Contrabass Conversations

Contrabass Conversations

double bass podcast

296: Adam Booker on strings, Milt Hinton, and jazz mythology

Ever wonder what it’s like to be transplanted from balmy Texas and Louisiana to the coldest city in the continental United States?

Ask Adam Booker. Here’s a recent weather report from Duluth in case you’re curious.

How did he go from the gigging life in Texas to the US Navy and finally into a life in academia?

We talk about this and much more, including:

  • traditional jazz bass lines and what notes were really being played
  • confessions from a former string neurotic
  • what surprised Adam the most about academia
  • Stefon Harris and his description of scales as a collection of emotions
  • hanging up on Milt Hinton… and then watching Jeopardy with him
  • not just creating great bassists, but creating great people

I had a great time hanging out with Adam at BASS2016 in Prague, and it was a real pleasure to sit down with him and do an interview! Here’s a shot of Adam, Geoff Chalmers, and me in Prague.

Links to check out:

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Learn how you can support the show at contrabassconversations.com/support

Thanks to our sponsors!

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.

Hosting for Contrabass Conversations is provided by Bass Capos.  Bass Capos are an excellent choice for any bass player using or looking to implement a double bass extension. Easy to install and adjust, cheaper and more reliable than hand-built latches, also lighter and quicker in operation.

294: 10th Anniversary Show!

Thank you.

Really, I don’t know what else to say.

Thank you to each and every one of you who have taken your precious time these past ten years to listen to these episodes.  You’ve written in.  You’ve suggested guests.  You’ve shared your passion and energy with me and with the wider community.

Thank you to the hundreds of guests who have lent their valuable time to this crazy project.  Through the gift of your time, energy, and experience, you’ve helped thousands of people across the globe.

Thank you to John Grillo, who co-hosted this and so many other episodes with me.  John, Win Hinkle, Jonathan Stefaniak, Kells Nollenberger, other folks have guest interviewed people for the podcast, for which I am so grateful.

Thank you to D’Addario Strings, Bass Capos, Discover Double Bass, Upton Bass, The String Emporium, Riccardi’s Violin Shop, Classic Contrabass, and Douglas Mapp Music for their support as sponsors over this past decade.  I am grateful to each and every one of you for your support with keeping this juggernaut going.

And finally, thank you to Lloyd Goldstein, Mitch Moehring, Szymon Marciniak, Tracy Friedlander, Jay Stark, Adam Booker, and Justin Locke for calling in and contributing to this 10th anniversary episode!

Here’s to another 10 exciting years!

Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to your inbox!

Learn how you can support the show at contrabassconversations.com/support

Thanks to our sponsors!

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.

Hosting for Contrabass Conversations is provided by Bass Capos.  Bass Capos are an excellent choice for any bass player using or looking to implement a double bass extension. Easy to install and adjust, cheaper and more reliable than hand-built latches, also lighter and quicker in operation.

293: Crushing Classical with Tracy Friedlander

I had a blast reconnecting with my old friend Tracy Friedlander!

Tracy is the host of Crushing Classical, a new podcast about creating a career you love as a classical musician in today’s world. I was fortunate to be one of her first guests!

Tracy also writes regularly on her Crushing Classical Facebook page, and she’s in the process of writing a book as well.

Tracy and I used to play together in the Civic Orchestra of Chicago nearly 20 years ago, and it has been a lot of fun reconnecting with her through the podcasting world.

We talk about her motivation for launching this podcast and her vision for the show going forward. She’s had some wonderful guests on so far, and I can’t wait to see where she goes from here.

Be sure to subscribe to her show in iTunes and follow her Facebook page!

Links to Check Out:

Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to your inbox!

Learn how you can support the show at contrabassconversations.com/support

Thanks to our sponsors!

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.

Enter the D’Addario strings giveaway for Contrabass Conversations listeners at contrabassconversations.com/strings!

Hosting for Contrabass Conversations is provided by Bass Capos.  Bass Capos are an excellent choice for any bass player using or looking to implement a double bass extension. Easy to install and adjust, cheaper and more reliable than hand-built latches, also lighter and quicker in operation.