This week we feature an interview with and music from the Chicago Bass Ensemble. Group founder Jacque Harper joins former Contrabass Conversations guests Michael Hovnanian and Doug Johnson plus double bass blogger John Floeter to create the core quartet of this ensemble.
The Chicago Bass Ensemble will be performing at Northern Illinois University on February 14. Click here for more details, and learn more about this great ensemble at www.chicagobassensemble.com.
Ever hear an entire bass quartet interviewed at the same time? We sure haven’t, and getting a chance to sit down with these four good-natured fellows was a lot of fun. After the interview, we feature performances of ‘Prologue’ from Prophetiae Sibyllarum by Orlando di Lassus and the first movement of the Quartet No. 2 by Jan Alm.
Learn more about these four musicians through the following links:
- Jacque Harper – www.chicagobassensemble.com
- Michael Hovnanian – www.csobassblog.blogspot.com
- John Floeter – www.johnfloeterbassstudio.blogspot.com
- Douglas Johnson – www.myspace.com/douglasjohnson
- Gunnelpumpers (featuring Michael and Doug) – www.myspace.com/gunnelpumpers
- Gunnelpumpers on Contrabass Conversations
- Michael on Contrabass Conversations
Enjoy!
This week’s Contrabass Conversations episode features an in-depth analysis of the double bass opera excerpts most commonly requested at auditions. Double bassist (and regular Contrabass Conversations guest and co-host) John Grillo discusses each of these excerpts–stylistic considerations, differences in articulation and bow strokes, and suggestions for effectively learning them–and then performs them. We believe that this project will be a highly valuable resource for bassists worldwide, and we’d love your feedback on this project!
This week’s episode features an interview with and music from jazz bassist 
We’re wrapping up the interview with Pittsburgh Symphony Principal Bassist Jeff Turner that we began on