improvisation

909: Kyle Motl on harmonics and sound worlds

Kyle Motl is a bassist, composer, and improviser dedicated to the performance of creative music. His work explores aspects of chaos and complexity through involved rhythmic and spectral transformations while remaining grounded in an embodied approach to performance. Kyle regularly gives solo concerts that expand upon the vast timbral resources of the contrabass.

We talk about how he found his way into the world of creative music, harmonics on the bass, what it’s like working as a performing bassist in the genres he explores, and much more.

Enjoy, and be sure to check out Kyle’s solo album and website and also follow him on bandcamp, YouTube, and Instagram!

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

Check out our Online Sheet Music Store with 100+ wide-ranging titles for bassists.

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

Check out my Beginner’s Classical Bass course and Intermediate to Advanced Classical Bass course, available exclusively from Discover Double Bass.

Thank you to our sponsors!

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.

Dorico – Unlock Dorico for iPad – For Life! Want to enjoy all of Dorico for iPad’s subscription-only features – including support for unlimited players, freehand annotations in Read mode with Apple Pencil, support for third-party Audio Unit plug-ins, and much more – but don’t want to pay a monthly or annual fee? Dorico for iPad now provides a lifetime unlock option, so you can access all current and future subscription-only features for a single, one-off in-app purchase. Visit the App Store today and unlock Dorico for iPad for life!

theme music by Eric Hochberg

CBC 45: Colin Corner interview 2 and Rob Kassinger music

This week’s Contrabass Conversations episode features the conclusion of our chat with Minnesota Orchestra bassist Colin Corner. Colin joined the orchestra in 2006 after being a member of the Vancouver Symphony and Louisiana Philharmonic. In this episode we discuss the process of taking an audition for an ensemble like the Minnesota Orchestra–the various rounds, screen (or lack thereof), and repertoire. We also discuss improvisation, parallels between classical music and jazz, Colin’s sources of musical inspiration, and his instrumental activities outside of the orchestral sphere.

Check out episode 34 of the podcast for the first part of this interview.

We also feature a recording of “Trioticism” from Chicago Symphony bassist and Contrabass Conversations interview guest Rob Kassinger. Enjoy!

CBC 40: Donovan Stokes interview and music

This week’s podcast features an interview with double bass performer, composer, and teacher Donovan Stokes. We featured music from Donovan on episode 13 of the podcast, and it’s a pleasure to feature this great musician again. Gadaha, the album that we feature this week, was recorded with no overdubs whatsoever, which is amazing considering the intricacy of much of this music.

You can learn more about Donovan at www.donovanstokes.com. Enjoy!

CBC 38: Eric Hochberg interview part 2

This Contrabass Conversations special episode features the second part of our interview with Chicago-based jazz bassist Eric Hochberg. Eric first appeared on episode 21 of the podcast, and listeners should really enjoy hearing the conclusion to this interview. Following the interview is a track featuring Eric titled Mr. Bar Locrian. Learn more about Eric and his various musical endeavors at www.erichochberg.com. Enjoy!

CBC 34: Colin Corner interview and music from JC Jones and Daniel Nix

This week’s Contrabass Conversations episode features an interview with Minnesota Orchestra bassist Colin Corner. Colin joined the orchestra in 2006 after being a member of the Vancouver Symphony and Louisiana Philharmonic. We got a chance to talk auditions, orchestra life, gear, and much more. We also feature a piece from Israel-based musician J.C. Jones and Victoria, British Columbia-based musician Daniel Nix. Enjoy!