Ron Carter, A Major Jazz and Recording Bassist, Smokes A Pipe

[mso489]

Last week I saw a fascinating biographical documentary on PBS about Ron Carter, a jazz bass player who was part of Miles Davis' ensemble for years but who also is among the most recorded bass players in many genres, being the go-to bass player when any musician wants to go to the top with artistry. Carter has always avoided drinking, weed, and drugs, but has been known to smoke a pipe and been photographed with his pipe while playing base. Whether you know Carter or not, or are a jazz fan or not, the documentary is masterful and well worth seeing, though only about five seconds is focused on his pipe smoking. It's a great portrait of a major musician.

 

[HawkeyeLinus]

Great show! Inspired me to order the book and a combo of vinyl/cds I don't have. Fascinating man.

I found myself comparing him in many ways to the reflective Bill Russell in his later years -- many of the same challenges, men at the pinnacle of their chosen professions, thoughtful and involved.

 

[mso489]

As a youngster he started out playing the cello in his school orchestra, then later stepped up to the bass when the one bass player left. He had a classical education in music in college but saw that the path in classical music for a minority was limited so moved to New York City and the jazz scene there.

His appearances in recordings runs into the thousands. The narration points out that the bass line is where the harmony and percussion of a piece meet.

 

[UB 40]

Carter also played on Billy Cobhams Spectrum, great record.

 

[anotherbob]

Last week I saw a fascinating biographical documentary on PBS about Ron Carter, a jazz bass player who was part of Miles Davis' ensemble for years but who also is among the most recorded bass players in many genres, being the go-to bass player when any musician wants to go to the top with artistry. Carter has always avoided drinking, weed, and drugs, but has been known to smoke a pipe and been photographed with his pipe while playing base. Whether you know Carter or not, or are a jazz fan or not, the documentary is masterful and well worth seeing, though only about five seconds is focused on his pipe smoking. It's a great portrait of a major musician.

if you don't know carter well then you're no freaking bass player! He's one of the greats.

 

[Searock Fan]

So did the late Donald "Duck" Dunn. Remember him in the Blues Brothers movie?

 

[huntertrw]

Musicians from a variety of genres are (or were) pipe-smokers. They include: Oscar Peterson, Buddy Guy, Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane, Pablo Casals, Henry Mancini, Jerry Lee Lewis, Dizzy Gillespie, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Nat Cole, George Gershwin, and B.B. King to name but a few. There is some link that I cannot identify that draws one to the other.

 

[verporchting]

Moral of this story = cool people smoke pipes.

A few knuckleheads too (looking right at your sorry ass, Stalin) but the odds are with us.

 

[Searock Fan]

Moral of this story = cool people smoke pipes.

A few knuckleheads too (looking right at your sorry ass, Stalin) but the odds are with us.

I remember reading years ago, about a study done, I believe in the UK. It showed that almost no professional criminals smoke pipes. They did find one big time crook who smoked a pipe but it turned out the pipe was just part of his con.

 

[ChickenT00th]

Love Ron Carter! Among many of his great recordings, I've really enjoyed his work with Bill Frisell & Paul Motian.

Adding Charles Mingus to the list of influential musicians who were pipe smokers too.

If anyone is interested, this is a great community radio broadcast that chronicles the great jazz drummer Paul Motian's personal journal, recordings, and more - it's presented Paul Motian's niece. A really cool look into the life of a jazz musician during his time with many anecdotes & photos on the respective website:

Uncle Paul's Jazz Closet

Paul Motian jazz drummer archive and music

jazzcloset.blogspot.com

 

[dunnyboy]

Mingus was great—in talent, originality and size. He was also a great cigar smoker. In the 70s, Shopsy's Delicatessen in Toronto had a well stocked humidor. When he was in town, Mingus would drop in to Shopsy's for dinner and a couple of boxes of Cubans.

 

[JohnMosesBrowning]

I'm a longtime Ron Carter fan and I never knew he smoked a pipe. I wonder if that's how Christian McBride started? He's 2 generations younger than Carter, but probably the hottest/biggest jazz bass player of his generation and he smokes a pipe.

 

[mso489]

I think Ron Carter is about 85 years old now and still performing and recording music. From the documentary, I'd guess he has an apartment with a lot of square footage in New York City, so those royalties keep rolling in. It's neat as a pin with a stellar collection of (African) art.

 

[SmokestackLightnin]

I’ll have to check out the doc. For those unfamiliar with Ron Carter, here‘s a classic track with him on bass

 

[Servant King]

...I'd guess he has an apartment with a lot of square footage in New York City, so those royalties keep rolling in.

Having the former requires the latter...in abundance!

 

[HawkeyeLinus]

My postman loves me!

 

[UB 40]

My postman loves me!View attachment 177603

That was quick!

 

[mso489]

The apartment likely cost him "an arm and a leg" back in (maybe) the sixties when he bought it, but with that square footage is probably worth a number of millions by now. He has a son who is also a musician. Except for the art and some handmade/bespoke clothes, which probably get written off taxes for his professional expenses, he doesn't show off his prosperity much. As organized as he is, I suspect his business and financial sense is strong.

 

[edger]

The apartment likely cost him "an arm and a leg" back in (maybe) the sixties when he bought it, but with that square footage is probably worth a number of millions by now. He has a son who is also a musician. Except for the art and some handmade/bespoke clothes, which probably get written off taxes for his professional expenses, he doesn't show off his prosperity much. As organized as he is, I suspect his business and financial sense is strong.

And I bet rent control didn’t hurt!
I started frequenting NYC jazz clubs in 1965 as I was an aspiring trumpet player, and my parents trusted me and my older brother to take the subway late at night (early morning!). I saw Ron Carter a number of times as well as most of the greats of the time. A priceless experience that I will forever be grateful for. We mowed countless lawns to earn the 3 or 4 bucks required to buy records back then.

 

[vosBghos]

I started playing bass when I was 12 then began upright at 19 , 30 years ago , playing this Carter piece , horribly, but good enough to win the audition got me a 6 week tour in Europe back in 08 , Carter is Thee Mann …