Event Description

One of the most original, prolific, and influential bassists in jazz. Ron Carter holds a Guinness World Record for recording on over 2,200 albums. From 1963 to 1968, Carter was a key member of the acclaimed Miles Davis Quintet, contributing to iconic jazz recordings such as Speak No Evil, Maiden Voyage, Speak Like a Child, and Red Clay.

He has recorded with Roberta Flack, Aretha Franklin, Gil Scott-Heron, A Tribe Called Quest, Billy Joel, Bette Midler, Paul Simon, and countless others. He has also composed and recorded for string quartets and crafted arrangements of Bach chorales for multiple basses.

As a bandleader, Carter tours and records extensively with a variety of his ensembles.

His autobiography, Finding the Right Notes, and his innovative transcription system, Chartography, highlight his commitment to documenting not just the bass line, but how the entire band interacts and evolves during a performance.

He served as Artistic Director of the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Studies, spent 18 years on the faculty of the City College of New York’s Music Department, and has taught at both Juilliard and the Manhattan School of Music. He is now Distinguished Professor Emeritus, leaving a legacy of mentorship.

His achievements include three Grammy Awards, the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette from Japan, and the title of Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters from France. Carter has also received numerous MVP and Outstanding Bassist awards from the music press, along with seven honorary doctorates from prestigious institutions.