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Contrabass Conversations features interviews and performances from top leaders in the world of the bass. Podcast host Jason Heath dives deep into what makes these world-class artists tick. With over 2 million downloads, Contrabass Conversations is the most popular podcast for double bassists. Join the community and experience life on the low end of the spectrum!
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Contrabass Conversations double bass life
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820: Rodney Jordan and Christian Fabian on Conversations
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Rodney Jordan and Christian Fabian have recently released a new album of bass duos called Conversations. We chat about the idea behind this album, what it was like putting it together, and much more. Enjoy, and be sure to check out Conversations on Spotify, Apple Music, and wherever you listen to music! Subscribe to the podcast to get these intervi…
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Contrabass Conversations double bass life
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819: Eleanor Martindale on RCR Double Bass Camp 2021
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We’re chatting with Eleanor Martindale about this summer’s RCR Double Bass Camp, which will be coming up August 16-21 in Perpignan, France. We talk about how the camp is organized, the teachers that will be there, and much more. Enjoy, and you can learn more about the RCR Double Bass Camp on their website, Instagram, and Facebook! Subscribe to the …
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Contrabass Conversations double bass life
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818: Christian Gray on opera bass life
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Christian Gray joined the double bass section of the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra at the start of their 2017-2018 Season. Prior to his appointment, he performed frequently with numerous other ensembles, including the National Symphony Orchestra, Houston Symphony Orchestra, and San Antonio Symphony. We talk about what life in an opera orches…
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Contrabass Conversations double bass life
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817: Ben Hanlon on Stravinsky in duo form
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Ben Hanlon is a bassist in the Melbourne Symphony and is also an active jazz bassist. He and James Sherlock have recently released a new duo album titled Stravinsky, and his trio Ball Hanlon Schulz has also released a new album titled Land Of If. We talk about these new projects, life in Melbourne during the pandemic, and much more. Enjoy, and chec…
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Contrabass Conversations double bass life
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816: Noah Reitman on his path to the Vancouver Symphony
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Noah Reitman has been assistant principal bass of the Vancouver Symphony since 2015 and is also currently the president of the Vancouver Musicians’ Association. He also coaches bass and chamber music at Idyllwild Arts in California in the summers. He is also on the faculty at the VSO School of Music where he teaches bass lessons and coaches chamber…
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Contrabass Conversations double bass life
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815: Bram De Man on his luthier journey
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Bram De Man is a double bass luthier in Brussels, Belgium. After first studying as a bass player, at the age of 18, he was admitted to the Ghent Conservatory to study musical instrument making, graduating with a first-class distinction and receiving an honorary bequest for his research into D-violones and the early double bass. After these studies,…
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Contrabass Conversations double bass life
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814: Travis Harrison on the Canadian School of Double Bass
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Travis Harrison is a freelance bassist in Toronto and a former member of the Winnipeg Symphony. As a former student of Joel Quarrington, Travis worked with Joel for many years to develop and refine the Canadian School of Double Bass, which has been recently updated and released in a new edition for both fourths and fifths tuning. We talk about Trav…
Today’s episode features a conversation with Camellia Aftahi, Michael Martin, and Tyson Davis about Bass Players for Black Composers. This organization commissions and publishes new works for double bass by Black composers, and it is celebrating its one-year anniversary with an ambitious fundraising campaign for future projects. We talk about the f…
Today’s episode features a conversation with Paul Leverger, who heads the marketing team for the music score reading app Newzik. Newzik just rolled out a new LiveScores feature which uses Maestria, their AI-driven Optical Music Recognition technology. This new feature allows for any PDF or paper score to be turned into an interactive document. Enjo…
Patrick Staples is a bassist with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra and has begun making bows recently. We talk about growing up in Canada, moving to Los Angeles to attend Colburn and study with David Allen Moore and Paul Ellison, further studies with Tim Pitts at Rice University, and landing his job in Calgary. We also dig into how Patrick got st…
Christopher Jeffer is a double bassist and recording engineer who recently released a solo bass album titled Cat’s Cradle. We dig into the inspiration for this album, what he has learned about recording double bass, the challenge of doing this recording during the pandemic, goals for the future, and much more. Check out Cat’s Cradle on Spotify, App…
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Contrabass Conversations double bass life
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809: Trevor Jones on our sheet music store
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Trevor Jones and Jason talk about the behind-the-scenes work behind the launch of the Double Bass Blog Sheet Music Store in today’s special mini-episode. Enjoy, and be sure to check out the store for over 100 titles covering different styles, techniques like harmonics, repertoire for solo double bass, 2 basses, and more! Every purchase goes directl…
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Contrabass Conversations double bass life
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808: Rob Knopper on online learning
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Rob Knopper is a percussionist with the MET Orchestra, and he is a force of nature in the online learning world, with his popular auditionhacker program and other associated ventures. We talk about what the last few years have been like since our previous interview in 2016, how his online programs have evolved, what the pandemic has been like for h…
Today’s episode features a discussion with the following luthiers about the 2021 Build a Bass event in conjunction with the virtual International Society of Bassists Convention: Dustin Williams Trevor Davis Joey Naeger Mitch Moehring Madeleine Crouch (ISB General Manager) Enter the 2021 ISB Build-a-Bass Sweepstakes by Saturday, June 12 at 11:59 PM …
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Contrabass Conversations double bass life
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806: Nicky Schwartz on Stolen Pearls
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Nicky Schwartz just released Stolen Pearls with his wife Anna Fedorova, including the most epic double bass album trailer ever. Nicky and Anna call themselves the Oyster Duo, and in this album they uncover all kinds of pieces not commonly played on bass. We talk about the new album, Nicky’s journey through the music world, what it’s like playing in…
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Contrabass Conversations double bass life
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805: Nina DeCesare on moving to Baltimore
1:03:41
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Nina DeCesare recently joined the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra in 2020 after spending several seasons playing with the Oregon Symphony. She studied at Rice University with Paul Ellison and leads an active performing and teaching life outside of the orchestra. We talk about what the pandemic has been like for her, auditioning for a job while holding…
Jonathan Borden is a double bassist with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and a graduate of Juilliard. He has recently launched an awesome YouTube Channel and is filming detailed tutorials about all kinds of double bass topics. We dig deep into YouTube tech talk, the joys and challenges of being a “YouTuber,” Jonathan’s future plans for his chann…
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Contrabass Conversations double bass life
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803: Tony Alcock on three-dimensional careers
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Tony Alcock is Double Bass Section Leader for the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. He has previously been Principal double bass of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London and section leader with the BBC Now (Wales), BBC SSO (Scotland), Scottish Opera, and Co-Principal with the Halle. We talk about all kinds of topics, including Tony’s path…
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802: Isaac Trapkus on IMSLP and his path
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Isaac Trapkus joined the New York Philharmonic in November 2016. Before joining the Philharmonic he was a member of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and, before that, principal double bass of the New Haven Symphony while he was studying with Leigh Mesh, associate principal bass of The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. Isaac also volunteers as a designer …
Marc Gelfo is the founder of Modacity, which has transformed my practice habits during the three years that I’ve been using it. We dig into what Marc has been up to since our last podcast chat, the power of deliberate practice, new features coming for Modacity, the new iPad edition, and more. Enjoy, and check out this special lifetime offer that Ma…
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Contrabass Conversations double bass life
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800: Erica Bramham on pandemic projects
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Erica Bramham just released Enamel, her third album, and her first self-recorded release. We talk about how the pandemic inspired these compositions, what it was like shooting the music videos for this album, what the pandemic has been like for her in Melbourne, thoughts on future projects, and such more. Enjoy, and be sure to check out Erica’s wor…
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799: Mary Rannie on writing Life on the G String
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Mary Rannie is the principal double bass of the Victoria Symphony in British Columbia, Canada, the double bassist in the Galiano Ensemble, and former bass instructor at the University of Victoria. She is also the author of Gary Karr: Life on the G String, which chronicles the remarkable career of one of the most influential bassists in history. We …
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798: Michael Fuller on his orchestral journey
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Michael Fuller is currently a Resident Bass Fellow at the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Prior to that, he spent three seasons with the New World Symphony. We talk about Michael’s background, growing up in Philadelphia, discovering the bass, his time spent at Eastman and Rice, learning Sofia Gubaidulina’s Eight Studies for Double Bass, what the pandemic…
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797: Daniel Chiva Sanz on a newly discovered bass concerto
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Daniel Chiva Sanz recently recorded his own orchestration of the Second Double Bass Concerto Op. 25 by Findeisen. We dig into how this work was lost in a fire, leaving only the nearly impossible to play piano reduction. We also cover how Danny discovered the work, the compositional style of Findeisen, challenges and pleasures of learning this work,…
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Contrabass Conversations double bass life
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796: Peter Rofé on his orchestral career
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Peter Rofé has been a bassist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic since 1986. He began his orchestral career as the principal bassist with the San Diego Symphony and the San Diego Opera and held those posts for fourteen years. He also recently started a YouTube Channel where he sings and play bass with arrangements of classic songs. We talk about Pet…
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Contrabass Conversations double bass life
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795: Kenneth Knudson on Uummat and beyond
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Kenneth Knudson recently released an album titled Uummat which was inspired by working on the Western Greenland island of Uummannaq. Knudsen was exposed to the vast, calm and awe-inspiring natural surroundings, which were the first catalyst for a new set of compositions. Soon, a second incidence added a new dimension to the music. During a dinner w…
Evangeline Tang, Phoebe Clarke and Yijia Cui started the Bassists with Boobs Instagram account in July 2020 to improve the online representation of bass players and create a positive and empowering community. We talk about their recent Leeds trip to do an interview with Geoff Chalmers of Discover Double Bass, the idea behind founding the channel, r…
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793: Roberto Cassani on Ansema We Stand
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Roberto Cassani has just released an intriguing new album titled Ansema We Stand. This album is a mix of world and folk music, blending the cultures of Scotland and rural northern Italy, Roberto’s two main homes with some of Scotland’s finest musicians. We talk about the new album, how the pandemic has been for him, his “other life” working in heal…
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Contrabass Conversations double bass life
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792: Mark Helias on pandemic collaborations
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Mark Helias is a renowned bassist, composer, and producer who has performed throughout the world for more than four decades with some of the most important and innovative musicians in Jazz and Improvised Music including Don Cherry, Edward Blackwell, Anthony Davis, Dewey Redman, Anthony Braxton, Abbey Lincoln, Cecil Taylor, and Uri Caine. Mark recen…
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791: Petru Iuga on teaching and inspiration
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Petru Iuga currently holds a professorship at the University of Music and Arts in Mannheim, Germany and Haute École de Musique de Lausanne. Having received his first training in his native Romania, he was selected by Yehudi Menuhin for the International Menuhin Music Academy in Gstaad (Switzerland). After further training at the Hochschule der Küns…
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790: Bernardo Alviz on working through an injury
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Bernardo Alviz was born and raised in Bogota, Colombia. He started his music studies at the age of 17 and holds a Bachelor's degree from the Universidad Javeriana in Bogota as well as a Bachelor's and Master's degree from the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler Berlin in Germany. Bernardo is a passionate performer of contemporary music and has perfor…
Shawn Conley leads an inspiring life playing all kinds of music. He has been playing with the Silkroad Ensemble for six years and is a member of the Brooklyn-based chamber orchestra The Knights. We talk about growing up in Hawaii, his paradigm-shifting first International Society of Bassists Convention and how it shaped his development, his path in…
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Contrabass Conversations double bass life
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788: Travis Gore on orchestra life during a pandemic
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Travis Gore has held a position with the Seattle Symphony and currently maintains a private studio of students in South Seattle. He remains an active studio musician and can be heard on major film and game soundtracks such as Men Who Stare at Goats, Valkyrie, Halo, Dragon Age and more. He has recorded with many recording artists like Bryan John App…
Learn about the latest Young Bassist program offerings for the 2021 International Society of Bassists Convention in this special episode! Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically! Check out our Online Sheet Music Store with 80+ wide-ranging titles for bassists. Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free …
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786: Stephen Street on publishing and Bottesini
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Stephen Street has been establishing himself as one of the most versatile emerging UK bassists. Equally adept at jazz and classical music, Stephen has studied with Leon Bosch, Chris West, and many other noted UK teachers. He has also started his own publishing house and has the goal to put our urtext editions of all of Bottesini’s works. We talk ab…
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785: Anne-Gabrièle Douce on piano and bass
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Anne-Gabrièle Douce is a French bassist and pianist currently living in London. She has built a fascinating career both in the piano and double bass worlds, and she is remarkable at telling her story on platforms like Instagram. We talk about her early years, similarities and differences in piano and bass pedagogy and performance, what the pandemic…
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784: Makram Aboul Hosn on the Beirut jazz scene
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Makram Aboul Hosn is a Lebanon-based jazz bassist and composer. He is also the band leader of Ad-Hoc Trio and the Aboul Hosn Quartet, and has recently released a new album titled Transmigration. We talk about life in Lebanon, the Beirut jazz scene and the impact that the port explosion has had on the country, Makram’s studies and time spent in Euro…
John Goldsby is one of the world’s best-known jazz bassists and a course creator for Discover Double Bass. His latest course Tell Your Story covers the topic of developing jazz soloing abilities. We talk about this course, what it’s like filming courses for Discover Double Bass, John’s latest album Segment (check out his website for more info), his…
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782: Dave Anderson on a life in composition
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Dave Anderson is one of the most well-known composers writing for the double bass. In addition to being internationally acclaimed as a composer, Dave serves as Principal Bass for the Louisiana Philharmonic in New Orleans and for the Britt Festival Orchestra in Oregon. We dig into all kinds of topics, like what the past year has been like, Dave’s re…
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781: Charles Laux on podcasting for orchestra teachers
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Charles Laux is the orchestra director at Alpharetta High School in Alpharetta, Georgia, and is the host of the excellent Orchestra Teacher Podcast. He also runs an incredible website and YouTube Channel dedicated to orchestra teaching, and he is an active clinician and presenter. We talk about our shared podcasting roots, Charles’ path through the…
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780: Ivy Wong on her orchestral path
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Ivy Wong is a member of Switzerland’s Orchestre De La Suisse Romande and has had a fascinating path through the music world. We talk about what it’s like playing and living in Switzerland, growing up in Hong Kong and moving to New York for college, the ups and downs of freelancing and auditioning in the US, the set of coincidences that led to her a…
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779: Charles Chandler, Amos Yang, and Shinji Eshima on 2LOW
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We are talking about the release of Bariolage - Duets for Violoncello and Double Bass by 2LOW, a cello and bass duo made up of San Francisco Symphony members Charles Chandler and Amos Yang. We are also joined by composer and San Francisco Opera and Ballet bassist Shinji Eshima, who composed the title track for this release from 2LOW. We talk about …
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778: Mitch Moehring on his luthier journey
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Mitch Moehring is the owner and operator of Mitch Moehring Strings, a locally owned and operated lutherie shop based in Kilgore, Texas. Mitch Moehring Strings specializes in hand-crafted 5/8 basses with grandiose sound. Mitch Moehring Strings offers a variety of services including string instrument repair, bow rehairs, rentals, and instrument/bow/s…
Tobias Glöckler is the associate principal double bass player at the Dresdner Philharmonie and a prizewinner of the International ISB Double Bass Competition (USA). He studied with Konrad Siebach at the Music Conservatory in Leipzig, perfecting his skills with Jeff Bradetich (Chicago) and Ulrich Lau (Stuttgart). While studying, he was the principal…
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776: James Barket on teaching and bass history
1:22:59
1:22:59
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James Barket is Orchestra Director at Webb Bridge Middle School in Alpharetta, GA. He also teaches bass at Kennesaw State University, and he did the English translation for Alfred Planyavsky’s groundbreaking book The Baroque Double Bass Violone. We start out by talking about the Midsummers Music Festival and Allyson Fleck, the Assistant Artistic Di…
Katie Eakes is the assistant principal bassist for the Anchorage Symphony and Anchorage Opera. She also has a thriving career as an orchestra teacher, and she was recently profiled on the Anchorage Opera’s YouTube Channel. We talk about what it’s like being a bassist in Alaska, the challenges and satisfactions of her professional life, and much mor…
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Contrabass Conversations double bass life
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774: Dave Krehbiel on going through the door
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David Krehbiel is former principal horn player for the Chicago, Detroit, and San Francisco Symphony Orchestras and has recently released an autobiography titled Through the Door: A Horn Player’s Journey. He has also served on the faculty of the Colburn School, San Francisco Conservatory, and many other renowned music schools. We talk about his rema…
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773: Korneel Le Compte on early bass traditions
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Korneel Le Compte is the principal bassist for the Belgian National Opera and has extensive experience in the early music world. We talk about his epic Viennese Violone book Meta Hodos, his remarkable YouTube Channel, his very cool series The Vanhal Tapes, the lives of these past legends of the double bass, and much more. Enjoy, and be sure to subs…
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772: Danny Ziemann on jazz bass soloing
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Danny Ziemann recently launched his latest book Topics in Jazz Bass Vol. 2: Soloing, and the two of us decided to try something a little different. We hopped on Zoom with our basses and did a quasi interview/bass lesson on how to work on jazz bass soloing. I hope you enjoy this different format, and be sure to check out Danny’s new book on Amazon a…
