Contrabass Conversations

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:

• Adam’s website
• gear reviews from Adam
• Unraveled Rival (Adam’s album) on iTunes
• Adam’s University of Minnesota Duluth faculty page

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.