Contrabass Conversations

Contrabass Conversations

double bass podcast

359: Gary Karr on his remarkable journey

I’ve been dreaming about having Gary Karr on Contrabass Conversations ever since starting the show.  We got a chance to sit down and chat during the 2017 International Society of Bassists Convention, and that’s what you’re hearing today.

Gary is the reason that so many of us (myself included) play the bass.  He and I chat about my first experience seeing him perform in Sioux Falls South Dakota.  This had a profound impact on me and is a key reason why I play the bass today.

Gary Karr founded the International Institute for String Bass (IISB) in 1967.  During these early years, he published sixteen issues of Bass Sound Post and two issues of Probas.  He also hosted three international conferences in Madison, Wisconsin.

Seeing Gary at this 50th anniversary convention was a treat for everyone involved.  We saw him in concerts.  He spent time chatting and taking photographs with countless bassists during the week.  Having him at this event was significant for everyone attending.

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358: Orchestra and Opera Excerpts

This is a “best of” episode from three classic Contrabass Conversations episodes. Back in the early days of the podcast, John Grillo and I recorded two episodes that dissected various excerpts. He and I talked through each excerpt and then played a recording of John performing it.

These have been extremely popular resources over the years, but they came out not he podcast ten years ago. With so many episodes of this podcast and so many new listeners to the show, bringing these classic offerings to light is important to me, so I’m planning on doing a few rebroadcasts of this cornerstone content every now and again.

Orchestra Excerpts Covered:

  • Beethoven Symphony No. 9
  • Beethoven Symphony No. 5
  • Brahms Symphony No. 1 and 2
  • Shostakovich Symphony No. 5
  • Mozart Symphony No. 35 and 39
  • Mahler Symphony No. 2
  • Schubert Symphony No. 9
  • Strauss Ein Heldenleben
  • Britten Young Person’s Guide
  • Verdi Otello

Opera Excerpts Covered:

  • Strauss
    • Salome
    • Rosenkavalier
  • Wagner
    • Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
    • Die Walküre
  • Britten
    • Peter Grimes
  • Verdi
    • Otello
    • Rigoletto
    • Falstaff
  • Weber
    • Euryanthe
  • Mozart
    • Magic Flute
    • Marriage of Figaro
  • Beethoven
    • Fidelio
  • Humperdinck
    • Hansel and Gretel

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356: James VanDemark on boxing, projection, and 40 years of teaching at Eastman

James VanDemark just celebrated his 40th year of teaching at the Eastman School of Music. His students have held positions with many of the world’s major orchestras, including the Cleveland, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Minnesota, San Francisco, Singapore, Taiwan, and the Vienna Chamber Orchestra, as well as the Rochester Philharmonic, New World Symphony, Oregon Symphony, and the orchestras of Syracuse, Buffalo and Wichita.

We dig into many topics, including:

  • boxing and what it has done for James as well as his students
  • the experience of being a principal bassist of a professional orchestra at 17
  • how he came to join the Eastman faculty in his early 20s
  • studying with cellists like Paul Katz and Leonard Rose
  • learning how to play for a bigger hall – lessons learned from Leonard Rose
  • learning how to vary sound and color to blend in or to project out

There’s also a great feature on Backstage Pass from Classical 91.5 celebrating James and his 40 years at Eastman.

Thanks to our sponsors!

This episode is brought to you by D’Addario Strings! Check out their Kaplan strings, which have versatility and control throughout the dynamic spectrum, rich tonal color palette, superb bow response, and beautiful balance.

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Thank you also to the Bass Violin Shop, which  offers the Southeast’s largest inventory of laminate, hybrid and carved double basses. Whether you are in search of the best entry-level laminate, or a fine pedigree instrument, there is always a unique selection ready for you to try. Trade-ins and consignments welcome!

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355: Tom Mendel on Hamilton, pedal boards, and finding joy in playing

Tom Mendel is currently playing bass for the Chicago production of Hamilton.  He has performed on over 100 musical theater productions like Wicked, The Lion King, Billy Elliot, and Book of Mormon.  Tom is also the President Emeritus of the Theatre Musicians Association.

We also cover the gear that Tom is using for Hamilton.

Tom uses most of the same gear that Richard Hammond is using for the New York production of Hamilton:

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354: Derek Jones on Cirque du Soleil, gear, and being fearless

Derek Jones is the bassist for Cirque du Soleil’s show KÀ. He joined Cirque after spending time playing with Chris Thile and Nickel Creek and then with Jerry Douglas, and he has played over 5,200 performances of this show at this point.

We dig into topics like:

  • challenges of dealing with the low humidity in Las Vegas
  • Derek’s unexpected chance to see Gary Karr play live in Las Vegas recently
  • his 12 1/2 years on the Cirque show
  • why it’s better to cut frequencies than boost
  • growing up in the Bay Area and getting his break on the salsa music scene
  • the decision to move to Nashville
  • the three ways to experience a culture (language, food, music)

…and much more!

You can get Derek’s albums Run With Me and Dusk ’til Dawn in hi res audio from Blue Coast Records!

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