Contrabass Conversations

We're featuring music from jazz and free improvisation bassist Barre Phillips on this week's podcast episode, as well as bass news and updates. Enjoy!

About Barre Phillips:

Barre Phillips (born October 27, 1934 in San Francisco, California) is a jazz and free improvisation bassist. A professional musician since 1960, he migrated to New York City in 1962, then to Europe in 1967. Since 1972 he has been based in southern France where in 2014 founded the European Improvisation Center

He studied briefly in 1959 with S. Charles Siani, Assistant Principal Bassist with the San Francisco Symphony During the 1960s he recorded with (among others) Eric Dolphy, Jimmy Giuffre, Archie Shepp, Peter Nero, Attila Zoller, Lee Konitz and Marion Brown.

Phillips' 1968 recording of solo bass improvisations, issued as Journal Violone in the USA, Unaccompanied Barre in England, and Basse Barre in France, is generally credited as the first solo bass record. A 1971 record with Dave Holland, Music from Two Basses, was probably the first record of improvised double bass duets.

In the 1970s he was a member of the well-regarded and influential group The Trio with saxophonist John Surman and drummer Stu Martin. In the 1980s and 1990s he played regularly with the London Jazz Composers Orchestra led by fellow bassist Barry Guy. He worked on soundtracks of the motion pictures Merry-Go-Round (1981), Naked Lunch (1991, together with Ornette Coleman) and Alles was baumelt, bringt Glück! (2013).

As a free improviser he has worked with (among many others) bassists Peter Kowald and Joëlle Léandre, guitarist Derek Bailey, clarinetists Theo Jörgensmann and Aurélien Besnard, saxophonists Peter Brötzmann, Evan Parker and Joe Maneri, and pianist Paul Bley.

Barre is the father of rock guitarist Jay Crawford from the band Bomb, of the bassist Dave Phillips and of singer Claudia Phillips, who was a one-hit wonder in France in 1987 with "Quel souci La Boétie".

It's official! Make plans to celebrate the Summer of Bass Love at the 2011 ISB Convention, June 5-11, at San Francisco State University. Stay tuned for details and mark your calendars!

We're doing a brief podcast interview today with Barry Green, who we recently featured in an interview/performance episode on Contrabass Conversations. Barry describes the setting for the 2011 convention (which will be awesome!), and some other details that I'm sure will make you excited for this event. Enjoy!

This week, we're featuring the double bass stylings of Doug Stuart, a former University of Michigan student who is currently active in the San Francisco Bay area. We'll be hearing "Wake Up" and "Gratitude" from The Pear and the Pepper, Doug's latest EP.

Enjoy this New Year's nugget from double bassist Guy Tuneh, featuring a personal greeting for all listeners and readers and a complete performance of Kol Nidrei by Max Bruch. This was recorded live on a borrowed bass during a concert for sick children.

We're featuring double bassist Barry Green on Contrabass Conversations this week. In addition to being an influential bassist and teacher (he served as Principal Bass for the Cincinnati Symphony for 28 years, has written many method books, and currently teaches in the San Francisco Bay Area), Barry is the well-known author of The Inner Game of Music, The Mastery of Music, and Bringing Music to Life.

We're chatting with David Cutler, the author of The Savvy Musician, this week on Contrabass Conversations. This new book is filled with excellent and informative about musical entrepreneurship, product development, branding, marketing, networking, and much more. I hope that you enjoy this interview and check out David's book, and be sure to also visit his blog, which is a great supplement to the book and quite entertaining.

This week's podcast features an interview with James Knabe, a trumpet performer and teacher who also runs a web consulting service for musicians. Learn more about what musicians can do to effectively market themselves by listening to this short interview, and check out musicianadvice.com for more information about the services James provides. Enjoy!

This week's Contrabass Conversations episode features an interview with National Symphony bassist and Peabody Conservatory faculty member Jeff Weisner. In addition to performing and teaching, Jeff is a prolific blogger, writing about all kinds of subjects on PeabodyDoubleBass. Jeff also cross-posts many of these posts on doublebassblog.org, adding his own perspective and enhancing this site.

After the interview, we feature a live recording from the 2007 International Society of Bassists Convention of Jeff performing the Ostinato from Tom Schnauber's Alba and Ostinato. Enjoy!

• visit PeabodyDoubleBass
• visit Jeff's Peabody faculty page

Peabody Double Bass Faculty:

Paul Johnson, Jeffrey Weisner (classical). Michael Formanek (jazz). Artist in ResidenceHal Robinson.

Follow the Peabody Double Bass Studio on Twitter

About Jeff:

B.M., Boston University School for the Arts; M.M. , Peabody Conservatory. Bass instruction with Lawrence Wolfe, Edwin Barker, and Hal Robinson. Member, National Symphony Orchestra, Washington DC, since 1995. Active chamber musician and solo performer, with recitals and masterclasses at venues including San Francisco Conservatory, the Colburn School for the Performing Arts, and Interlochen Arts Academy.

We're featuring double bassist Alan Steiner on this week's episode of Contrabass Conversations. A graduate of the Curtis Institute, Alan performs regularly with the Chicago Sinfonietta and Lake Forest Symphony. In addition to maintaining a private double bass studio, Alan teaches bass each summer at the Birch Creek Music Performance Center in Door County, Wisconsin.

The topic of discussion for today's brief (15 min) episode focuses on tips for helping students to make quality audition tapes. Alan listens to many audition tapes each year when choosing bassists for the Birch Creek Symphony, and he offers advice to help students make better tapes and get more out of the process. Enjoy!

This week's episode of Contrabass Conversations features an interview with double bassist David Grossman, a member of the New York Philharmonic bass section and an active jazz bassist. Hosted by John Grillo, this interview covers David's early musical experiences, his dual interest in jazz and classical music, current projects, his philosophy and approach as a teacher, and a variety of other topics.

About David:

Bassist David J. Grossman began playing with the New York Philharmonic as its youngest member in December 1999 before graduating from The Juilliard School in May 2000. Born and educated in New York City, Mr. Grossman has performed as double bassist and pianist in orchestral, chamber, and jazz venues worldwide. He is a member of the double bass faculties of the Manhattan School of Music and The Juilliard School, and regularly gives master classes across the country. (view complete bio)

Tracks featured:

• Thirds The Charm – from The Bass Of Both Worlds Jazz (iTunes link)
• Janacek: Pohadka (Fairy Tale) Mvt. 3 – from The Bass Of Both Worlds Classical (iTunes link)

More information on David's recordings is available on his website davidjgrossman.com.