Legendary jazz bassist Ron Carter

6th May 2022

Ron Carter is a legend in the world of jazz. His work as a bassist has appeared on thousands of recordings, and has the world records to prove it. In a career that spans over five decades, he’s won three Grammys – and he’s worked with folks like Miles Davis, Alice Coltrane, Aretha Franklin, Herbie Hancock, Billy Joel and A Tribe Called Quest. On the latest episode, we talk with Carter about his latest record: Skyline. It’s a trio album with pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba and drummer Jack DeJohnette. He’ll take us back to when he first picked up an instrument, the cello; and how he eventually found the bass. We’ll also talk about the time he played bass for A Tribe Called Quest on Low End Theory – and how he gave them the business about their foul language.

Episode notes

(Photo: Mark Mainz / Getty Images)

Ron Carter on his childhood, working with A Tribe Called Quest and his latest record Skyline

In a career that spans over five decades, Ron Carter has played jazz, classical, soul and hip-hop.

He’s won three Grammys. Ron’s worked with folks like Miles Davis, Alice Coltrane, Aretha Franklin, Herbie Hancock, Billy Joel and A Tribe Called Quest. 

Take his contributions on It’s Compared to What by Roberta Flack – the first song on her debut album First Take

The bass in the song is catchy, funky, a little mesmerizing. It alternates between forefront and background, effortlessly. Carter played bass on the entire record, and it’s a masterclass in the instrument. 

He’s appeared on thousands of recordings as a jazz bassist, and has the world records to prove it.

On Tuesday, May 10, he’ll celebrate his 85th birthday in style: with a tribute concert at Carnegie Hall in New York City.

He’ll take us back to when he first picked up an instrument, the cello; and how he eventually found the bass. We’ll also talk about the time he played bass for A Tribe Called Quest on Low End Theory – and how he gave them the business about their foul language. 

In this episode...

Senior Producer
Producer
Maximum Fun Producer
Maximum Fun Production Fellow
Video Editor

Guests

  • Ron Carter

About the show

Bullseye is a celebration of the best of arts and culture in public radio form. Host Jesse Thorn sifts the wheat from the chaff to bring you in-depth interviews with the most revered and revolutionary minds in our culture.

Bullseye has been featured in Time, The New York Times, GQ and McSweeney’s, which called it “the kind of show people listen to in a more perfect world.” Since April 2013, the show has been distributed by NPR.

If you would like to pitch a guest for Bullseye, please CLICK HERE. You can also follow Bullseye on Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook. For more about Bullseye and to see a list of stations that carry it, please click here.

Get in touch with the show

People

Senior Producer

Producer

Maximum Fun Producer

Maximum Fun Production Fellow

Video Editor

How to listen

Stream or download episodes directly from our website, or listen via your favorite podcatcher!

Share this show

New? Start here...

Liked Legendary jazz bassist Ron Carter? Listen to these next...