Contrabass Conversations

We're featuring the first part of our interview with Boston Symphony Assistant Principal Bass Lawrence Wolfe this week on Contrabass Conversations. I had a chance to check out a wonderful master class that Mr. Wolfe did at Northwestern in the fall of 2008, and I did a summary/synopsis of some of the concepts and ideas covered in this class as well. I'm really looking forward to chatting with Larry...

Contrabass Conversations Co-host John Grillo and Jason interview Cleveland Orchestra Principal Bass Max Dimoff  this week. Before winning his job with the Cleveland Orchestra, Max served as Principal Bass of the San Antonio Symphony and Section Bass for the Grant Park Symphony and Seattle Symphony. In this second segment of our interview with Max, we cover the use of rhythms in practicing solo and...

We're featuring two tracks from U.K. bassist Leon Bosch's new solo album The Russian Double Bass , which was released on Meridian Records this month. Leon has been a musical guest on the podcast twice before, and I really hope you enjoy this all-music episode of excellent music played by this wonderful musician. Tracks Featured: Rachmaninoff Vocalise Glière Tarantella

We're concluding our interview (check out part 1 here ) with Metropolitan Opera Orchestra bassist Dan Krekeler this week on the podcast. John Grillo and I co-interviewed Dan, which was particularly cool since we've both known Dan for many years. I played with Dan in the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, and John went to Indiana University with him as an undergraduate. It's great to see an old friend hav...

We're featuring an interview with Michelle Fiore this week on Contrabass Conversations . Michelle is the proprietor of Classic Contrabass , a shop in Wheeling, Illinois catering exclusively to double bassists. I've known Michelle for many years–she was involved for many years with the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Winter Bassfest that I started several years ago. She does great setup and repa...

John and Jason co-interview Metropolitan Opera Orchestra bassist Dan Krekeler, which was particularly cool since they've both known Dan for many years. Jason played with Dan in the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, and John went to Indiana University with him as an undergraduate. It's great to see an old friend have such great professional success, and it was a lot of fun to catch up with Dan and hear a...

We're concluding our interview with San Diego Symphony Principal Bass Jeremy Kurtz on this week's episode of Contrabass Conversations , plus featuring excerpts from Jeremy's captivating new solo album Sonatas and Meditations, which can be purchased through the new International Society of Bassists store at www. ISBstore.com . 

We're concluding our interview with University of North Texas and Cleveland Institute of Music bass professor Jeff Bradetich on this week's Contrabass Conversations episode. We featured the first part of this interview on episode 101 of the podcast, and we hope you enjoy hearing the thoughts and perspectives from this wonderful and influential performer and pedagogue. Learn more about Jeff and his...

We're chatting with Metropolitan Opera Orchestra Assistant Principal Bass Jeremy McCoy on this week's Contrabass Conversations episode. Jeremy attended the Curtis Institute and was a member of the National Arts Centre Orchestra of Canada prior to his appointment with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. Jeremy and I discuss a wide variety of topics, including his early experiences on the instrument,...

It is a real pleasure to be able to put out this interview with University of North Texas and Cleveland Institute of Music faculty member Jeff Bradetich. Jeff was a huge influence on my early development, and I continue to use the principles he taught me in my own teaching and performing each and every day. We get really "inside baseball" on some technical considerations for the bass in this inter...

We've finally reached 100 episodes of Contrabass Conversations ! In this special episode, we hear how many of our guests from our first two years of podcasting began playing the bass. Today, you'll be hearing excerpts from the following guests. Complete episodes featuring all of these guests (and many more!) can be found at the Contrabass Conversations website, along with complete biographies and...

We're featuring an interview with San Diego Symphony Principal Bass Jeremy Kurtz on this week's episode. Jeremy was a student of Hal Robinson at Curtis and Tim Pitts at Rice University, and he also spent two years in the New World Symphony prior to his appointment with the San Diego Symphony. His solo album Sonatas and Meditations, which will be will be available by the time you hear this episode,...

This fascinating bass sonata clocks in at almost 40 minutes (!) and was written by Marshall Fine for double bassist John Chiego. John Chiego, bass Deborah Heath, piano recorded live at the University of Memphis 2/14/98 1. Homage to A.T. (13:06) 2. Scherzo: La Vendetta (5:12) 3. Warrington-Variations (20:55) About Marshall Fine: Currently Assistant Principal Violist of the Memphis Symphony Orchestr...

This week, we're featuring another all-music episode. I'm pleased to bring you some tracks from The Bass Gang, one of the most virtuosic, astounding, and entertaining bass quarters of all time. 1. Jump (Van Halen) 2. Whiter Shade of… Bach (Procol Harum) 3. Pulp Bass 4. Black Cat White Cat Be sure to visit them online at thebassgang.org , where you can check out even more tunes from them on their s...

We're concluding our interview with double bass soloist and University of Texas-Austin bass professor DaXun Zhang today, as well as featuring more tracks from this stellar musician. Check out episode 92 for the first part of this interview. Along with the conclusion of our interview, we'll be featuring DaXun performing a very cool Chinese piece for bass called Sun SHines on Taxkorgan. It's availab...

We're featuring an interview with double bass soloist and University of Texas-Austin bass professor DaXun Zhang today, as well as featuring more tracks from this stellar musician. Along with the conclusion of our interview, we'll be featuring DaXun performing a very cool Chinese piece for bass called Sun SHines on Taxkorgan. It's available on his self-titled solo album, which you can learn more ab...

We're concluding our interview with double bassist Barry Lieberman . The former Assistant Principal Bass of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Principal Bass of the Winnipeg Symphony, Barry now serves as co-director of The American String Project , an innovative string ensemble which features arrangements of string quartets for small string ensemble with double bass. On today's episode, Barry (pictu...

We're concluding our interview with double bassist Barry Lieberman . The former Assistant Principal Bass of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Principal Bass of the Winnipeg Symphony, Barry now serves as co-director of The American String Project , an innovative string ensemble which features arrangements of string quartets for small string ensemble with double bass. On today's episode, Barry (pictu...

We're featuring Gary Karr , one of the all-time most influential double bassists, on Contrabass Conversations today. Hearing Gary Karr on record was a defining experience for me in my youth (as was the case for bassists worldwide), and hearing him live remains one of my most memorable double bass performances of all time. This video is a magnificent tribute to Gary Karr. University of Washington b...

We're featuring an interview with jazz bassist Rufus Reid on this week's episode of Contrabass Conversations . This interview was conducted by guest host Win Hinkle, a former member of the Florida Symphony Orchestra (this orchestra dissolved in 1993) who also worked in Florida as a trombonist, electric bassist, and double bassist, including a lot of time at Walt Disney World. Rufus Reid is, withou...

We're featuring something a bit unusual for this week's Contrabass Conversations episode. Ball State University bass professor and International Society of Bassists president Hans Sturm has been featured several times on the podcast in video episodes, and this week we're featuring Hans discussing the fundamentals of the Rabbath technique left hand positioning system. This dialogue was featured in...

We're concluding our chat with Michigan State University and Interlochen Arts Academy double bass instructor Jack Budrow this week on Contrabass Conversations. In addition to helping place students in major orchestras across the globe, Jack has had a very distinguished performance career as a former member of the Houston Symphony, Santa Fe Opera Orchestra, and as Principal Bass of the North Caroli...

We're concluding our chat with double bassist Anthony Stoops today on  Contrabass Conversations , which we began on  episode 67 of the podcast. Anthony is the Artist/Teacher of Bass and String Area Chair at the  University of Oklahoma School of Music . He also won first prize in the  International Society of Bassists international solo competition and is the past recipient of a Karr Foundation dou...

We're changing up the podcast format for today's show and featuring a group of present and former members of the Midwest Young Artists program located on the North Shore of Lake Michigan in metro Chicago. As an educator, I find it very interesting to hear the perspective of younger bassists–what they enjoy about performing, if they're planning on majoring in music during college, and how they ende...

We're featuring double bassist, composer, and conductor Peter Askim on today's episode of Contrabass Conversations . A former member of the Honolulu Symphony and an internationally acclaimed composer, Peter currently serves as music director and composer-in-residence for the Idyllwild Arts Academy. His Eight Solitudes for Double Bass won the 2002 International Society of Bassists Composition Compe...