Contrabass Conversations double bass life

Anima Nova carbon fiber sound posts have been getting a lot of attention recently in the double bass world.  I had the chance to sit down with Pal Molnar of Anima Nova at the 2018 European Bass Congress to dig into the details bout this new type of sound post and the advantages that it can offer.

Itt was a treat to sit down with Vassilis Papavassiliou over a coffee at the 2018 European Bass Congress and discuss his current topic of research: vibrato. Vassilis has presented a session on vibrato at past bass conventions, and I learned a lot chatting with him about the topic.  He also has an outstanding online resource on vibrato which s a must-read for any bass player, with great video examples and detailed description about the mechanics and aesthetics of vibrato.

I’ve been looking forward to having Hagai Bilitzky on the podcast for years, and it was great to be able to sit down with him in person at the 2018 European Bass Congress and dig into his explorations of Middle Eastern music on the bass.  Hagai has a wealth of information regarding Middle Eastern music on his website, and this is must-read material for any bassist interested in exploring this world.  Be sure to check out his articles, videos, blog, CD, and his soon-to-come book!

I first met Jennifer Downing Olsson back in the early 2000s.  She was playing in the Civic Orchestra of Chicago at the time. She recently took a new position with the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra.  She also returns to Chicago each summer to play in the Grant Park Symphony. Jennifer and I talk about her path through the music world, similarities and differences between Sweden and the United States, studying at Indiana University, & more!

Modacity is a practicing app developed by Marc Gelfo, a horn player who used to be in the Hong Kong Philharmonic and who is a regular extra with the San Francisco Symphony. Modacity has become my constant practice companion. I had the chance to sit down in person with Marc here in San Francisco, and we dig into all the cool features of this app, how it is built to encourage “deliberate practice” Marc’s path from Northwestern University to eventually founding his own startup, and much more!

Grace is a former student of John Schimek’s at Oklahoma City University, Grace is currently completing her graduate studies with Dennis Whittaker at the University of Houston. We dig into Grace’s path through the music world, what she finds gratifying about bass events like the KC Bass Workshop, developing a bass studio from scratch, teaching materials Grace is digging, & more. Follow Grace on Instagram, and enjoy this fun conversation with one of the bass world’s young stars!

Today we features a conversation on music, psychotherapy, and double bass.  Bill Harrison and Judith Hanna are both Chicago-area double bassists and practicing psychotherapists.  We talk about their path from bass paying into the world of psychotherapy, how the two disciplines relate, and much more! We also answer a number of questions submitted by listeners, including David Murray, Johnny Hamil, Bernard O’neill, Alan Glick, Dennis Whittaker, Andrew Hassel, Gaelen McCormick, and Kurt Muroki.  Enjoy!

Today we’re digging into a question that I’ve asked many of my past podcast guests: what advice would you give your younger self? This question is answered today by the following people (in order of appearance) Christian McBride: renowned jazz bassist Susan Wulff: San Diego Symphony Carlos Henriquez: Wynton Marsalis quintet Matthew McDonald: Berlin Philharmonic and more! A big shout-out to Krista Kopper for cataloging these past conversations—it’s what makes an episode like this pos

Edwin is one of the most in-demand bassists working today, having worked Elvin Jones, Ellis, Delfeayo, & Jason Marsalis, The Headhunters, and dozens of other familiar names. Edwin and I cover: •growing up in Dallas •early influences in his musical development •how singing and saxophone eventually led him to the bass •his journey to Austin, New Orleans, and Los Angeles and what he learned along the way •what it’s like traveling the world playing bass …and much more! 

Joel Reist has been a member of the Nashville Symphony for nearly 20 years, and has served as principal bass since 2003.  We cover: •what Tony Bianco was like as a teacher & the rich influences from which he drew •how Joel was introduced to Paul Ellison & the impact that it had on his playing •one of the biggest pitfalls that bassists fall into during auditions •the “rubber chicken” story (Nashville Symphony crazy gig story!) •what getting a new hall does for an orchestra …and muc

Today’s episode features Joe Zon of Zon Guitars plus Zon artists Michael Manring, Cody Wright, Bill Gould, and Jeff Denson. Dan Robbins joined the panel with his Ibanez 6-string and array of pedals and effects as well. Topics include: -how Joe Zon got into the business, and how he and Michael Manring first met -the stability that carbon fiber necks provide -the signal chain from bass to amp -how to prioritize gear upgrades -differences in various types of pickups and how they affect tone

Ethan Jodziewicz has carved out a remarkable career for himself. He plays for Sierra Hull + was featured on her GRAMMY-nominated album Weighted Mind.  A former student of Edgar Meyer, Hal Robinson, + Nicholas Walker, Ethan is forging his own path through the music world in a fascinating way.  We dig into topics, like: -living a balanced + fulfilling life -the concept of how you practicing being more important than quantity of practice time -what Edgar Meyer was like as a teacher

Donovan and I dug into a bunch of gear-related questions that I’d been wanting to ask him, like: • why Donovan plays on bows that weigh 240 grams • how his bass is tuned and how he thinks about pitches on it • the unique spin on the Marvin tailpiece that Donovan uses • when he started to use the Labor-style endpin • how he still plays traditional 4-string tuning for rockabilly gigs • the influence of heavy metal in his compositions

Megan’s session on the Bass and Gender from the 2018 Golden Gate Bass Camp.

Megan McDevitt has been covering a topic that is of critical importance: The Bass and Gender. She presented a session on it at the 2017 International Society of Bassists Convention, the 2018 Golden Gate Bass Camp. Megan and I dig into femininity, masculinity, and the bass, and a whole variety of topics are covered through this conversational journey. Thank you so much to Megan for enthusiastically covering this topic—I really hope you enjoy this episode and find it valuable food for thought!