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Double Bass Ron Carter

M

mathieu.mcconne

Nov 4, 2009
7
0
34
#1
Hello

Today, my teacher and I were talking about double bassist that I should listen to to get inspired when improvising. After saying the usual, Ray Brown, Scott LaFaro, Red Mitchell, Slam Stewart, Jimmy Blanton, Oscar Pettiford, etc. I proposed Ron Carter. I never really listened to Ron Carter, or realised that he was playing on the recording, so I don't really know what he sounds like. However, what my teacher said was very surprising. He said: «Don't listen to Ron Carter, he's a cellist that couldn't play in orchestras because he was black, he took up the double bass prefering the cello». I was just wondering if you guys (or girls) agree/disagree with him. I mean, since he's recorded thousands of records, he's probably not that bad.

Anywayze...
 
#6
mathieu, check out RC's work with Herbie Hancock, Miles, ect in the '60's and decide for yourself! He was quite a creative force then. It's true that he desired to be a classical cellist, and for whatever reason, it didn't work out.
 
#7
Well, I don't know anything about Ron Carter's personality (Maynard F. always used to say "give me a son of a ***** who can play), but when I was growing up I thought Ron Carter was one of the most musical bassists I'd heard.
 
#8
Check out Ron Carter with Miles Davis: Live in Berlin or better yet the double CD from Carnegie Hall with George Coleman on tenor. The guy is fast, smooth, loose, tight and amazing. If you can play like that you've earned some respect and surely some deference.

Then there's all the stuff he did for CTI. He had a habit of squeezing out quarter tones, sliding in and out of tune, that some people didn't dig. Personally I thought his playing here was ultra-cool. Check out the Stanley Turrentine CD: Don't Mess with Mr T and Turrentine's version of Sugar with RC on bass. That's some funky, stanky super-cool bass playing.

RC is at the top of my list of bass player heroes.
 
#9
mathieu.mcconne said:
Hello

Today, my teacher and I were talking about double bassist that I should listen to to get inspired when improvising.
Click to expand...

Firstly Id like to address this sentence. By all means, listen to all of them.

But at the end of the day, seems to make most sense to transcribe the players, whos playing style appeals to you the most.

Transcribing and learning takes a lot of time, so why waste time trying to sound like something you dont want to be?
 
#10
woolysock said:
Check out Ron Carter with Miles Davis: Live in Berlin or better yet the double CD from Carnegie Hall with George Coleman on tenor. The guy is fast, smooth, loose, tight and amazing. If you can play like that you've earned some respect and surely some deference.

Then there's all the stuff he did for CTI. He had a habit of squeezing out quarter tones, sliding in and out of tune, that some people didn't dig. Personally I thought his playing here was ultra-cool. Check out the Stanley Turrentine CD: Don't Mess with Mr T and Turrentine's version of Sugar with RC on bass. That's some funky, stanky super-cool bass playing.

RC is at the top of my list of bass player heroes.
Click to expand...
I agree. I like a lot of his electric sounding stuff from the '70s and '80s. A good example is the 'State of the Tenor' Joe Henderson album with Ron and Al Foster.
 
#12
I see in your Profile that you're 17, but I find all this a bit bizzare. I also find that you list Ron as one of your favorites.
How can he be one of your favorites if you've yet to "check him out"?
Have you "checked out" anybody on your list of jazz bassists in there?
Have you ever "checked" anything out?
 
#14
Paul Warburton said:
I see in your Profile that you're 17, but I find all this a bit bizzare. I also find that you list Ron as one of your favorites.
How can he be one of your favorites if you've yet to "check him out"?
Have you "checked out" anybody on your list of jazz bassists in there?
Have you ever "checked" anything out?
Click to expand...

I mixed up Ron Carter for John Clayton... I have indeed check out the bass players in my favorite list. I don't know why It's bizzare that I'm seventeen... My teacher despises most contemporary bass players, and he's more of a classical guy...
 
#15
jdwinva said:
When I was at Berklee for a summer session I found that a lot of the falculty thought Ron was an arrogant *******. Just relaying the information, not provding an opinion.
Click to expand...

That is bull****, and I add that, IMO, it's rumor mongering and inappropriate. I know Ron personally and he is a great cat.
He sat in on my big five stringer and played the living hell out of it and never made one excuse about how uncomfortable it was for him to do that. The only player who didn't go there about that.
 

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