Contrabass Conversations

Alejandro Arenas is a versatile musician, composer, producer, and educator who has performed with various bands and genres, co-founded award-winning Jazz ensemble La Lucha and World Music ensemble Orilla , and worked as a freelance bassist for numerous artists. He also serves as an adjunct professor of bass at St. Petersburg College for the Music Industry Recording Arts program. We dig into his jo...

Mark Dresser is a Grammy-nominated, internationally renowned bass player, improviser, composer, and interdisciplinary collaborator. At the core of his music is an artistic obsession and commitment to expanding the sonic, musical, and expressive possibilities of the contrabass. He has recorded over one hundred forty CDs including three solo CDs and a DVD.  Mark's latest solo album is Tines of Chang...

Gustavo Lorenzatti is an Argentine double bass player, composer and long standing member of the Symphony Orchestra of Córdoba. He has a background in jazz, improvised and classical music, tango and Argentine folklore. He formally studied at the Rotterdam Conservatory of music with the soloist of the Netherlands Philharmonic, Hans Roelofsen. We dig into Gustavo's path through the music world, his u...

Anne Luna recently launched a series on her YouTube Channel called Bass Bites , which explore various aspects of double bass technique.   Anne is an experienced performer and educator with an extensive background in bluegrass , and these videos are a great exploration into her approach to teaching the bass. We talk about her aspiration for the channel, living in rural New Mexico, the world of blue...

Matt Rybicki   has performed with renowned artists like Wynton Marsalis and played at esteemed venues from The Village Vanguard to international concert halls. He balances an active performance schedule with his roles as a faculty member at The Juilliard School and the University of North Carolina at Pembroke. Matt recently started a YouTube Channel titled Learn Jazz Bass with Matt Rybicki , which...

Dominik Wagner is one of the world's leading double bassists and has built a remarkable career as a soloist and educator.   He has begun hosting long-form interviews on his YouTube Channel with bassists such as Christoph Wimmer and Jeff Bradetich . We cover Dominik's latest projects, the inspiration for these long-form interviews, working through focal dystonia, and much more.   Enjoy! photo credi...

Bassists Ari Folman-Cohen , Michael Isvara Montgomery , Ran Livneh , and Scott Colberg make up the Adnata Ensemble , which has just released their debut album Oku.   We dig into the story behind this bass quartet, coming together in the park in 2020, how these collaborations led to this album, and much more. Check out Oku here , and be sure to give this quartet a follow on Instagram ! Subscribe to...

Sam Loeck has recently been appointed Principal Bass of Canada's National Arts Centre Orchestra. Prior to this position, he served as Principal Bass of the Calgary Philharmonic. He was also a finalist and trialist for Principal Bass of the London Symphony Orchestra. We dig into Sam's path into the world of double bass and his auditioning journey, exploring the twists and turns and lessons learned....

In this episode, we delve into the intricacies of Stephen Tramontozzi' s new solo double bass album, Basso Novo . Tramontozzi shares the three-fold mission behind the album: to uncover and bring to light underappreciated works for the double bass, to transcribe works from other instruments for the double bass, and to commission new works for the instrument. This is his fourth, and most ambitious r...

Lauren Pierce recently released Basstudes , a series of 16 etudes organized around bowing, left hand technique, and right and left-hand coordination. We dig into the inspiration behind this project, her accompanying audio guides, and much more.   Enjoy, and be sure to check out more titles from Lauren on DBHQ and also give her a follow on Instagram . Subscribe to the podcast to get these interview...

Sean Michael Casey has just released A Progressive Guide to Orchestral Excerpts for the Double Bass , which is a step-by-step method for teaching the fundamentals of good orchestral double bass playing. Sean Michael Casey is a bass teacher in the greater Seattle-Tacoma region, offering lessons to students of all ages and experience. After ten years teaching in Texas, Mr. Casey and his wife relocat...

Jordyn Davis , a multi-talented bassist, composer, singer-songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist from Detroit, MI, is the first African-American woman to earn a Bachelor's Degree in Music Composition from Michigan State University. She also earned a Master's in Jazz Studies from the same university. In 2021, after moving to Brooklyn, NY, she was honored as one of the inaugural Jazz Leader Fellowshi...

Jacob Warren has just released his transcription of the Debussy Cello Sonata , which was the main piece on his competition winning program at the 2023 International Society of Bassists Convention.   This transcription is a notable new addition to the double bass repertoire and a great opportunity to explore the music of this great composer. We talk about the history of this piece as well as the ch...

Dr.  Mark Foley is Professor of Double Bass and Electric Bass at Wichita State University is the Principal Double Bass for the Wichita Symphony Orchestra. He's also a key figure in Wichita's jazz scene, collaborating with local and national artists, and has performed as a concerto soloist. Mark also engages in rock gigs, bluegrass sessions at the Walnut Valley Music Festival, and creates records a...

In this episode, we delve into The Only Girl in the Orchestra , a new documentary directed by Molly O'Brien about the life and career of trailblazer Orin O'Brien, the first female musician in the New York Philharmonic. Despite the spotlight her unique position brought, Orin always preferred playing a supporting role to her family, students, friends, and colleagues. Jason and Molly are joined by ed...

Michael Bates recently released an album titled Metamorphosis: Variations on Lutoskawski . This album contains Michael's arrangements and is based on arrangements of the composer Witold Lutoslawski, with music for clarinet, violin, bassoon, double bass, drums, plus string quartet. It's a hybrid of jazz, classical, and improvisation and is a wild ride of styles and textures. We talk about the genes...

Hein van de Geyn   is jazz double bassist, composer, teacher and band leader from the Netherlands.   His groundbreaking Comprehensive Bass Method has influenced a generation of bassists and is widely regarded as one of the leading pedagogical works for jazz double bass. We talk about Hein's remarkable career, his time in San Francisco, writing his bass method, what life in South Africa has been li...

Jason selects on 2023 and plans for 2024 in this "solo rant."   Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!   Connect with us: all things double bass double bass merch double bass sheet music   Overview theme music by Eric Hochberg 00:00 Introduction and Reflections on Solo Shows 01:35 Moving to California and Weather Benefits 02:21 Experiences with San Francis...

Steve Husted began his musical journey at the ripe old age of 6. From there he was always involved in everything musical from school band to private instruction to playing local parties for friends. At age 15, Steven moved from CT. to San Francisco, where he jumped head first into the study of jazz. By the time Steven was 23, he was one of the top call bassists in the San Francisco Bay Area, inclu...

Sonia Ray is titular professor of double bass at the Federal University of Goiás (Brazil). She holds an undergraduate degree in Conducting and Composition from the State University of São Paulo and master's and Doctoral Degrees from the University of Iowa, both in Double Bass Performance under Dr. Gannett. Ray performs regularly performing both Brazilian and contemporary repertoire as a priority....

Gregg Goodhart has a passion for teaching others how to learn so they can surpass their perceived limitations. This passion led to an intense interest in cognitive and behavioral neuroscience and psychology as they relate to teaching. By putting these principles into practical use in the classroom over many years, he has come to an understanding of how to teach others to reach their potential. We...

Oslo Philharmonic bassist Cécile-Laure Kouassi recently released an EP titled Beaux Jours .   This album features two arrangements by Cécile-Laure as well as two original works for double bass and piano. We talk about this project and much more in this engaging conversation.   Check out the new album on Spotify and v isit her website for her arrangements and much more! Subscribe to the podcast to...

Drew Banzhaf won the audition for Associate Principal Bass Malmö Symphony in 2023. He spent three years as a guest musician of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and has regularly appeared with renowned orchestras such as the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, and Minnesota Orchestra. Drew was also a New World Symphony Fellow for three seasons and is a graduate of Indiana Univer...

Gregg August is a New York double bassist who successfully balances careers in classical and jazz music, as well as composition. He is member of the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra (Associate), the American Composers Orchestra, Westchester Philharmonic and Orchestra of St. Luke's. He is also an active composer and performer in avant-garde, jazz and Latin jazz worlds. We talk about his background, how he...