Ron Carter: Tambien Conocido Como

I remember seeing this band at San Francisco's Keystone Korner around the time the Piccolo LP was released, and can still recall the excitement Carter stirred up by his switch to the piccolo bass. All of jazz seemed in a process of redefinition back in those days, and Carter was doing his part. Why couldn't the bass move from its cozy nook next to the drummer and become part of the front line as a featured solo voice? But this was more than an experiment, it was also a great band with a definite (if peculiar) chemistry. Here Carter leads his ensemble on a 13-minute romp over a Latin vamp. The piccolo bassist is the star of the show, but Barron's hard-driving keyboard work also deserves attention.