Contrabass Conversations

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...

We're featuring the multi-talented and extremely engaging double bassist and vocalist Kristin Korb on this week's Contrabass Conversations episode. Kristin and Jason chat about her early years as a bassist and vocalist, life growing up in Montana, her studies on the bass, and how she established herself as a jazz performing artist. We also feature a recording of Kristin performing her own unique t...

We're concluding our interview with the multi-talented bassist Dave Anderson on this week's episode of Contrabass Conversations. In addition to serving as Principal Bass of the Louisiana Philharmonic, Dave is a prolific composer, active teacher, and electric bassist. He serves as Principal Bass of the Britt Festival Orchestra in southern Oregon, and he plays in metropolitan New Orleans and beyond...

We're continuing our chat (check out part one on episode 73 ) 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 a...

We're featuring music from Louisiana Philharmonic Principal Bass Dave Anderson on this week's Eclectic Bass episode. Learn more about Dave on his MySpace page , order Dave's compositions here , and check out our interview with Dave here . Tracks played: "Teen Town" by Jaco Pastorius "Surf Ride" from Yule Logs by Dave "Schweik Fahrt" featuring Dave and Hal Robinson Quintet Mvt. 4 by Dave featuring...

We're featuring the multi-talented bassist Dave Anderson on this week's episode of Contrabass Conversations. In addition to serving as Principal Bass of the Louisiana Philharmonic, Dave is a prolific composer, active teacher, and electric bassist. He serves as Principal Bass of the Britt Festival Orchestra in southern Oregon, and he plays in metropolitan New Orleans and beyond in a variety of band...

I'm pleased to be able to share this interview with Robert Meyer, one of our most experienced and interesting members of the double bass community. Robert has had a long and illustrious career on the double bass, working for over 50 years in most of the major orchestras in London (including the London Symphony, London Philharmonic, and BBC Symphony), as Principal Bass of the Vancouver Symphony, an...

We're chatting 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 Carolina Symphony...

The first episode of our new all-music series Eclectic Bass is now available! Listen to it with the player above (click the play button, or click 'play in popup' to keep browsing while you listen), download the episode (right click and choose 'save as…'), or subscribe to Contrabass Conversations to get all these episodes downloaded directly. Enjoy! Featured Artists: Frederick Charlton Sarabande an...

We're wrapping up our chat with Barrie Kolstein this week on the Contrabass Conversations show. We began this interview on episode 70 of the program, and in it we discussed Barrie's father Samuel Kolstein and how he got into the bow making business, the progression into the bass making business, and the development of the Kolstein line of products (including rosin, stings, and cases) that bassists...

We're chatting with Volkan Orhon, David Murray, Anthony Stoops, and Paul Sharpe on this week's episode of Contrabass Conversations . Anthony Stoops was featured recently as an interview guest on the podcast, and we also featured Volkan playing one of Chris Threlkeld-Wiegand 's basses on our interview with this fine luthier. In this interview, we chat about the formation of the ensemble, the rehear...

This week, we're featuring Barrie Kolstein on the Contrabass Conversations show. Barrie discusses his father Samuel Kolstein and how he got into the bow making business, the progression into the bass making business, and the development of the Kolstein line of products (including rosin, stings, and cases) that bassists worldwide use today. Barrie is a perceptive and extremely knowledgeable figure...

We are exploring chamber music with Brad Opland and the Chicago Chamber Musicians. This Contrabass Conversations special series highlights chamber music that includes the double bass. Learn more about the Chicago Chamber Musicians by visiting www.chicagochambermusic.org . We'd like to extend special thanks to both Brad Opland and the Chicago Chamber Musicians for making this series possible. Liste...