Contrabass Conversations

 

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This week’s episode concludes the interview with jazz bass legend Steve Rodby that we featured on episodes 58 and 78 of the podcast. Rodby has played bass on every Pat Metheny Group record since 1980, co-produced the group’s last five albums and won 10 Grammy Awards with the group. He has toured with jazz greats Joe Henderson and Tony Bennett, and also works regularly as a producer.

This interview was conducted by jazz double bassist Kells Nollenberger. Kells has launched a new podcast called the Jazz Exchange, which can be found at www.jazzexchange.org. This podcast features interviews with and performances from a wide array of jazz artists, and I encourage listeners to check out the great things that Kells is doing over there.

We also feature bass news, listener voicemail and e-mail, and a link of the week. Enjoy!

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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 some of our previous video episodes, but it was broken up into bite-sized chunks, so I think you’ll enjoy the opportunity to hear the entire segment uninterrupted!After the segment, we feature some bass news and listener feedback. Enjoy! (more…)

 

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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 Carolina Symphony.We had a great chat, and I highly encourage listeners to check out part 1 (episode 73) and part 2 (episode 76) to get the full context of this interview.Co-host John Grillo has appeared on many Contrabass Conversations episodes as both host and guest. Check out his bass recital, orchestra excerpt breakdown, and opera excerpt breakdown for some additional musical and educational bass content. Enjoy! (more…)

 

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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 theUniversity 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 double bass. Learn more about Anthony by visiting his website atanthonystoops.com.We’re also featuring Anthony performing his rock medley with the Bad Boyz of Bass, plus some listener feedback, bass news, and shout-outs to some of our Facebook group members. Enjoy!  (more…)

 

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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 Competition. Learn more about Peter at his website peteraskim.com.

There are some excellent opportunities for high school bassists at the Idyllwild Arts Academy. Bassists study with Chris Hanulik (Los Angeles Philharmonic Principal Bass) and Jeremy Kurtz (San Doego Symphony Principal Bass) and recieve a great deal of attention from Peter as well. Learn more about this program at idyllwildarts.org. Enjoy!

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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 take on the Ellington classic “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore.”

Learn more about Kristin on her website at www.kristinkorb.com. Enjoy!

About Kristin:

Born and raised in Montana, Kristin grew up in a musical family and often presented concerts with her three younger brothers. Her passion for music eventually led to a bachelor’s degree in music education from Eastern Montana College. In 1992, she moved to San Diego to hone her bass skills with bass professor Bertram Turetzky, earned a master’s degree from the University of California (San Diego), and became one of the busiest bassists in San Diego. Kristin had a brief stint as director of jazz studies at Central Washington University in Ellensburg, Washington. After two years of teaching, she decided to follow her dreams and relocated to focus on her performing career based out of Los Angeles. She hasn’t looked back since.

Her debut CD, Introducing Kristin Korb, was on the Telarc label and featured bassist Ray Brown (Kristin’s main musical influence), pianist Benny Green and drummer Gregory Hutchinson. Guest artists included Conte Candoli, Plas Johnson and Oscar Castro-Neves.

Kristin tours internationally as both an artist and educator. Recent performances include concerts at the International Association of Jazz Educators (IAJE) Conference (2004), the 2005 Playboy Jazz Festival at the Rose Bowl, the West Coast Jazz Party and Bass Encounters conference in Vienna, Austria. She was a featured performer and clinician at the International Society of Bassists Conference (2005) and is a member of their Board of Directors.

In addition to Ray Brown and Benny Green, Kristin has appeared with such artists as Bill Mays, John Clayton, Jeff Hamilton, Alan Pasqua, Carl Allen, Joe LaBarbera, Tamir Hendelman and Mike Wofford. Her own trio features Llew Matthews (former musical director for Nancy Wilson and Lena Horne) on piano.

Link of the Week:

Carmen, Full of Bull - Part I from Bruce Hembd

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This week’s episode continues the interview with jazz bass legend Steve Rodby that we began on episode 58 of the podcast. Rodby has played bass on every Pat Metheny Group record since 1980, co-produced the group’s last five albums and won 10 Grammy Awards with the group. He has toured with jazz greats Joe Henderson and Tony Bennett, and also works regularly as a producer.

This interview was conducted by jazz double bassist Kells Nollenberger. Kells has launched a new podcast called the Jazz Exchange, which can be found at www.jazzexchange.org. This podcast features interviews with and performances from a wide array of jazz artists, and I encourage listeners to check out the great things that Kells is doing over there.

We also feature bass news, listener voicemail and e-mail, and a link of the week. Enjoy!

(more…)

 

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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 in a variety of bands.

We began this interview on episode 75 of the podcast, and we also featured Dave’s music on Eclectic Bass episode 2.

Dave’s compositions span the gamut from solo double bass to full symphony orchestra, and his Concerto for Double Bass was commissioned and premiered by Hal Robinson and the Philadelphia Orchestra. He is a former board member of the International Society of Bassists, and his Capriccio No. 2 served as the required solo competition piece at the 1997 ISB convention. Check out Dave online at www.myspace.com/symphonyboy.

Scores to Dave’s compositions have been recently re-released, and you can now purchase copies online. Visit the following link to check out many of these compositions:

http://www.reallygoodmusic.com/rgm.jsp?page=composers2&compid=128028

Also, my co-host John Grillo has a recording of the complete Double Bass Duets by Dave with Pittsburgh Symphony bassist Peter Guild. You can check them out here (there are links to each individual duet through the following link):

http://contrabassconversations.com/2007/02/12/john-grillo-recital-showcase/

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Welcome to Exploring Chamber Music with Chicago Symphony bassist 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 their website at chicagochambermusic.org.

Today’s program features several works by double bass virtuoso and composer Giovanni Bottesini. All works were recorded live on January 3rd, 2004, at Preston Bradley Hall in Chicago.

Today’s Program:

• Our first piece on the program is the Gran Duo in A for Clarinet and Double Bass by Giovanni Bottesini. This performance features Larry Combs on clarinet and Brad Opland on bass
• Our next piece on the program is the Gran Duo in A for Violin and Double Bass, with violnist Jasmine Lin joining Brad for this next segment
• We conclude today’s program Bottesini’s Passione Amorosa, performed here today by bassists Brad Opland and Dan Armstrong.

Check out more Exploring Chamber Music episodes at the show page on Contrabass Conversations, and listen to Brad Opland’s interview on Contrabass Conversations here.

Subscribe to the podcast!

Thank you very much for tuning in to today’s episode of Exploring Chamber Music. If you’re listening to this program on the web, thank you very much for doing so, but please consider subscribing to Contrabass Conversations. Subscribing is free and enables these programs to be downloaded in the background for playback on your stereo, computer, or portable device. Visit contrabassconversations.com for subscription information and visit chicagochambermusic.org for details on upcoming Chicago Chamber Musicians programs.

 

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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 as Principal Bass of the North Carolina Symphony.  Jack discussed several topics of great interest to double bass students and performers with co-host John Grillo and me, including:

• musical leadership and qualities of good principal bassists
• qualities found in good conductors
• how music students are seeing fewer and fewer concerts
• emotion in music - country music’s got it
• limitations of rock music in conveying emotion
• body maintenance and how to stay healthy as a bassist

We also feature music from double bass performer and composer Peter Askim. Learn more about Peter at his website www.peteraskim.com. Enjoy! (more…)