Contrabass Conversations

Contrabass Conversations

double bass podcast

1128: Hannah Marks on Finding Her Voice

Hannah Marks is a bassist, composer, and educator living in New York City. She has performed at festivals including the Detroit Jazz Festival, Hyde Park Jazz Festival, and Kennedy Center, and currently leads an acoustic jazz quartet featuring NYC’s most in-demand musicians. Hannah teaches at prestigious programs including Interlochen, Stanford Dance Workshop, and Jazz Camp West.

In this episode, Hannah shares insights about her versatile playing style, her evolution from rock guitar to jazz bass, and what it’s like to balance classical training with a thriving jazz career. Enjoy and be sure to connect with Hannah and her cool projects on her website.

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1125: From Double Bass to Viola – Navigating Musicianship with Stephanie Patterson

In this inspiring episode, Stephanie Patterson returns to share a deeply personal journey of resilience and adaptation. After experiencing serious health challenges that made it impossible to continue playing the double bass, Stephanie made the courageous decision to return to the viola—an instrument she hadn’t played in over 50 years. 

This conversation explores the physical demands of playing large instruments, the importance of fitness for musicians, and how community orchestras provide invaluable support during life’s unexpected transitions.

Enjoy and check out Stephanie’s past podcast appearances here.

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When you buy a product using a link on this page, we may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting DBHQ.

Thank you to our sponsors!

Upton Bass – From Grammy Award winners and Philharmonic players like Max Zeugner of the New York Philharmonic, each Upton Bass is crafted with precision in Connecticut, USA, and built to last for generations.  Discover your perfect bass with Upton Bass today!

1124: The Journey of Creating a Bass Concerto with Jim Beckel and JuFang Liu

In this episode, we dive deep into the creation of Memoirs in Time, a groundbreaking new bass concerto, with composer Jim Beckel and Indianapolis Symphony Principal Bassist JuFang Liu. This commission represents a significant addition to the bass repertoire and showcases the incredible versatility of the double bass.

Watch the world premiere performance with full orchestra of “Memoirs in Time: Concerto for Bass and Orchestra” featuring JuFang Liu and the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, and check out this behind-the-scenes video on the creation of this piece.

For those interested in performing this work, a piano reduction is also available on YouTube and can be purchased online here.

Connect with DBHQ

Gear used to record this podcast

When you buy a product using a link on this page, we may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting DBHQ.

Thank you to our sponsors!

Upton Bass – From Grammy Award winners and Philharmonic players like Max Zeugner of the New York Philharmonic, each Upton Bass is crafted with precision in Connecticut, USA, and built to last for generations.  Discover your perfect bass with Upton Bass today!

1123: Exploring Tango and Ethnomusicology with Laura Camacho

In this episode, we sit down with Laura Camacho, a double bassist, tango composer, and ethnomusicologist originally from Buenos Aires and now based in Austin, Texas. 

Laura shares her fascinating journey from performing with the ensemble Las del Abasto in Argentina—including opening for tango legend Mariano Mores—to pursuing a PhD in ethnomusicology at the University of Texas at Austin.

We dive deep into Laura’s new album, Todo Tiempo Pasado, released in November of 2025 with her ensemble, the Laura Camacho Tango Project. The album is a beautiful blend of tradition and experimentation, featuring original compositions, works by Astor Piazzolla and Mariano Mores, and tango-inspired arrangements of pop songs like Britney Spears’ “Toxic” and Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill.”

Enjoy and be sure to check out Laura’s new album on all streaming platforms. Also, give her Tango Project a follow on Instagram!

Connect with DBHQ

Gear used to record this podcast

When you buy a product using a link on this page, we may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting DBHQ.

Thank you to our sponsors!

Upton Bass – From Grammy Award winners and Philharmonic players like Max Zeugner of the New York Philharmonic, each Upton Bass is crafted with precision in Connecticut, USA, and built to last for generations.  Discover your perfect bass with Upton Bass today!

1122: The Joys of Chamber Music with Uxía Martinez Botana

Join us for a conversation with Spanish double bassist Uxía Martínez Botana, who shares her journey from facing skepticism as a woman in classical music to becoming a celebrated soloist, chamber musician, and educator. Based in Amsterdam, she tours internationally with ensembles like the Budapest Festival Orchestra and Sol Gabetta’s baroque ensemble, and is the first female double bass professor at a Spanish conservatory.

We dig into topics like life on the road, work-life balance, her journey through the world of professional music, and her recent Mendelssohn X-Files Project.

Enjoy, and learn more about Uxía and the great work she’s doing through the links below

Connect with DBHQ

Gear used to record this podcast

When you buy a product using a link on this page, we may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting DBHQ.

Thank you to our sponsors!

Upton Bass – From Grammy Award winners and Philharmonic players like Max Zeugner of the New York Philharmonic, each Upton Bass is crafted with precision in Connecticut, USA, and built to last for generations.  Discover your perfect bass with Upton Bass today!