Ron Carter Duo with Donald Vega

UPDATE September 9, 2023
Because of unavoidable travel issues, guitarist Russell Malone will be unable to perform. Ron Carter, bass, and Donald Vega, piano, will instead perform a duo set. If you have any questions, please call the Krannert Center Ticket Office at 217.333.6280. Thank you!

Ron Carter is among the most original, prolific, and influential bassists in jazz and has played on seminal albums in many other genres. He has recorded over 2200 albums, and has a Guinness world record to prove it! From 1963 to 1968, he was a member of the acclaimed Miles Davis Quintet. He can be heard on many iconic jazz records of the 60s and 70s such as Speak No Evil, Maiden Voyage, Speak Like a Child, and Red Clay, to name a few.

After leaving the quintet he embarked on a prolific 50-year freelance career that spanned vastly different music genres and continues to this day. He recorded with Roberta Flack and Aretha Franklin; with Gil Scott Heron on Pieces of a Man; appeared on the seminal hip-hop album Low End Theory with a Tribe Called Quest; played on albums by Billy Joel, Bette Midler, Paul Simon, and more; and wrote and recorded pieces for string quartets and Bach chorales for 2-8 basses.

Carter spends at least half the year on worldwide tours with his various groups: the Ron Carter Golden Striker Trio, the Ron Carter Foursight Quartet, the Ron Carter Nonet, and Ron Carter’s Great Big Band. He has recorded multiple albums with his groups.

Carter shares his expertise in the series of books he authored, where he explains his creative process and teaches bassists of all levels to improve their skills and develop their own unique sound. He also penned his autobiography, Finding the Right Notes. In 2021 he pioneered a new type of music transcription with Chartography, showing not only the bass line but also how the band responded and how the entire tune transformed over time.

He was Artistic Director of the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Studies while it was located in Boston and, after 18 years on the faculty of the Music Department of The City College of New York, he is now Distinguished Professor Emeritus. He also taught at the Juilliard School and at Manhattan School of Music. A 3-time Grammy winner, he was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette for his contributions to Japan-US relations, the medallion and title of Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters by France, numerous MVP and Outstanding Bassist awards by the music press. He has 7 honorary doctorates from Juilliard, Berklee, University of Michigan, New England Conservatory, Clark University, Manhattan School of Music and University of Rochester.

In October 2022 PBS released a full-length feature film documentary called Ron Carter: Finding the Right Notes about Carter’s life and legend. He appeared as himself on an episode of HBO’s Treme and in Round Midnight, among others.

ELLNORA LINEUP
FR SEP 8: Opening Night Party
    6:00pm   National Anthem Performed by Malina Moye (free)
    6:00pm   Instrument Petting Zoo, Children's Crafts (Studio Theatre, free)
    6:05pm   Roosevelt Collier (free)
    7:30pm   The Stephane Wrembel Band (free)
    8:30pm   The Surfrajettes (free)
    9:30pm   Rodrigo y Gabriela (admission charge; tickets required)

SA SEP 9
    11:00am   Sharon Isbin and Pacifica Quartet (free)
    12:30pm   Yamandu Costa (free)
    1:30pm   Conversation & Inspirational Talk with Malina Moye (free)
    2:00pm   Ron Carter Golden Striker Trio (admission charge; tickets required)
    4:00pm   Ani DiFranco (admission charge; tickets required)
    5:00pm   Jake Eddy/Tosin Abasi (free)
    6:30pm  Yasmin Williams/William Tyler (free)
    8:00pm   Andy Summers: The Cracked Lens + A Missing String (admission charge; tickets required)
    9:30pm   Emmylou Harris (admission charge; tickets required)
    10:30pm   North Mississippi Allstars (free)