched to bass and began a six-month crash course that earned him a full scholarship to the Eastman School of music in Rochester, New York. There, guest conductor Leopold Stokowski told Ron that although he wanted the bassest to play in his Houston Orchestra, he was "afraid the people down there were not ready for a black musician." Reluctant to go on a Texas crusade, Carter headed to New York, knowing that a qualified black player would be accepted in the jazz community.
Upon Arriving in the Big Apple in 1959, Ron started working with drummer Chico Hamilton's quintet (which in cluded reed legend Eric Dolphy) and did jingle, soundtrack, and Broadway work while pursuing his master's degree at the Manhattan School of Music. He continued freelancing until Miles DAvis asked him to join his quintet in January 1963. Herbie Hancock and Tony Williams came aboard a couple of months later, and together they formed an explosive, experimental rhythm section now hailed as one of the most important in jazz history. Carter left the band in 1968 as Davis began his electric journey towards Bitches Brew [Columbia]. He continued to perform with countless jazz artists, key among them Jim hall, Je Henderson, and most of CTI's impressive roster talent.
In the mid-'70s, Ron began a recording carrer that has ranged from group showcasing his own creation, the piccolo acoustic bass (tuned ADGC and used along with a standard upright), to film scores and solo interpretations of BAch. In 1976 V.S.O.P. (which stood for Very Special One-time Performance) was formed, with Carter, Hancock, Williams, and saxophonist Wayne Shorter reprising their Miles Davis Quintet roles, with Freddie Hubbard handling the trumpet parts. Subsequent editions under various names hav featured saxophonist Brandford Marsalis as well as trumpeters Wynton Marsalis, Randy Brecker, and (most recently) Wallace Roney.
Today, as Carter enters his second decade of teaching atht e City College of New York, his touring and recording pace varies from busy to hectic. Among his latest projects are Jazz, My Romance--an upcoming Toshiba release with pianist Kenny Barron and guitarist Herb Ellis--and a series of shows with the brilliant Cuban panist Gonzálo Rubalcaba and drummer Julio Barretto. In addition, he continues to compose for string ensembles, having recently premiered a piece for orchestra and trumpet soloist at Glassboro State College in New Jersey.
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