Ron Carter #PlanetElegance

Diana Krall: TODAY is the day! Ms. Diana Krall and I have officially released our special duo performance video, available now on www.RonCarterJazz.com 

Special thanks to Vaulted Pictures for bringing this project to fruition, and to Birdland Jazz Club for letting us borrow their stage.

It has been a true delight to find THOSE notes together, and it is my great pleasure to share the fruits of our collaboration with you all today. Enjoy.

Visit www.RonCarterJazz.com to find it.

Yours Truly and Ms. Diana Krall are about to release our special collaboration: an exclusive duo recording video, brought to us by Vaulted Pictures.

It was a true pleasure to work with Ms. Krall; I enjoyed every moment we spent in the studio and on stage together. Together, we are deeply grateful to have this platform to share our time together with you. 

I hope you enjoy, ladies and gentlemen… our performance shall be available on May 4th (the birthday of Yours Truly) beginning at 12:01 AM ;) 

Visit www.RonCarterJazz.com to find it.

The incomparable Diana Krall and I got together for 3 days in March 2026 to play together for the first time… and made a film for your audio and visual pleasure. ;)

I’m pleased to share news of a special release arriving on May 4th: an exclusive duo performance featuring Ms. Diana Krall and Yours Truly, brought to us by Vaulted Pictures.

Ms. Krall and I haven’t played together often (yet), however, a deep professional respect exists between us. I look forward to sharing our collaboration with you all.

As it happens, May 4th also coincides with a certain birthday… which may indeed be celebrated that week at Blue Note New York.

Sweet, Sweet Spirit, my new album with Ricky Dillard and his New G Chorale, is finally here. For your listening pleasure, I present to you a clip of the title track.

Tomorrow, November 15th, join Yours Truly and Dr. Ricky Dillard, alongside his New G Chorale, for a truly historic performance... The live video recording of our coming jazz-gospel hybrid album, Sweet, Sweet Spirit.

Grab a friend or 7 and go through “Ron Carter Meets Bach.” This book has 13 compositions by the legendary JS Bach, but arranged for bass choirs by Yours Truly for 2,3,4,5 and 8 basses. Bassists - we've got you covered!

These arrangements of chorales by JS Bach give you a chance to play with other bassists – and to exchange parts.

It's Bach - you know the harmony is correct. Just stock up on rosin before you start!

You can give a listen to the music in the book played by Yours Truly here: https://roncarterjazz.com/pages/ron-carter-meets-bach-audio-samples

PLAYLIST ALERT: My 88th birthday is right around the corner, and to celebrate, I have made a special playlist to listen to as we approach my week-long birthday residency at Blue Note New York. 

These songs were selected by Yours Truly… Give the playlist a listen before attending one of my birthday performances for a little auditory primer ;) 

Find it on my YouTube channel here:  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxLqEmaBJ4zxRCBTrzdokSOK9hEmEfSkz 

Or on my Spotify channel here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/56GL0qofG9nP0gJHURGlCw?si=asqwlv46TBWPYlN-O2yz9Q

And find tickets for my Blue Note Birthday Celebration via www.RonCarterJazz.com 

I am often asked what advice I have for aspiring bassists… The two most important recommendations I can make are to practice diligently and listen carefully. 

It is also essential to practice with a purpose in mind. Your practice time should not be spent on “noodling.” Know what you are working on and focus on that. If you aren’t sure where to start, chords are always a good choice. Get a solid grasp on your chords so you can understand how your notes will fit in with the notes of others. Listen to the music you want to play and study it with this in mind. 

When you land your first gig, leave your ego at home and bring a second set of ears to the gig. Make sure you know the form and keys of the songs you’ll be playing. Know when to stop soloing, read the room. Dress your best so you feel your best and get in the right mindset. And remember, every gig is an opportunity to learn.

My complete roadmap for bassists looking to take the stage is in my Ron Carter Library under the title “Blueprint for the Working Jazz Bassist.” For those of you not quite there yet, “Comprehensive Bass Method” will be the place to start. There’s much more to explore, however, including my online masterclasses with Open Studio and tonebase… I invite you to explore what I have to offer on my website,  www dot Ron Carter Jazz dot com.

Sign up now to join me tomorrow afternoon ladies and gents … via Zoom good questions are expected and laughter is usually the standard in these meetings of minds. Www.RonCarterJazz.com

Yours Truly at Birdland Jazz Club with the Emmet Cohen Trio last month... My thanks to everyone who came to enjoy the show, whether in person or online.