Contrabass Conversations

Contrabass Conversations

double bass podcast

500: Live from San Francisco!

This special 500th episode of the podcast was recorded live at the Golden Gate Bass Camp in San Francisco on June 20, 2018.

It features conversations and performances from the following people:

Check out the video version on YouTube here!

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Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by:

Robertson & Sons Violins

For more than four decades, Robertson & Sons has specialized in providing the highest quality stringed instruments and bows to collectors, professional musicians, music educators, and students of all ages. Their modern facility is equipped with three instrument showrooms as well as a beautiful Recital Hall available to our clients to in their search for the perfect instrument and/or bow.

Upton Bass String Instrument Company

Upton’s Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long “Karr neck” has even become a favorite of crossover electric players.

D’Addario Strings

This episode is brought to you by D’Addario Strings! Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut.

A440 Violin Shop

An institution in the Roscoe Village neighborhood for over 20 years, A440‘s commitment to fairness and value means that we have many satisfied customers from the local, national, and international string playing communities. Our clients include major symphony orchestras, professional orchestra and chamber music players, aspiring students, amateur adult players, all kinds of fiddlers, jazz and commercial musicians, university music departments, and public schools.

Contrabass Conversations production team:

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459: Music School Auditions – Advice from the pros

This episode is one of those astoundingly complex projects that I love digging into! 

We’re featuring questions from double bass student Baylee Brown, which are answered by 27 noted double bass faculty members.  This idea was suggested by University of Texas at Arlington bass faculty member Jack Unzicker, who help design and execute this project.

Continue Reading …

458: Gary Karr home

Gary Karr… I mean, what can I say?  He’s the reason that I play bass. That so many people play the bass.  He’s truly one of a kind, and he’s not slowing down anytime soon!

When International Society of Bassists General Manager Madeleine Crouch heard that I would be the guest artist for the 2018 Las Vegas Bass Workshop, she suggested that Gary Karr and I coordinate an “at home with Gary” podcast.  Gary Karr and Harmon Lewis split their time between British Columbia and Las Vegas, and both Gary and Harmon were around that weekend for a visit.

Gary, Harmon, and I spent several hours on a sunny Sunday afternoon chatting about all kinds topics, including:

  • why Gary has never cared for Simandl… and how he ended up being photographed for the International Music Edition!
  • how “soft rosin” became the rosin of choice among bass players
  • the concept of proprioception

…and much more!

I hope you enjoy this inspiring and freewheeling conversation, and be sure to check out my conversation with Gary from the 2017 ISB Convention as well!

Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle!

Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by:

D’Addario Strings

This episode is brought to you by D’Addario Strings! Check out their Helicore strings, which are are designed, engineered, and crafted at the D’Addario string factory in New York and come in orchestral, hybrid, pizzicato, and solo string sets..

Upton Bass String Instrument Company

Upton’s Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long “Karr neck” has even become a favorite of crossover electric players.

A440 Violin Shop

An institution in the Roscoe Village neighborhood for over 20 years, A440‘s commitment to fairness and value means that we have many satisfied customers from the local, national, and international string playing communities. Our clients include major symphony orchestras, professional orchestra and chamber music players, aspiring students, amateur adult players, all kinds of fiddlers, jazz and commercial musicians, university music departments, and public schools.

Contrabass Conversations production team:

Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

CBC 130: P. Kellach Waddle interview

P Kellach Waddle.png

We’re featuring composer and bassist P. Kellach Waddle on this week’s Contrabass Conversations episode. Actually, we have chatted about doing an interview since 2007, and we got a chance to do so at the 2009 International Society of Bassists Convention. P. Kellach Waddle has had a great deal of recognition as a composer, and he has written numerous works for solo bass or featuring the bass in a prominent role. I think you’ll really enjoy this interview we did back in June!

We’re also featuring P. Kellach Waddle performing his own composition “Sonata in Two Movements” for solo bass after the interview segment.

About P. Kellach Waddle:

Two time Pulitzer-Prize nominated composer P. Kellach Waddle maintains an active career not only as a composer but also as a bassist, conductor and writer. With nearly 450 performances of his music by the end of the ’05-’06 season, and a list of completed works now numbering over 220 , Mr. Waddle continues to maintain a career as one of the most performed and prolific composers of his generation. His works have been performed in 38 states and in 14 countries on 4 continents and radio features/interviews with him have been heard on classical radio stations in Texas, North Carolina, Kentucky and Tennessee and Ohio. A performance by Mr. Waddle of his Op. 1 #1, the bass caprice De Salones Espanoles, marked the first hearing of his music on National Public Radio as part of its Music From Roundtop Series in 1993.

Complete bio for P. Kellach Waddle

Other links:

Main Publicity: www.wyattbrandf.com Auxiliary Publicity: www.axiosstudios.com Other Recordings: www.classicallounge.com