Sweet, Sweet Spirit Ron Carter & Ricky Dillard

• 1 Open My Eyes 05:00
• 2 Everybody Will Be Happy 04:53
• 3 Pass Me Not 06:23
• 4 Farther Along 03:51
• 5 Just A Closer Walk With Thee 06:50
• 6 In The Garden 05:26
• 7 Just A Little Talk With Jesus 04:20
• 8 Softly And Tenderly 05:16
• 9 No Tears In Heaven 05:58
• 10 Sweet, Sweet Spirit 05:39
• Total Runtime 53:36

Info for Sweet, Sweet Spirit

Legendary in the genres of Jazz and Gospel music, the "Maestro" Ron Carter and the "Choirmaster" Ricky Dillard present a unique hybrid album never done before.

In a historic musical collaboration bridging two of America’s most profound genres, the “Maestro” Ron Carter and the “Choirmaster” Ricky Dillard announce the expectation of their groundbreaking collaborative album, Sweet, Sweet Spirit. Merging the lively and expert backing of Dillard’s famed New-G choir, the album is a first-of-its-kind fusion of Gospel’s sacred power and Jazz’s masterful improvisation to be released jointly by Motown Gospel/Blue Note Records.

“I think that when this music is released I predict that it will open up a lot more doors to people’s hearts, unifying them.” – Ron Carter

“The Sweet, Sweet Spirit project will be a timeless recording that will penetrate hearts and uplift spirits for generations to come.” – Ricky Dillard

A deeply personal project for Ron Carter, Sweet, Sweet Spirit honors the memory of his late mother, Mrs. Willie O. Carter, whose favorite hymns shaped the musical foundation of the Carter household and the Detroit church community where they worshipped. The album revives those cherished hymns, originally sung a cappella by parishioners as the only instruments in the room; now reimagined through Carter’s legendary bass lines and the rich, soaring vocal instrumentation of Ricky Dillard’s choir.

The origins of Sweet, Sweet Spirit trace back nearly thirty years. When Mrs. Carter transitioned to a live-in care facility, her daughters requested that Ron arrange and record ten of her most beloved hymns. Carter composed and captured his bass interpretations so she could listen to them during her final weeks; a private gift of music, memory, and devotion.

To bring this vision to life, there was only one choice: Dr. Ricky Dillard, the reigning force and master of contemporary Gospel choir music. Together, Carter and Dillard crafted a sonic landscape where choir becomes instrument, bass becomes narrator, and both genres coexist with reverence and innovation. The project marks a monumental moment for both genres; a merging of two Black American art forms, each with deep spiritual and cultural roots, into something wholly new.

Mr. Carter and Mr. Dillard have skillfully woven instrumentation with the generations of gospel music which embody a lifetime of memories of Mrs. Willie O. Carter and her son, Ronald Levin Carter. When this album plays up to the heavens one can truly envision her smiling in joy … and faith.

"Given the star power, this undeniably uplifting album is destined for high recognition. Though billed as unique, it remains mostly a stirring, powerful gospel project, with the jazz element very subdued. If Ron Carter were not associated with it, most would view this as a collection of traditional gospel hymns, performed exceptionally and majestically. In any case, both Carter and Dillard can take pride in this special collaboration." (glidemagazine.com)

Ron Carter, double bass
New-G choir
Ricky Dillard, choir director

Ron Carter
is among the most original, prolific, and influential bassists in jazz. He has recorded over 2200 albums, and has a Guinness world record to prove it! He continues to record. In 2026 he launched a groundbreaking jazz/gospel hybrid album called Sweet, Sweet Spirit with choirmaster Ricky Dillard and New G.

In Jazz: From 1963 to 1968, he was a member of the acclaimed Miles Davis Quintet. Over his 60 year career, he has recorded with so many of the jazz greats greats: Lena Horne, Bill Evans, B.B. King, Dexter Gordon, Wes Montgomery, Bobby Timmons, Eric Dolphy, Cannonball Adderley and Jaki Byard to name a few. He can be heard on many iconic jazz records of the 60's and 70's such as Speak No Evil, Maiden Voyage, Red Clay, Speak Like a Child, Nefertiti and Miles Smiles, to name a few.

In other genres: After leaving the quintet he embarked on a prolific 50-year free lance career that spanned vastly different music genres and continues to this day. He recorded with Roberta Flack, Billy Joel, Paul Simon, Bette Midler and Aretha Franklin, appeared on the seminal hip-hop album Low End Theory with a Tribe Called Quest, wrote and recorded pieces for string quartets and Bach chorales for 2-8 basses and accompanied Danny Simmons on a spoken word album.

As a leader: Carter continues to do worldwide tours with his various groups. The Golden Striker Carter Trio, The Foursight quartet, the Ron Carter Nonet and Ron Carter’s Great Big Band. He has recorded multiple albums with his groups.

As an author: Carter shares his expertise in the series of books he authored, where he explains his creative process and teaches bassists of all levels to improve their skills and develop their own unique sound.

His books share a unique feature he pioneered, that of including QR codes in every book that lead to additional material, enrighing the text and making each book that much more valuable.

He also penned his autobiography “Finding the Right Notes” which is available in print and e-book and also as an audiobook read by the Maestro himself.

As a teacher: Carter has lectured, conducted, and performed at clinics and master classes, instructing jazz ensembles and teaching the business of music at numerous universities. He was Artistic Director of the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Studies while it was located in Boston and, after 18 years on the faculty of the Music Department of The City College of New York, he is now Distinguished Professor Emeritus. He also taught at the Juilliard School and at Manhattan School of Music.

In film scoring: In addition to scoring and arranging music for many films, including some projects for Public Broadcasting System, Carter composed music for A Gathering of Old Men, starring Lou Gosset Jr., The Passion of Beatrice directed by Bertrand Tavernier, and Blind Faith starring Courtney B. Vance.

Film appearances: In 2022 PBS premiered the full-lenth feature film documentary of Carter's Live and Legend "Finding the Right Notes. Many jazz documentaries feature the Maestro because of his indelible contribution to the genre including Ken Burns' Jazz, “Birth of the Cool” about Miles Davis, "It Must be Schwing", the story of the Blue Note and many more. He also appeared as himself in HBO’s hit series “Treme” and was the bassist on soundtracks of Twin Peaks, Bird, and way too many others to mention.

Education: Carter earned a bachelor of music degree from the Eastman School in Rochester and a master's degree in double bass from the Manhattan School of Music in New York City.

Ricky Dillard
Revered by all as “The Choirmaster,” Ricky Dillard is known for his one-of-a-kind stage presentation, dynamic sound, eccentric style, and all-around inimitable artistry. Along with his beloved choir, New G, Dillard has continued to blaze trails and carry the torch for choir music across the globe. His hit songs “There Is No Way,” “More Abundantly,” and “One More Chance” have repeatedly been used in viral social media moments across all platforms.

In 2019, after three decades in music, Ricky Dillard signed with Motown Gospel and, since then, has garnered multiple #1 radio singles, two GMA Dove Awards, and three GRAMMY® Award nominations. In 2022, he was also honored with several Stellar Awards, including the James Cleveland Lifetime Achievement Award.

This album contains no booklet.