Ron Carter

Ron Carter stands with the greatest of double-bass players. His collaborations with Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock and Eric Dolphy are some of the highlights of his storied career, which includes more than 2,000 appearances on record as an accompanist. For decades, he's led his own unique string ensembles, including this fascinating Nonet that features himself on piccolo bass, Stephen Scott on piano, Payton Crossley on drums, Rolando Morales-Matos on percussion, Leon Boots Maleson on bass and the four cellos of Kermit Moore, Zoe Hassman, Carol Buck and Maxine Neuman.

In the early 1960s, Carter performed throughout the United States in concert halls and nightclubs with Jaki Byard and Eric Dolphy. He later toured Europe with Cannonball Adderley. From 1963 to 1968, he was a member of the Miles Davis Quintet. He was named “Outstanding Bassist of the Decade”by the Detroit News, “Jazz Bassist of the Year”by Downbeat magazine and “Most Valuable Player”by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.

In 1993, Ron Carter and his Miles Davis Tribute Band earned a Grammy award for Best Jazz Instrumental Group—and another Grammy in 1998 for “Call Sheet Blues,”and instrumental composition from the movie ‘Round Midnight. He has scored and arranged music for many films, including A Gathering of Old Men, starring Lou Gossett, Jr., The Passion of Beatrice directed by Bertrand Tavernier and Blind Faith starring Courtney B. Vance. He has also worked on film projects for the Public Broadcasting System. Carter shares his expertise in the series of books he authored called Building a Jazz Bass Line and the Music of Ron Carter, which contains 140 of his published and recorded compositions.

Carter earned a bachelor’s degree in music from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York. He earned a master’s degree in double bass from the Manhattan School of Music in New York City from which he was also awarded a PhD in 1998. He has lectured, conducted and performed at clinics, instructed jazz ensembles and taught the business of music at numerous universities. He is currently a Distinguished Professor of Music at the City College of New York.

Aaron Goldberg

Aaron Goldberg is a young pianist and composer working at the forefront of jazz music. His Merkin Hall performance will feature selections from his latest Sunnyside release, Worlds, and some newer compositions. In addition to heading his trio, Aaron has spent the last 10 years touring with many of the most brilliant voices in jazz -- Wynton Marsalis, Joshua Redman, Betty Carter, Nicholas Payton, Al Foster, Kurt Rosenwinkel and many others. He maintains deep musical friendships with his peers such as Omer Avital, Mark Turner, John Ellis, Eli Degibri and Ali Jackson. Aaron grew up in Boston, studied with the great Bob Sinicrope and Jerry Bergonzi, attended the New School in 1991-92 and graduated magna cum laude from Harvard College in 1996 with an interdisciplinary concentration in Mind, Brain and Behavior. The Brooklyn resident is a clinician and educator worldwide, and has appeared on over 40 albums.

The Merkin Concert Hall is a division of the Kaufman Center, which also includes the Lucy Moses School (a community arts school) and the Special Music School (a New York City public school for musically gifted children). A not-for-profit organization founded in 1952, the Kaufman Center occupies its own facility, the award-winning Goodman House, located in Manhattan’s Lincoln Square arts district.

• Kaufman Center Presents Chamber Jazz
• RON CARTER NONET / AARON GOLDBERG TRIO
• at Merkin Concert Hall, Monday, May 7, 2007 at 8:00 pm
• 129 W. 67th St. (between Broadway and Amsterdam)
• Advance tickets $35 / day of show $40. Call the Box Office at 212 501 3330
• www.merkinconcerthall.org