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Some Shade from Ron Carter

#301
I went to the Blue Note one night to see Bill Frisell, who I had just started listening to. Must be about 10 years or more, now. I liked his "mad scientist" vibe and how he seemed to deconstruct melodies and play inside them. When I got there, Ron Carter was on bass and Paul Motian was on drums. I spent the entire gig watching Ron. At least that night, he was perfection. Incapable of playing a wrong note or falling out of the groove. I hadn't really started playing bass yet, though I owned one. And it was a crystalizing moment in what I've set out to do on the electric bass, even though I don't play jazz or upright.

I'm not a great bassist. I'm probably not a very good bassist. What I play is limited and though my lines are starting to move, they're same-y across songs. But what I'm learning to do is what I saw Ron do. And what he's the master of. Establish a theme, play on that theme, vary it, and own the low end so the melody instruments stay the hell away. I just need to expand my vocabulary.

Static lines are boring. Don't be boring.
 
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#302
DrayMiles said:
Thanks, I just bought that on eBay. I gotta read it. I met both of them and I must admit...
They both disappointed me in their actions. Soooo... I really believe it's best not to meet your heroes.
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I can attest after meeting two of mine at the time - Jaco and Jan Hammer. And never one of my heroes but Jan's bass player at the time was a real jerk - I forget his name but it wasn't Fernando Saunders, who seems like a good guy.
 
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#305
pdbass said:
YIKES!!!

I should have read this thread before I started shooting this one. LMAO. Maybe I'll change the title if people don't bite. I thought it was a very interesting solo! :)

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I went through a long period of dislike for Ron Carter because of snarky things he said about bass guitar forty odd years ago when I was a teen trying learn the instrument. Looking back, I understand how he felt: he had put in decades to be at the pinnacle of his chosen instrument only to handed a different, but related instrument he was expected to play. Ron Carter mellowed and has become a beautiful ambassador of the low end. I have been privileged to have some brief exchanges with him on Facebook, and it made day each time.

It is very appropriate that you mentioned Jamerson because Mr. Carter could have been a transcendent bass guitarist if he had so desired. Personally, I am happy that he chose his first love and continued to be great on double bass because life is short, even when you are 85 and still playing like a million dollars.:)
 
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#306
I finally downloaded Red Clay on my iTunes. This is wonderful with Jazz musicians playing Jazz with electric instruments and not hoping for a crossover smash. Ron Carter definitely was on his A game. If he had continued to be active on bass guitar, he would have created a significant legacy, but there is something really gracious in saying that the bass guitar should be the instrument of a younger generation and they should make their mark on it. Ron Carter has the heart of a man who loves his craft with a deep passion.:thumbsup:
 
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#307
Dr. Cheese said:
I finally downloaded Red Clay on my iTunes. This is wonderful with Jazz musicians playing Jazz with electric instruments and not hoping for a crossover smash. Ron Carter definitely was on his A game. If he had continued to be active on bass guitar, he would have created a significant legacy, but there is something really gracious in saying that the bass guitar should be the instrument of a younger generation and they should make their mark on it. Ron Carter has the heart of a man who loves his craft with a deep passion.:thumbsup:
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Such a classic album! A very young Lenny White too. Richard Davis's electric playing from that time period is also worth investigating, his work on the live Laura Nyro album was excellent.
 
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#308
The other day I downloaded a couple of Aebersold play-along audio/transcript packages featuring Ron Carter: "Cedar Walton", and "All Bird" (selected tunes of Charlie Parker).

Even with him simplifying his parts with the student in mind, they are busy rhythmically and harmonically and the melodic ideas just flow. I look forward to diving in a measure at a time and hopefully have some of his ideas and approach rub off me.

I saw a documentary on Miles Davis and it states that he made Ron play electric. Miles wanted to move beyond bebop and saw the electric bass as more contemporary. He did it, but he realized it wasn't for him and after leaving the group he went right back to upright.
 
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#314
Dr. Cheese said:
I am officially mad. My local PBS station is showing a stupid British mystery show from 1985. I guess the folks who like that are making the big donations.:cool:
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Sometimes you have to look around on your local schedules to find some shows on PBS, they almost never show them at appointed times here either. If you have streaming you may find it on the PBS roku channel, that's how I find some shows I miss.
 
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