Contrabass Conversations

We're featuring some brief interviews I did with people on the floor of the 2009 International Society of Bassists Convention at Penn State in June. Feel free to check out my ISB 2009 Retrospective blog post for even more information on what was happening at this year's convention, and stay tuned for an avalanche of content from this event over the next couple of months!

During this episode, I chat with Bill Wasson, Ian Saunders, Robert Meyer, and several University of Michigan students, as well as featuring some listener feedback and news.

This week, we're featuring an interview with Klauss Stoll, the recently retired Principal Bass of the Berlin Philharmonic. He has taught for many years in Berlin, Salzburg, and in master classes worldwide, and is regarded as one of the finest teachers of the double bass alive today.

This interview was conducted by Jonathan Stefaniak, a former member of the Civic Orchestra who is now playing in an orchestra in Japan. Jonathan was recently working with Professor Stoll in a master class setting and had the opportunity to sit down and chat with him for the podcast.

In this interview, Jonathan and Klaus discuss Klaus' early years on the instrument, his time spent in the Berlin Philharmonic, auditioning for co-principal and eventually first principal chair, his chamber duo, orchestral style, developments in eduction and the decline of the despotic maestro, the unique characteristics of the Berlin Philharmonic, and specifics about his teaching.

Learn more about Klaus at his website: klausstoll.com

We're featuring Boston Symphony Principal Bassist Ed Barker on this week's Contrabass Conversations episode. Conducted by Contrabass Conversations co-host John Grillo, this episode features John chatting with Ed about his early years on the bass, his schooling and time spent in the Chicago Symphony prior to his appointment with the Boston Symphony, and in-depth look at articulation on the bass, and a discussion on practicing. We hope you enjoy this conversation with this modern master performer and teacher of the double bass!

About Ed Barker:

Edwin Barker is recognized as one of the most gifted bassists on the American concert scene. Acknowledged as an accomplished solo and ensemble player, Mr. Barker has concertized in North America, Europe, and the Far East.

Edwin Barker has performed and recorded with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Boston Symphony Chamber Players, and with the contemporary music ensemble Collage, a Boston – based contemporary music ensemble, and is a frequent guest performer with the Boston Chamber Music Society. Mr. Barker gave the world premiere of James Yannatos' Concerto for Contrabass and Chamber Orchestra and of Theodore Antoniou's Concertino for Contrabass and Chamber Orchestra ; he was the featured soloist in the New England premiere of Gunther Schuller's Concerto for Double Bass and Chamber Orchestra, conducted by the composer with The Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra.

Mr. Barker graduated with honors from the New England Conservatory in 1976, where he studied double bass with Henry Portnoi. That same year, while a member of the Chicago Symphony, he was appointed at age 22 to the position of principal double bass of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. His other double bass teachers included Peter Mercurio, Richard Stephan, Angelo LaMariana, and David Perleman.

Mr. Barker was invited to inaugurate the 100th anniversary season of the Boston Symphony Orchestra with a solo performance of the Koussevitzky Bass Concerto; other solo engagements have included appearances at Ozawa Hall (Tanglewood), Carnegie Recital Hall's "Sweet and Low" series, and at major universities and conferences throughout the world, as well as concerto performances with the Boston Classical Orchestra, the Athens State Orchestra (Greece) and with the Boston Symphony Orchestra in Boston and Europe. He was a featured premiere soloist with the Boston Symphony of John Harbison's Concerto for Bass Viol and Orchestra at Tanglewood's 2007 Festival of Contemporary Music.

Mr. Barker is an Associate Professor at the Boston University College of Fine Arts where he teaches double bass, orchestral techniques, and chamber music. His other major teaching affiliations include the Boston Symphony Orchestra's Tanglewood Music Center, where he is Chairman of Instrumental and Orchestral Studies.

Edwin Barker's solo CD recordings include Three Sonatas for Double Bass, on Boston Records, James Yannatos' Variations for Solo Contrabass, on Albany Records, and Concerti for Double Bass, on GM Recordings, which includes bass concerti by Gunther Schuller and Theodore Antoniou. Concerti for Contrabass also includes his highly praised performance of Tom Johnson's Failing , which was recorded live at Harvard University's Sanders Theater. Edwin Barker's latest solo offering on CD is a recently released performance of James Yannatos' Concerto for Contrabass with Collage.

The number of considerations a prospective music school student faces these days can be quite staggering–in this week's episode, I try to give listeners a summary of the most important considerations in the quest for the ideal music school. Enjoy, and learn more about this topic at doublebassblog.org or listen to some of the top university bass professors at contrabassconversations.com.

We're featuring the Courante and Gigue from the Sixth Cello Suite by J.S. Bach as well as the first movement of the Shostakovich Cello Concerto No. 2 this week, played impeccably by the wonderful bassist Ben Jensen, currently a student of Bruce Bransby at Indiana University. These were recorded live in a master class at Indiana University and are an outstanding example of bass playing. Enjoy!

We've featured Indiana University double bass professor Lawrence Hurst on Contrabass Conversations previously–if you haven't checked out this interview before, I'd encourage you to check it out. Indiana University has an established reputation as one of the premier institutions for top-notch double bassists to perfect their craft, and if Ben's example is any indication of the talents of the younger generation of bassists, we're in good hands indeed!

We're chatting with jazz bassist Jon Burr on this week's Contrabass Conversations episode. In addition to an active career recording and performing original tunes with the Jon Burr Quartet, Jon has toured and recorded with many great jazz masters, including Stan Getz, Chet Baker, Horace Silver, Hank Jones, Art Farmer, Stephane Grappelli (from 1986-1997), Sir Roland Hanna, Dorothy Donegan, and Buddy Rich. From 1980 – 1985 he toured with Tony Bennett; he has also worked with Lainie Kazan, Rita Moreno, Barbara Cook, Eartha Kitt, among others. Jon was a founding member of violinist Mark O'Connor's "Hot Swing" trio, with guitarist Frank Vignola.

In our interview, we discuss Jon's early years on the bass, his time spent touring with Stephane Grappelli and Tony Bennett, his upcoming book "The Untold Secret to Melodic Bass Playing," upcoming projects, as well as advice for younger players coming up in the business right now. After the interview, we feature "Nobody Said It Was Easy," one of Jon's original tunes.

Learn more about Jon at his website jonburr.com and his food blog highfibercooking.com, and find him on Twitter attwitter.com/jonburr.

We're concluding the interview that we began on CBC 114 with double bassist Mark Morton, who is currently professor of bass at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, TX and has also served as Principal Bass of the Columbus Symphony. Mark was the first prize winner at the International Society of Bassists Solo Competition, and he was the assistant double bass instructor for Gary Karr at the Hartt School of Music. He is well-known for writing and publishing the "Dr. Morton" series of books on the art of bass playing, and he is the founder of the American School of Double Bass.

We start this segment of our interview discussing Mark's Simandl-Plus® approach and how it increases the number of techniques available to the modern bassist, as well as some specific examples in orchestra repertoire where these kind of techniques can be used. We also talk about when Mark starts using the third finger and the thumb on the neck, adopting a more flexible approach than advocated in Simandl technique. We also discuss melodic gestures and when to shift according to a particular gesture, lyrical and technical fingerings and when to use them, shifting strategies, the value of Simandl and how it teaches the "grid" of the fingerboard, Mark's fingerboard mapping system, and some of his upcoming projects. We also feature a recording this week of Mark playing the Gliere Tarantella from his albumRussian Rendezvous, which is available from CD Baby or the iTunes Music Store.

I recommend downloading Mark's Simandl-Plus® packet and following along with our discussion to get a more complete idea of how he implements these concepts.

Links: American School of Double Bass, Texas Tech School of Music

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We're featuring the third and final part of our interview with Boston Symphony Assistant Principal Bass Lawrence Wolfe this week on Contrabass Conversations. I had a chance to check out a wonderful master class that Mr. Wolfe did at Northwestern in the fall of 2008, and I did a summary/synopsis of some of the concepts and ideas covered in this class as well. I'm really looking forward to chatting with Larry–he's one of my favorite bassists, and listening endlessly to his solo record really shaped how I approach the double bass when I was in college.

Larry is one of the most influential bass players in the United States, having taught countless players during his years at New England Conservatory and other Boston academic institutions who are now in major orchestras or pursuing other successful musical endeavors.

We're also featuring Jacob Druckman's piece Valentine, one of the tracks from Larry's solo album which was added upon the CD release and one which you're really going to enjoy. Larry will be doing a presentation at this summer's International Society of Bassists convention, which I am definitely looking forward to checking out. Be sure to check out Larry's website as well!

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Double bassist and Contrabass Conversations co-host John Grillo recently recorded in the first of a new series of audio programs about the past, present, and future of the professional symphony orchestra. In this first episode, John interviews me about my book Road Warrior Without an Expense Account, which I hope you'll find interesting. I also recorded a screencast of my Keynote presentation about this book, which I did in Sioux Falls, South Dakota during the summer of 2008. I wrote the blog posts that this book is based upon in early 2007. Enjoy!

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We're featuring music from the engaging and unusual band Haberdashery on this episode.

Tracks featured:

-Toys – Sunset Cowboy – Not Here