One of a series of sessions featuring Bob Belden's arrangements for the Classical Jazz Quartet, this volume focuses exclusively on one piece, Sergei Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor. As a result, this is by far the most ambitious project tackled by the quartet, though Kenny Barron, Stefon Harris, Ron Carter and Lewis Nash are more than up to the task. Belden subdivides each movement into several parts. For example, the first movement is initially played in a fairly straight-ahead manner, followed by a brisk post-bop segment, a slow blues, a quiet ballad, and finally, a mid-tempo bop setting. The musicians never allow themselves to get stuck in a rut, thanks to their ability to flesh out Belden's conception. In any case, the crossover effect of this recording is more likely to get jazz fans not already familiar with Rachmaninov's original work to investigate it versus classical fans seeking out this extensive revision of his landmark piece. ~ Ken Dryden, Rovi

For two days in February 2005, guitarist Bill Frisell joined upright bassist legend Ron Carter, a member of Miles Davis' groundbreaking 60s bands, and drummer Paul Motian, part of the equally-storied Bill Evans Trio, at Avatar Studios in Manhattan to record original compositions from Carter and Frisell, a pair of Thelonious Monk tunes, and a handful of the folk-country-Tin Pan Alley chestnuts that Frisell likes to disassemble and recombine in beautifully abstract form.

如果說當代還有誰有資格灌錄向邁爾士．戴維斯致敬的專輯，那就非貝斯手朗．卡特莫屬了，在他1961年拿到曼哈頓音樂院低音大提琴碩士文憑後就與Chico Hamilton合作、之後投入Eric Dolphy的樂團，之後他陸續在孟克、蒙戈馬利和加農砲．艾德利等人的樂團擔任貝斯，1963年加入邁爾士．戴維斯第二次組的五重奏，也就是包含賀比．漢考克、韋恩．蕭特和東尼．威廉斯在內的那個傳奇五重奏。他們一共灌錄了Seven Steps to Heaven、E. S. P.等至今已經成為經典的專輯，一直到1969年他才脫團，由Dave Holland取代。朗．卡特可以說是少數見證過那組爵士史上光輝組合的人物之一。
在這份錄音中，朗．卡特四重奏再度回顧那個光輝年代，但其實從選曲我們可以知道，他並非真的借用邁爾士．戴維斯的光環來為自己的專輯加分。他自己也說，要是早十年有人提議他錄一份向戴維斯致意的專輯，他一定會覺得不受尊重；但是，在離開戴維斯五重奏將近半世紀後，他覺得自己完全擺脫戴維斯的影響，獲得自己的風格，今年已經70歲的他，可以勇敢直視那個耀眼的光榮而不被左右。也因此在這張專輯中，他毫不迴避地選了一套他在戴維斯五重奏時經常與他們合奏的曲目。不可避免的，這套曲目成了我們耳熟能詳、幾乎一看到曲名就會想講「別又來了吧」的名曲，更不奢望還能在一再被演繹後還能有什麼新意的曲子，但是在朗．卡特的貝斯主導下，他們這組合作長達十年以上的四重奏，卻還真的給人一份大大的驚喜和滿足：這些老掉牙的曲目，怎麼還能如此讓人感到愉悅和不同？聽一位經歷過輝煌年代的樂手，在晚年回顧自己演奏了一生的樂曲，那種享受就像是品嚐久釀的醇酒一樣風味不凡，值得一再回味。
Ron Carter,bass
Stephen Scott,piano
Payton Crossley,drums
Roger Squitero,percussion

Ron Carter is among the most original, prolific, and influential bassists in jazz. With more than 2,000 albums to his credit, he has recorded with many of music's greats: Tommy Flanagan, Gil Evans, Lena Horne, Bill Evans, B.B. King, the Kronos Quartet, Dexter Gordon, Wes Montgomery, and Bobby Timmons. In the early 1960s he 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 classic and acclaimed 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.
Personnel:
Ron Carter - Bass
Javon Jackson - Tenor Saxophone
Stephen Scott - Piano
Guilherme Monteiro - Guitar
Portinho - Drums
Rolando Morales - Matos - Percussion

CTI Master Series remastered reissue of 1973 album for the one-time bassist for Miles Davis. Six tracks. 2003.

This great album by bassist Ron Carter was released in 1974 on CTI Records and features Hubert Laws, Billy Cobham, Roland Hanna, Jay Berliner, Ralph MacDonald and Leon Pendarvis.