Ron Carter Publishes “Carter-isms: Bossa Nova Bass Lines”

Ron Carter has been a definitive voice on the bass in jazz for many reasons: his note choices, his reharmonizations, his feel, and his swagger. While it’s easy to get caught up in his straight-ahead work, Carter has also been an avid bossa nova player for decades. Now you can learn his bossa style directly from the master in his new book, Carter-isms.

“Take your bossa nova bass lines to the max by understanding the genre, where it’s been, where it’s going, and how to up your bossa bass line game,” the book’s description reads. “Carter-isms are what Ron Carter added to bossa bass lines, changing the genre forever.”

The book explains the bossa bass line style up until 1969, then explains how they changed once Carter first worked with composer Antonio Carlos Jobim. It has transcriptions and explanations of his bass lines with QR codes to lead you to the audio of the music.

Carter-isms: Bossa Nova Bass Lines is available now through Carter’s website for $44.99.