Ron Carter, with contributions to more than 2,200 albums, is the most recorded bassist in jazz history. On the occasion of his eightieth birthday, two live albums have now been released: firstly, “An Evening With Ron Carter & Richard Galliano”, recorded with the French accordionist Richard Galliano, and the live recording we have with Donald Vega on the piano and Russell Malone the guitar. By the way, both were recorded in the Theaterstubchen in Kassel just one day apart.
Over a total length of 68 minutes, the trio shines through their incredibly tight interplay. It almost seems like it – the more economical the instrumentation, the more brilliant Carter’s performance. No other track shows this as clearly as on “Samba de Orfeu”. The way the trio sticks together rhythmically without a drummer shows outstanding mastery. Guitarist Russell Malone in particular proves through his rhythm playing why he was and is a welcome sideman for jazz greats such as Diana Krall, Benny Green, and the incomparable Jimmy Smith († 2005).
Carter’s live performance at the Blue Note, which we were able to attend a few years ago in New York, is unforgettable. On “Golden Striker” the trio also managed to perfectly capture the unique atmosphere of a RON CARTER concert. According to reports, only around 100 people could fit into the Kassel Theaterstubchen on the two recording evenings. And so “Golden Striker” is an intimate birthday present to the fans of the legend. To conclude with Carter’s words in a renowned German jazz magazine: on “Golden Striker” the listener can expect “sparks, smoke, flames, joy and a lot of friendship”.
