85-year-old bassist Ron Carter’s illustrious career is most often marked by his tenure in Miles Davis’ Second Great Quintet with Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, and Tony Williams and then perhaps with the many Blue Note recordings he appeared on in the label’s heyday of the ‘60s. Given that Carter has played on over 2500 albums, there is little point in going further except to note that the upcoming documentary Ron Carter: Finding the Right Notes, or at least the soundtrack is not filled with those tracks, but rather with more recent material. These new works include tunes with esteemed bassists Stanley Clarke and Christian McBride, the WDR Big Band, Bill Frisell, Jon Batiste and Carter’s two regular touring units – his Golden Striker Trio with guitarist Russell Malone and pianist Donald; and his Foursight Quartet with pianist Renee Rosnes, saxophonist Jimmy Greene and drummer Peyton Crosley.
Trying not to steal the thunder from the film, only to let you know that it has been six years in the making and is directed by the renowned producer/director Peter Schnall, a seven-time Emmy Award and Peabody Award winner. And, after initially presenting a 90-minute rough cut, PBS asked for it to be extended by 30 minutes. That bodes well. The film is filled with interviews and for all we know, there may well be some snippets and footage from Carter’s early career. Here though the soundtrack begins with one of three tracks recorded with Cologne, Germany’s WDR Big Band in 2014, all compositions by Carter who is also a featured soloist on “Receipt, Please,” “Blues for D.P.,” and “Doom Mood.” The “Blues for D.P.” is especially strong with Carter’s walking bass line and the tenor solo from the big band.
Major highlights include Fletcher Henderson’s “Soft Winds,” recorded at the 2019 Newport Jazz Festival with his Golden Striker Trio. The remarkable swinging groove is remarkable for a drummer-less unit. (This writer is kicking himself because while at Newport that year, missed this performance). Another stellar trio performance is with Stanley Clarke and Russell Malone record at the Blaue Note in NYC in 2017. It marked the first time that Clarke and Carter played together and those high register bass notes on “Bag’s Groove” may well be Carter on his trademark piccolo bass. The album closer features a duet with pianist and contemporary figure Jon Batiste, following a two-hour interview that Batiste conducted with Carter as an integral part of the film at NYC’s Power Station in September 2021.
Carter’s lyrical, resonant, oft classical-like bass playing shines through every track with the varied configurations giving us diverse sampling from his Foursight Quartet (‘Flamenco Sketches’) to duets with Christian McBride (“Willow Weep for Me”) and Bill Frisell (“My Man’s Gone Now’) to yet another Golden Striker take recorded in Germany in 2016 for Carter’s original, “A Nice Song.” Ron Carter: Finding the Right Notes, will undoubtedly bring this music front and center. Carter is a tall man with a regal presence and a distinctive touch. Having witnessed the incredibly warm reception Carter received at Newport Jazz in 2022, the visual impressions are lasting. Given that the film and soundtrack are being released the same day, listeners will have the full experience. We’re only days away.
