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Bullseye with Jesse Thorn

Jazz legend Ron Carter

Bullseye with Jesse Thorn

NPR

Society & Culture

4.72.7K Ratings

🗓️ 20 February 2026

⏱️ 47 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

We’re revisiting our 2022 interview with jazz legend Ron Carter. These days, the man is 88 and is unstoppable. He recently joined forces with gospel icon Ricky Dillard on a new record titled Sweet, Sweet Spirit. When he was last on the show, he told us about the first instrument he ever learned to play, collaborating with A Tribe Called Quest, and much more!

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Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Support for NPR comes from NPR member stations and Eric and Wendy Schmidt through the Schmidt Family Foundation, working toward a healthy, resilient, secure world for all.

0:11.5

On the web at theshmit.org.

0:15.8

Bullseye with Jesse Thorn is a production of maximum fun.org and is distributed by NPR.

0:26.7

It's Bolzai. I'm Jesse Thorne. I want to get into my next guest with a song. Chui, if you would.

0:33.0

Chooey, if you would. That's a love the lie with her.

0:48.3

And along with push and chill.

0:52.3

That's compared to what?

0:53.9

By Roberta Flack, the first song on her debut album.

0:57.3

You can hear that bass line, right? It's an upright bass.

1:01.3

Catchy, funky, mesmerizing. It alternates between foreground and background seemingly effortlessly.

1:07.6

It is a masterclass in that instrument, by my guest Ron Carter. He played bass

1:13.1

on the entire album. In a career that spans over five decades, Carter has played jazz, classical,

1:19.5

soul, even hip-hop. He's won three Grammys, worked with Miles Davis, Alice Coltrane, Aretha Franklin,

1:25.5

Herbie Hancock, Billy Joel, a tribe called Quest. I could go on,

1:30.0

but this is an interview show, not a naming famous musical acts show. When I talked with Carter,

1:36.9

just a few years ago, he was gearing up to celebrate his 85th birthday at Carnegie Hall. These days,

1:42.5

he is 88, and he is unstoppable. Let's kick things off with a little

1:48.0

bit of Carter's latest record. It's called Sweet Sweet Spirit. It's a gospel album. It's also a tribute

1:54.6

to Carter's mother, featuring covers of her favorite hymns. Here's farther along.

2:00.2

Father along will know our of her favorite hymns. Here's farther along. Ron Carter, welcome to Bullseye.

2:19.7

I'm so happy to have you on the show.

2:21.0

Thanks for the welcoming, and thanks for the sunshine you brought today.

...

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