Sun, 26 August 2007 This interview-only episode of Contrabass Conversations wraps up our
interview with Lyric Opera of Chicago and Northeastern Illinois
University bass instructor Greg Sarchet,
and we were joined by two of his students (Ausberto and Hans) at a
Bulgarian restaurant for this interview. Both Hans and Oz contribute
some questions, which both Greg and I answer. Check out the first part
on CBC 19. Comments[0] |
Sun, 19 August 2007 This week's Contrabass Conversations episode features an interview with
Minnesota Orchestra bassist Colin Corner. Colin joined the orchestra in
2006 after being a member of the Vancouver Symphony and Louisiana
Philharmonic. We got a chance to talk auditions, orchestra life, gear,
and much more. We also feature a piece from Israel-based musician J.C.
Jones and Victoria, British Columbia-based musician Daniel Nix. Enjoy! ____________ CBC #34 Show Notes Release Date: 8/19/07 Length: 49:16 Website: www.contrabassconversations.com E-mail: contrabassconversations@gmail.com Blog: www.doublebassblog.com Podcast T-shirts, hats, and more: www.cafepress.com/doublebass MySpace: www.myspace.com/cbcpodcast Facebook: www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=17621298264 Theme song by Eric Hochberg: www.erichochberg.com This show is brought to you by TalkBass.com, the largest community of bassists on the Internet. Join in the conversation at talkbass.com/cbc. Check out our jazz forums at JazzDoubleBass.com. Join our Facebook group and share videos, chat on discussion boards, leave ideas for the show, and interact with other bassists! You can always call 206-666-6509 to leave a message and join in the conversation! To get Contrabass Conversations downloaded automatically to your computer (for free!), you can subscribe in iTunes:  Click here to subscribe through e-mail or through another program besides iTunes Click to listen (right-click to download) Colin Corner bio: Colin Corner joined the Minnesota Orchestra in September 2006 after serving as associate principal bass of the Vancouver Symphony and touring with the Minnesota Orchestra on the summer 2006 European Festivals Tour. Corner began his musical training in Indianapolis, studying with Peter Hansen, Bob Goodlett and Bennett Crantford of the Indianapolis Symphony. He attended Interlochen Arts Camp, where in 1997 he was awarded the Double Bass Class Studio Award, which was recently renamed the Colin Corner Bass Award in his honor. After graduating from Interlochen Arts Academy, Corner earned a degree from Indiana University, studying with Lawrence Hurst and winning the University’s 2003 Concerto Competition; while there, he also played in orchestras around the state. He next won a position with the Louisiana Philharmonic and was active on the avant-garde jazz scene, sitting in with Ellis Marsalis and playing in El Radio Fantastique, a “dark rock band beyond categorization.� A recipient of numerous awards, Corner won third place in the 2001 International Society of Bassists Orchestral Competition and two years later took the competition’s first prize, which led to a one-week internship with the Detroit Symphony. Corner has attended the Music Academy of the West and the Aspen Music Festival. In his spare time, he enjoys golf, mountain biking and snowboarding Musical Guest: J.C. Jones Music Played: Coming: live episodes visit J.C. Jones online at www.kadimacollective.com/JCJones.htm for purchasing information J.C. Jones bio: Jean Claude Jones was born in1949 in Sfax, Tunisia, raised in France, and educated in the US. From Tunisia he moved to France, where by the age of17, a self taught musician, he began working in professional popular music and jazz bands on lead and bass guitar. After majoring in jazz guitar at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he received a music degree in 1980, he spent two years in Los Angeles studying at the Music Institute of Technology. He emigrated to Israel in 1983. In 1986 he made a definitive switch from bass guitar to double bass, and started to immerse himself in free improvised music. He later added electronics and computer-manipulated sounds to his musical arsenal. JC Jones is an esteemed music educator and served as chair of the Jazz Department at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance between 1996 and 2000. He has performed and recorded with many leading international and Israeli musicians, dancers, poets and vocal artists, including Stan Getz (1985), Red Rodney (1986) Dave Liebman (1988). Since the 1990s he has appeared with John Zorn, Anthony Coleman, Ned Rothenberg, Slava Ganelin, Steve Horenstein, Albert Beger, Arkady Gotesman, Avishai Cohen, Julien Hamilton, Amos Hetz, Anat Shamgar, Ariel Shibolet, Harold Rubin, Victoria Hanna, Josef Sprinzak, and many others. His most recent release, Hosting Myself, from Kadima Collective Recordings is his first solo disc. JC Jones’s current projects include the Excited Strings with cellist Yuval Mesner and guest reed player Steve Horenstein, and the Between the Strings trio with viola player Nori Jacoby and violinist Daniel Hoffman, featuring soprano sax player Ariel Shibolet. The driving force behind his work is “finding one’s space.� Musical Guest: Daniel Nix Music Played: Claude Debussy - Beau Soir (Beautiful Evening) visit www.danielnix.com for more information about Daniel Daniel Nix bio: Daniel Nix began the double bass at the age of fourteen because of the insistence of his orchestra director in Richardson, Texas. Having previously studied violin from the age of ten, Daniel was persuaded to make this supposedly temporary switch of instruments in order to accommodate the needs of the orchestra. After having played the double bass only one day, the director of the orchestra concluded that Daniel demonstrated too strong an affinity for the instrument not to continue. After much reluctance, Daniel focused his efforts on playing the double bass but subconsciously longed for the gorgeous melodies so easily played on the violin. After his years on the violin, Daniel found the double bass massive, uncomfortable, and extremely difficult for producing a beautiful and satisfying sound. At first he could not see a way to play such a cumbersome instrument in the way he wanted. Upon hearing famed bassist Karr in concert, Daniel, at the age of seventeen, realized the enormous potential of the instrument. After this brief encounter, Daniel began to experiment and learn how to produce what he considered “a gorgeous sound� with which he could convey strong emotional messages similar to those he heard in the Karr concert. After studying for a year at the Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX, where Daniel had the extraordinary opportunity to study with the finest members of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, he attended KarrKamp, an intensive course in double bass studies, in 2003. There, for the first time, Daniel had the chance to play for his mentor. Upon hearing him play, Karr expressed a strong interest in working with Daniel privately. This encouraged Daniel to move to Victoria, British Columbia in order to study privately with Karr while also attending the University of Victoria to major in music performance and study with Mary Rannie, principal bassist of the Victoria Symphony. Throughout his musical journey both as a student and performer, Daniel’s most important goal is to be a lyrical player. Daniel says, “with so much importance placed on technique with little regard for lyricism in today’s competitive world, so many musicians become cold technocrats rather than expressive artists.� Music provided by: JC Jones Daniel Nix Eric Hochberg Fonkmasters – www.music.podshow.com N’Awlins Gumbo Kings – UFO Saloon   "UFO Saloon" (mp3) from "UFO Saloon" by N'Awlins Gumbo Kings (Blue Cat Blues Records)  Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at eMusic Stream from Rhapsody Buy at Rhapsody Buy at Napster Buy at GroupieTunes More On This AlbumOneson – Just One of Those Nights  "Just One of Those Nights" (mp3) from "Long Overdue: The Prologue" by Oneson (acropolisRPM) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at eMusic Buy at Napster Buy at Rhapsody Stream from Rhapsody More On This AlbumComments[0] |
Sun, 19 August 2007 This is an amazing off-the-cuff performance from Miloslav Gajdos
playing and singing (both parts at the same time!) Mozart’s “Per Questa
Bella Mano� on the double bass. He was experiencing jet lag and playing
on a borrowed bass, but one would never know if from watching this
video! The bass in this video was provided by sonksenstrings.com.
This trip was coordinated by Lyric Opera of Chicago and Northeastern
Illinois bass professor Greg Sarchet in conjunction with the 100th
anniversary of the first bass recital in Chicago. Check out Greg at Bass Club Chicago, and stay tuned for more great episodes featuring Miloslav Gajdos! Comments[0] |
Sun, 12 August 2007 This week's Contrabass Conversations episode features the second half
of our interview with double bassist Guy Tuneh, conducted over a
distance of thousands of miles. It was a real pleasure to get to sit
down and chat with Guy--he's a warm, intelligent, and passionate
individual, and these traits come through in his speaking just like
they do in his bass playing. You can visit him online at www.guytuneh.com. You will also get a chance to hear the great jazz bassist Brian Bromberg perform and hear some bass playing from L.A. bassist Nam Chi Vu. Enjoy! ____________ CBC #33 Show Notes Release Date: 8/12/07 Length: 51:24 Website: www.contrabassconversations.com E-mail: contrabassconversations@gmail.com Blog: www.doublebassblog.com Podcast T-shirts, hats, and more: www.cafepress.com/doublebass MySpace: www.myspace.com/cbcpodcast Theme song by Eric Hochberg: www.erichochberg.com This show is brought to you by TalkBass.com, the largest community of bassists on the Internet. Join in the conversation at talkbass.com/cbc. You can always call 206-666-6509 to leave a message and join in the conversation! To get Contrabass Conversations downloaded automatically to your computer (for free!), you can subscribe in iTunes: Click here to subscribe through e-mail or through another program besides iTunes Click to listen (right-click to download) Guy Tuneh bio: Guy Tuneh has been studying in  Brian BrombergMusic played: “A Love Affair� from Wood II Visit him online at http://www.brianbromberg.net/ About Brian: Brian was born December 5th, 1960 in Tucson Arizona. He grew up in a family of musicians and artists. His father and brother played the drums. With all that music around the house, and drums all over the place, it was natural for Brian to start playing the drums as well. Brian was two and a half years old, beating up the furniture and banging on anything that didn't move. After some years of playing and practicing, Brian began his professional career as a drummer at the age of thirteen. In elementary and Jr.high School, Brian also played the cello. That was one instrument that Brian did not feel very comfortable playing. One day in orchestra class at jr. high, the orchestra director came over to Brian and said, hey Brian, you see that big bass over there in the corner? You know that nobody is playing it. Don't you want to play that big cool bass over there? You see, the orchestra director had a plan. He thought that having one bad bass player was better then not having one at all. That was his way of getting Brian to stop trying to saw his cello in half! That day was a blessing in disguise. Brian didn't realize that he had the gift for melody as well as rhythm. With his drumming background, and all this new melody available to him from the bass, Brian knew that this was going to be his path. From ages fourteen to eighteen, Brian locked himself up in a room and practiced day and night. Testing out of high school early and devoting all his time to music, for the next few years Brian played every type of gig imaginable. Quite often Brian would play five to seven nights a week with several different bands. Brian's first big break came in 1979 when Marc Johnson, the wonderful bassist with the great jazz pianist Bill Evans, heard Brian play. Several months later while on tour, Marc ran into legendary jazz saxophonist Stan Getz. Stan was looking for a new bass player and asked Marc if he knew any new young players. Marc told Stan about Brian. Brian auditioned for Stan and joined the Stan Getz quintet in December of 1979. Brian had just turned 19 and spent nearly a year touring the world with Stan and his band.  Musical Guest: Nam Chi Vu-she will be releasing a solo double bass album late this year, so stay tuned for that, but check out this sampler featuring many of her bass highlights from various musical situations. -visit her online at www.namchivu.com or www.myspace.com/namchivu About Nam Chi Vu: Nam Chi Vu has been singing since she was twelve years old, playing electric bass guitar since she was thirteen, acting since she was fourteen, and playing upright bass since she was sixteen. Her background consists of several genres from classical, jazz, rock, to pop. Her experience goes from sharing the stage in master classes with Victor Wooten to rocking out with Chicago based band Veruca Salt. Nam Chi is currently in the studio with world-renowned producer/bass player Josquin des Pres of Track Star Studios and will be featured on a compilation featuring Dennis Chambers of Santana, members of the Gipsy Kings, and numerous other celebrities to be announced. She is also currently in the studio and on tour with EMI songwriter/ Warner Brothers record producer Kim Bingham, also known as the former backup vocalist and guitarist for Nelly Furtado, and have had recordings with Kim produced by Steve Porcaro of Toto which were featured in Hollywood films. Nam Chi Vu currently plays Carvin "Bunny Brunel" 4 & 5 String Signature basses, Kesslar Contrabass with French Bow and Underwood Pickup, Carvin B800 Combo, and La Bella strings. Music Provided by: Nam Chi Vu Fonkmasters – www.music.podshow.com Matthew Ebel – Drive Away – www.music.podshow.com Eric Hochberg Presto -Searching Featuring 3rd Kind – Right Here  "Searching" (mp3)from "Right Here" by Presto (Concrete Grooves) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at eMusic Buy at Napster Buy at Rhapsody Stream from Rhapsody More On This AlbumBrian Bromberg  "A Love Affair" (mp3)from "Wood II" by Brian Bromberg (Artistry Music Group, LLC) Buy at Rhapsody Buy at Napster Stream from Rhapsody Buy at GroupieTunes More On This AlbumComments[0] |
Tue, 7 August 2007 Check out this excellent video from the extraordinary double bassist Ranaan Meyer. Ranaan is a member of the trio Time for Three, and he was featured on Contrabass Conversations episode 28. Enjoy! Comments[0] |
Sun, 5 August 2007 This week on Contrabass Conversations we bring you an interview with
string teacher and double bassist Peter Tambroni. Peter has written a
book titled An Introduction to Double Bass Playing,
and he has many valuable ideas regarding double bass pedagogy. Arizona
bassist Robert Matheson is also featured on this episode. Enjoy! _____________ CBC #32 Show Notes Release Date: 8/5/07 Length: 57:11 Website: www.contrabassconversations.com E-mail: contrabassconversations@gmail.com Blog: www.doublebassblog.com Podcast T-shirts, hats, and more: www.cafepress.com/doublebass MySpace: www.myspace.com/cbcpodcast Theme song by Eric Hochberg: www.erichochberg.com This show is brought to you by TalkBass.com, the largest community of bassists on the Internet. Join in the conversation at talkbass.com/cbc. We also encourage you to check out more resources for the jazz bassist at JazzDoubleBass.com, where you can find the Contrabass Conversations jazz forums. You can always call 206-666-6509 to leave a message and join in the conversation! To get Contrabass Conversations downloaded automatically to your computer (for free!), you can subscribe in iTunes: Click here to subscribe through e-mail or through another program besides iTunes Click to listen (right-click to download) or click player below: Interview guest – Peter Tambroni Book – An Introduction to Double Bass Playing – available at: http://www.lulu.com/tambroni Between interview segments you will get the chance to hear Peter perform some highlights from various electric and acoustic bass selections. Peter’s bio: I began playing the double bass at the age of 16 (after playing the clarinet since elementary school) when the director of my high school jazz ensemble asked if anyone would be interested in playing bass. After playing electric bass it was suggested that I learn the string bass and soon after I began orchestral studies. Within a year I knew I wanted to go into the field of music, and becoming a music teacher was the perfect choice for me. I received my Bachelor's of Music in Music Education from the Crane School of Music in 1996. After that I taught strings in the public schools for grades 4 - 12 in Northern New York and have been adjunct faculty for 'cello and double bass at the State University of New York at Plattsburgh. In 2000 I graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign with a Master's in Double Bass Performance, studying with Michael Cameron. I am currently a string teacher in suburban Chicago where I teach string lessons in grades 3 - 8 and conduct the middle school concert and chamber orchestras. I also lead an Irish ensemble and a bass quartet. I perform around the greater Chicago area with many orchestra and rock bands around the city. In 2000 I appeared on the Bozo Super Sunday Show to give a presentation and performance on the double bass. In the spring of 2003 I was the guest soloist for District 212 (playing the Vanhal concerto) and in spring of 2004 I performed at Symphony Center's Orchestra Hall with the Polish American Symphony Orchestra of Chicago. I have attended classes with Michael Hovnanian of the Chicago Symphony, John Chiego, Hal Robinson of the Philadelphia Orchestra, Scott Haigh of the Cleveland Symphony, Stewart Arfman, and Erik Harris. I have been published several in American String Teacher as well as websites around the world. Bass news: -Bass Musician Magazine launches! – our first feature for this publication featured double bassist Ranaan Meyer, who you heard on episode 28 of the podcast. For this bi-monthly magazine, we’ll be featuring artists who work in multiple styles of music, so expect to see one such artist in each magazine. Being featured in each issue of this publication is a really good thing for the podcast! -New interactive podcast features -New survey happening now over at doublebassblog.org about bassist experiences with various airlines Musical Guest – Robert Matheson Songs performed: Box Canyon Sattva Ironwood Duo Michael Lich, banjo & guitar Robert Matheson, bass Double Bassist, composer, Robert Matheson’s repertoire includes classical and jazz compositions, as well as original works influenced by classical, jazz, folk, and rock music. He also enjoys collaborating with visual artists, dancers, and musicians on improvisation projects. Past performances have taken Robert to Sonora, Mexico for Festival Dr. Alfonso Ortiz Tirado; Sedona, Arizona for Chamber Music Sedona; and to Los Angeles, California for performances at the Roxy, and the Eagle Rock Center for the Arts. He has performed with the guitar duo, Toccata; the Latin jazz group, Hans and the Attachés; Blue Pacific Swing Band; as well as the Tucson and Bakersfield Symphony Orchestras. His radio performances have included Chamber Music Showcase on KUAT 90.5 FM and Locals Only on KXCI 91.3 FM. Robert has studied under Barry Green, David Young, and Patrick Neher. He has also participated in master classes with such distinguished bassists as, François Rabbath, Paul Ellison, and David Murray. Robert performs with the Sierra Vista Symphony Orchestra and Tucson Chamber Orchestra. He is a music artist in the Opening Minds Through the Arts (OMA) residency program. He also lectures and teaches double bass at the Academy of Music and Dance in Tucson. www.cdbaby.com/cd/lich www.ironwoodduo.com www.myspace.com/mathesonbass Music provided by: Fonkmasters – www.music.podshow.com Eric Hochberg – www.erichochberg.com Peter Tambroni – www.tambroni.com Full-Time Duet – www.myspace.com/fulltimeduet Robert Matheson – www.ironwoodduo.com  "Friday Night" (mp3) from "Live At Blue Cat Blues - Dallas Texas" by Los Lonely Boys (Blue Cat Blues Records) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at eMusic Stream from Rhapsody Buy at Rhapsody Buy at Napster Buy at GroupieTunes More On This AlbumComments[0] |
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Contrabass Conversations
life on the low end of the spectrum with Jason Heath
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