(Ron Carter’s Golden Striker Trio; L-R Donald Vega, Ron Carter, Russell Malone; Image – James Koblin)
Last Sunday’s terrible weather could not keep a capacity crowd away from bassist Ron Carter’s afternoon concert, part of the Trinity Church “Jazz Icons” program. Carter’s December 10th set was a fitting climax to a season of gigs that included Tom Harrell (see TNB’s October post), Christian McBride and Kenny Barron, and the Monty Alexander Trio. Those who braved the elements were treated to over an hour and a half of music from Carter and his “Golden Striker trio” – guitarist Russell Malone, pianist Donald Vega, and the great bassist. Seeing a musician like Carter in this setting was a fantastic way to spend an afternoon, especially for the charitable cause of helping Jazz House Kids provide free musical education to children.
Before the concert, I had not heard this particular combination of Carter/Vega/Malone, but calling themselves “The Golden Striker” immediately tipped me off to where Carter’s group is coming from. The group’s moniker is from John Lewis’s tune of the same name, which was a staple for Lewis’s Modern Jazz Quartet (check out the original version of “The Golden Striker” on No Sun In Venice and a great live version on The Last Concert). The quiet groove of Lewis’ composition is at the heart of Carter’s group, and without any horn or drums to crowd out the bass playing, Carter achieves a rarified polish and friendly swing, the perfect balm for the gale outside. For examples of this group’s sound, check out, yes, The Golden Striker, recorded with Malone and Mulgrew Miller in 2002, as well as live recordings from 2013 and 2017 that feature Vega replacing Miller, and a short Pandemic era “Tiny Desk” concert for NPR.
Fellow bassist Christian McBride opened the concert with comments about his love and respect for Ron Carter. McBride told the audience that when he was learning his instrument, he studied from LPs where Carter’s recordings eclipsed just about everybody’s in quality and quantity as well (Carter is reputed to be the most recorded musician, having appeared on well over 2,000 albums). Then McBride ushered Carter and his band onto the stage, and the group played a gorgeous, intermission-free seven-tune set. Each tune was a highlight! The band opened with “Eddie’s Theme,” which was recorded by this group in the 2017 album linked above, and is a highlight of the Tiny Desk concert. The “Eddie’s Theme” performance featured excellent and lengthy solos from each band member, and kicked the set off with a sunny and joyful vibe.
Between tunes, Carter played MC and commented on the songs they played and what inspired them. Carter spoke about his debt to Cedar Walton and Billy Higgins while introducing Malone’s Walton tribute “Cedar Tree,” an unusual tune that builds a thick rubato effect with bass and strummed guitar. “Cedar Tree” got a bit lost in the soupy acoustics of the large church space, but the interesting arrangement, witty quotes (Malone tossed in the 1960s Batman theme at one point!), and Vega’s bright piano on the bridge all stood out. The set was evenly balanced between group originals and covers. Next, the group played the chestnut “Autumn Leaves,” which Carter humorously called “the shortest story,” I think a reference to how the Fall is gone in the blink of an eye (especially in the days of climate change). For “Autumn Leaves,” Carter tipped his hat to Ahmad Jamal, using the Jamal arrangement that features a prominent bass ostinato (check out Ahmad Jamal’s 1961 album Alhambra). The debt to Jamal was made explicit when Malone borrowed the iconic guitar percussion effects used by Ray Crawford in Jamal’s influential piano/bass/guitar trio. The sum of these influences produced a very polished arrangement, and the crowd was clearly digging the set.
The performance was not without obstacles, but this only added to a memorable afternoon. For example, guitarist Malone dealt with a setback that only proved his mettle on the group’s tribute to guitarist Jim Hall, “Candle Light.” On this tune Malone had his chance to shine, which he used to show off a beautifully pearlescent tone, but right as he finished building his solo – THRACK! – one of his strings audibly broke, spoiling Malone’s statement at its apex. The guitarist played on, seemingly unfazed, and developed an extended coda to the song, finding new ways to play alternate notes as the broken string hung off the guitar’s side. On the next tune, “My Funny Valentine,” played as a duet between Vega and Carter while Malone went to repair his guitar, a strange shrieking sound came from the basement – maybe the steam traps? Yet, Carter and Vega did not lose their composure for one minute; all of this professionalism in the face of obstacles is a testament to these musicians’ flexibility and improvising spirit.
The highlight was undoubtedly Ron Carter’s solo bass performance near the end of the set. This improvisation seemed like the answer to a question in my head throughout the concert: is there a place for me to write about a band that features covers of songs written decades ago on a blog devoted to progressive and experimental music? Of course, the barrier between “traditional” and “experimental” is a false dichotomy when it comes to improvised music. This is the beauty of jazz, a music that makes room for experimentation and innovation within the context of tradition. You don’t need to look very far to see that the trailblazers grew out of “the tradition.” Just consider John Coltrane’s arc from hard bop player and blues specialist to spearheading the 60s avant-garde, or Thelonious Monk’s development of a unique and vastly influential music language based on stride piano fundamentals, or the seminal moment of Be-Bop creation when Charlie Parker transformed Ray Noble’s staid “Cherokee” into the burn-the-house-down “KoKo.” One of the hallmarks of jazz is the imperative to improvise – you can hear the innovation in thousands of solos played within “the tradition,” such as Louis Armstrong’s epochal fanfare on “West End Blues,” or so many Lester Young solos like on “Lester Leaps In,” “Time Out,” and “Pound Cake,” or Ornette Coleman’s avant-blues solo on “Ramblin’,” which all leap to mind right away. There are many, many others. And then there’s Ron Carter himself, who, as part of the rhythm section of the 1960s Miles Davis quintet with innovators Tony Williams and Herbie Hancock, created a new musical language that has set the template for generations.
So, as I was saying, Carter played a solo bass performance that seemed to answer my question – great music will address the fundamentals that came before and find ways to generate new and daring art, all at the same time. If you skip forward to 01:06:50 here, you can view and hear the performance for yourself. Carter performed an improvisation on the childhood nursery song “You Are My Sunshine” but connected that melody deeply to the blues and gospel harmony. The bassist embroidered the solo with “extended” techniques, sometimes using percussion on the bass itself or playing “off the horn” effects below the bass’s bridge. Then, the solo segued into a fantasy drawn from the first Bach solo cello suite, flexibly drawing a connection between blues and Baroque harmony and language. It was an incredible moment that visibly astounded the audience and received a lengthy standing ovation. Clearly moved, Carter remarked, “and we’re in church!” Bravo, Mr. Carter!
The band ended the set with a breezy cover of “Soft Winds.” Fittingly, the music seemed to clear aside the lousy weather outside; when I left, all the rain had stopped. I sauntered off into a mild and pleasant holiday evening in Manhattan, the impressive silhouette of Trinity Church behind me. Frankly, because of the bad weather, I almost didn’t go out to see this show, and I’m thrilled that I did make it. The recent deaths of innovators like Ahmad Jamal, Peter Brötzmann, and Carla Bley remind us that our opportunities to see the original innovators of jazz are all too short. If you can see Ron Carter or any other of the great musicians who helped build this art form, you don’t miss your chance!
(Trinity Church on a December evening after the show; Image – James Koblin)