Interview Guests

412: Orchestra Confidential with John Grillo

We chat with frequent podcast co-host John Grillo about a new project called Orchestra Confidential.

This is a project that has been many years in the making, and if you’d like to be involved, contact John at grillo@contrabassconversations.com.

411: Elsen Price on world music

It was a treat to sit down and chat with world music bassist Elsen Price for the podcast! Elsen is based in Sydney, Australia and is incredibly active as a solo and collaborative artist.

410: Charles Chandler on auditions, excerpts, and chamber music

It has been such a pleasure getting to know Charles Chandler since moving to San Francisco! In addition to playing in the San Francisco Symphony, Charles teaches at the San Francisco Academy Orchestra and is an active soloist and chamber musician.

Charles is actively involved with the Golden Gate Bass Camp and other Bay Area double bass events and is a champion of new and previously undiscovered works for the double bass.

409: Caitlyn Kamminga on life in Trinidad and Tobago

It is such a pleasure to bring you this conversation with Caitlyn Kamminga! Caitlyn has had a fascinating journey through the music world, and we dig deep into her journey across the globe from New Orleans, Hong Kong, and London to her current home of Trinidad and Tobago.

408: Milt Hinton memories with Kurt Morrow

In this special episode, we chat with Kurt Morrow about the time he spent with Milt Hinton. Milt’s wife Mona asked Kurt if he would live in faculty housing with Milt. Kurt shares some of these life-changing experiences with us today.

More about Milt Hinton

Milt “The Judge” Hinton was regarded as the Dean of jazz bass players. He was born in Vicksburg, Mississippi in 1910, and at the age of eleven moved to Chicago with his family. He began his musical education by taking private violin lessons, but while attending Chicago’s Wendell Phillips High School and playing in a band sponsored by the Chicago Defender newspaper, he learned to play bass horn, tuba, cello, and eventually the bass violin. Like many aspiring Southside musicians of his generation, he was influenced by the legendary educator, Major N. Clark Smith. During the late 1920s and early 30s, Milt worked as a freelance musician in Chicago and performed with legendary jazz artists including Freddie Keppard, Zutty Singleton, Jabbo Smith, Erskine Tate, and Art Tatum. His first steady job was with a band led by Tiny Parham, followed by a stint with violinist Eddie South’s Orchestra. Milt’s earliest recording come from this era.