Ron Carter

Ron Carter, born Ronald Levin Carter on May 4, 1937, in Ferndale, Michigan, is celebrated as one of the most influential jazz double bassists of the modern era. From a precocious start on the cello at age ten, he quickly transitioned to bass while attending Cass Technical High School, a shift that set the stage for a career spanning more than six decades. He earned a B.A. in music from the Eastman School of Music in 1959 and a master’s degree from the Manhattan School of Music in 1961, where his exposure to the vibrant New York jazz scene sparked his move to the city’s thriving clubs. His early professional work included stints with Chico Hamilton, Jaki Byard, Cannonball Adderley, and even a notable cello appearance on Eric Dolphy’s “Out There,” demonstrating his versatility across instruments. Carter’s reputation solidified when he joined Miles Davis’s “Second Great Quintet” in 1963, contributing to landmark albums such as Seven Steps to Heaven and E.S.P. and composing three pieces that remain integral to the group’s legacy. After his tenure with Davis, he became a mainstay of Blue Note and CTI Records, recording as a leader on albums like Uptown Conversation (1969) and Spanish Blue (1974), while also supporting giants such as Herbie Hancock, Tony Williams, and Wayne Shorter. Beyond performance, Carter distinguished himself as an educator, serving as Distinguished Professor Emeritus at City College of New York for two decades, receiving an honorary doctorate from Berklee, and joining the Juilliard faculty in 2008. His contributions have earned three Grammy Awards, the French Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, and the Japanese Order of the Rising Sun, reflecting his global impact on jazz culture. In recent years, he continues to record, mentor young musicians, and appear in documentaries such as Ron Carter: Finding the Right Notes, reaffirming his status as a living bridge between jazz’s storied past and its evolving future.