Ron Carter and Ricky Dillard Release Jazz-Gospel Hymns Album on Blue Note and Motown Gospel

Ron Carter and Ricky Dillard did not set out to make a typical gospel album. The result, Sweet, Sweet Spirit, is something different: classic hymns rebuilt from the ground up with Carter's jazz bass and Dillard's choir.

The album was released through Blue Note Records and Motown Gospel, a pairing that signals its crossover ambitions. Carter, one of the most recorded bassists in jazz history, described the project as a tribute to his late mother, who loved the old hymns.

Dillard, known for his work with the New G Generation Chorale, brought the choral power. The combination of Carter's understated bass lines and Dillard's full-throated choir creates a sound that is both intimate and expansive.

Gospel music observers have called the album one of the most emotionally significant releases of 2026. It arrives at a moment when gospel music is expanding its reach, with artists crossing genre lines and collaborating across continents.

The album includes reimagined versions of hymns that have been staples of Black church worship for generations. Carter's jazz sensibility gives them new texture without stripping away their spiritual weight.

Dillard has been a fixture in Black gospel music for decades. His work with the New G Generation Chorale has earned multiple Stellar Award nominations. This collaboration with Carter marks a new chapter, one that connects the Black church's musical heritage with the broader tradition of African American jazz.

The release has drawn attention from both gospel and jazz audiences. Critics have praised it as a rare project that honors tradition while finding something genuinely new.

Sweet, Sweet Spirit is available on major streaming platforms and through Blue Note Records.