Contrabass Conversations

his week's Contrabass Conversations episode features an in-depth analysis of the double bass opera excerpts most commonly requested at auditions. Double bassist (and regular Contrabass Conversations guest and co-host) John Grillo discusses each of these excerpts–stylistic considerations, differences in articulation and bow strokes, and suggestions for effectively learning them–and then performs them. We believe that this project will be a highly valuable resource for bassists worldwide, and we'd love your feedback on this project!

John and I created an excerpt breakdown for the most commonly requested orchestra excerpts back on CBC 41, and this has proven to be a highly popular and extremely useful resource to double bassists worldwide. Our hope is that this opera excerpt episode will do the same for the less familiar but wonderfully challenging double bass operatic literature.

Opera excerpts covered on this episode:

• Strauss
  • Salome
  • Rosenkavalier
• Wagner
  • Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
  • Die Walküre
• Britten
  • Peter Grimes
• Verdi
  • Otello
  • Rigoletto
  • Falstaff
• Weber
  • Euryanthe
• Mozart
  • Magic Flute
  • Marriage of Figaro
• Beethoven
  • Fidelo
• Humperdinck
  • Hansel and Gretel

We're wrapping up our interview with author, corporate speaker, and double bassist Justin Locke today. Justin is the author of Real Men Don't Rehearse, a book filled with wonderful anecdotes about his life in the music business. Justin was a freelance double bassist in the Boston area for nearly two decades, working regularly during that time with the Boston Pops and other area ensembles. We began this interview on CBC 50 back in December 2007, so check out this episode for tales from Justin's early years playing the bass and getting started on the Boston freelance scene.

Justin shares some absolutely delicious stories from his book on this episode, and we also chat about how Justin came to develop his family concerts Peter VS the Wolf and The Phantom of the Orchestra. The Missoula Symphony recently performed Peter VS the Wolf, which was reviewed here in the Missoulian. Missoula arts critic Rob Chaney writes:

The Missoula Symphony Orchestra unanimously convicted a canine predator of duckicide Friday, despite strong indications from the community that the suspect was innocent. Two packed theater-fulls of area fourth-graders were deeply divided in their verdict at the end of "Peter Versus The Wolf," although they generally professed amusement at what was essentially a show trial. Symphony conductor Darko Butorac confessed afterward that the whole presentation was a ploy to entice local youth into greater interest in music. According to court records compiled by composer Sergei Prokofiev, David "Wolf" Mills-Low was accused of duckicide for allegedly devouring a semi-domesticated mallard "in a single gulp." A farm boy named Peter (aka Eric Wills) was the chief witness. He testified that he was preventing a cat from eating a bird when Wolf made his unprovoked attack on the duck.

Check out a video of the Missoula Symphony performing Justin's concert program here.

Justin also shares some really excellent advice for performing musicians on how they can better market themselves to contractors and the general public. Enjoy!

This week's episode features an interview with and music from jazz bassist Lynn Seaton. Lynn teaches at theUniversity of North Texas, and he maintains an active performing career. He was a member of the Woody Herman Band and Count Basie Orchestra, and he played extended tours with Tony Bennett and George Shearing, as well a wide array of many other jazz luminaries. We also feature music from the Lynn Seaton Trio with Bill Mays on piano and Tim Froncek on drums.

Learn more about Lynn at his website lynnseaton.com, and learn more about the UNT jazz program at jazz.unt.edu. You can also find Lynn's Facebook fan page here.

About Lynn Seaton:

Lynn Seaton has had a stellar career as a jazz bassist. Born in Oklahoma in 1957, he started playing the bass at age 9. By the late 70's he was performing around the state. From 1980 until 1984 he was the house bassist at the Blue Wisp Jazz Club in Cincinnati, accompanying big name guest soloists every week. In 1984, he joined Woody Herman and in 1985 he played with the Count Basie Orchestra. After a two-year engagement with the Basie Band, he did extended tours with Tony Bennett and George Shearing. Most of 1991 and 1992 was spent touring with Monty Alexander. Lynn spent a lot of time on the road as a member of the Jeff Hamilton Trio from 1995-1999. Since 1993, Lynn has also had a busy career free-lancing with many of the great jazz musicians from many generations, including: Toshiko Akiyoshi, Monty Alexander, Ernestine Anderson, Buck Clayton, Al Cohn, Kenny Drew Jr., Blossom Dearie, Bob Dorough, Harry "Sweets" Edison, Herb Ellis, John Fedchock, Frank Foster, Freddy Green, Tim Hagans, Jeff Hamilton, Scott Hamilton, Wynard Harper, Thad Jones, Mel Lewis, Marian McPartland, Jay McShann, Mark Murphy, Ken Peplowski, Bucky Pizzarelli, Jimmy Raney, Emily Remler, Diane Schuur, Maria Schneider, Bud Shank, Carol Sloane, Marvin "Smitty" Smith, Maxine Sullivan, Mel Torme, Frank Wess, Joe Williams, Nancy Wilson, Steve Wilson, Mark Vinci, and Teddy Wilson. He lived in NY from 1986 until 1998. That year, he accepted an offer to teach at the world famous University of North Texas, home to one of the largest jazz programs in the world. He has performed at festivals world wide including Bern, Concord, JVC, Kool, Kyoto, Newport, North Sea, Perugia and Pori. Lynn has performed in 49 of the 50 United States and 35 foreign countries. He has performed on over 100 recordings, including the Grammy winning "Diane Schuur and the Count Basie Orchestra", and two Grammy nominees, John Fedchock "No Nonsense" and Woody Herman "50th Anniversary". He has three recordings as a leader, "Bassman's Basement", "Solo Flights", and "Puttin' on the Ritz".

Musical Selections:

• Strike Up the Band
• The Patrician Commission

We're wrapping up the interview with Pittsburgh Symphony Principal Bassist Jeff Turner that we began on episode 26 of the podcast, plus featuring music from U.K.-based bassist Leon Bosch's new album titled The British Double Bass on this week's episode of the podcast.

About Jeff Turner:

Principal Bass Jeffrey Turner joined the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra in 1987. He served as Principal Bass of the New American Chamber Orchestra from 1984 to 1986 and became a member of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra in 1986. Mr. Turner, a native of South Carolina, holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the Eastman School of Music of the University of Rochester. His teachers include James VanDemark, Lawrence Hurst and Robert Gladstone.

Mr. Turner serves on the faculties of Duquesne University and Carnegie Mellon University. He is the Artistic Director of the City Music Center's Young Bassist Program, and gives annual seminars and master classes at universities and conservatories throughout the world. He has also served as Visiting Professor at the Eastman School of Music and Lecturer at the University of Maryland.

Mr. Turner has been a resident artist for many annual festivals including the Pacific Music Festival in Japan and the Korsholm Festival in Finland. He has been featured as a presenter at the conventions of The International Society of Bassists, and has served on the faculty of The Asian Youth Orchestra (Hong Kong) under the direction of Lord Yehudi Menuhin. Mr. Turner is a faculty member of the National Orchestral Institute. As winner of the Y Music Society's Passamaneck Award, Jeffrey Turner appeared in a critically acclaimed recital at Carnegie Music Hall in 1989. He was also a winner of the 1990 Pittsburgh Concert Society's Artist Award.

About Leon Bosch:

Leon had to overcome many difficult circumstances in the early years of his career. He was arrested by members of the Cape Town special branch when he was just 15 years old for demonstrating against the Apartheid government outside of parliament. He faced a month's detention and torture, only to be found not guilty on all charges. This experience fired up his ambition to become a lawyer, but this field of study was forbidden to him by the regime at the time. He then chose to study a subject that would be the least likely to mark him out as subversive – music. Had Bosch been able to pursue his prime aspiration to become a lawyer, the cello/double bass debate might never have occurred. Born in Cape Town, South Africa in 1961, Bosch was forbidden by the repressive regime of the time to study law, so applied to the University's music faculty instead `as a light-hearted prank.' The `prank' soon turned more serious. Once enrolled at the University, Bosch studied with Zoltan Kovats, principal double bassist of the Cape Town Symphony Orchestra at that time. A single year into his studies, the young student was invited to play in the Symphony Orchestra's bass section alongside his mentor.

Only another 12 months passed before he was giving his first solo performance of Dittersdorf 's concerto in E major. Completing his Batchelor of Music Performance degree at the University, he received the highest mark ever awarded there in a performance examination. Post-university, Bosch quickly realised that he would have to study abroad if he really wanted to further his performance career, but was thwarted once again by the apartheid laws which decreed that overseas scholarships could only be given to white performers. However, Bosch was undeterred. `I had a passionate commitment to the double bass and never enter- tained the idea that I would fail in my pursuit', he asserts. Fortunately, a number of private individuals came forward to sponsor his travel to England where he was heard playing by Rodney Slatford, the former Head of School of Strings at the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM), who offered to teach him. Bosch enrolled at the RNCM following a successful interview with Eleanor Warren to study with Slatford and Duncan McTier. He describes his time at RNCM as `extremely fruitful'. Bosch's prestigious record of achievements also continued there, as he received the College's PPRNCM (Professional Performer of the RNCM) with distinction, the first such award to a double bassist in the College's history.

Studies completed, Bosch embarked on the varied professional orchestral and chamber career that continues to this day. His first assignment was with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, moving onto The Manchester Camerata as principal in 1985. His playing career has also taken in the BBC Philharmonic, Hall, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Opera North and Scottish Chamber orchestras, plus the Moscow Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra, Brodsky Quartet and Goldberg Ensemble as a freelance performer, a career path that he chose to `give me greater variety in my playing.' A decade after his first principal appointment, Bosch began his current association with the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, touring with the orchestra's founder, Sir Neville Marriner. `Chamber music represents the most enjoyable part of my musical life,' he enthuses, explaining why he has focused on this area through most of his professional career – which has taken in almost all of the major chamber orchestras in the UK.

This Contrabass Conversations special series highlights chamber music that includes the double bass.

We'd like to extend special thanks to both Brad Opland and the Chicago Chamber Musicians for making this series possible. Listen to all Exploring Chamber Music episodes here, and hear Brad Opland in a Contrabass Conversations interview here.

We will be featuring two pieces on the program today. The first is the Wind Serenade in D minor by Antonin Dvorak. This piece is scored for 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 3 horns, cello, and bass. It was recorded live on April 23rd, 2007 by the Chicago Chamber Musicians for their 20th Anniversary Season Finale and features:

• Michael Henoch and Alex Klein – oboe
• Larry Combs and Julie DeRoche – clarinet
• Dennis Michael and Lewis Kirk – bassoon
• Gail Williams, Jeremiah Frederick, Gabrielle Webster – horn
• Katinka Kleijn, cello
• Brad Opland, bass

The second piece on our program today is the String Quintet in C Major by Franz Schubert. This piece was recorded live in 2004.

Jason chats about the state of affairs for Contrabass Conversations after one year of podcasting and future goals.

Double bassist and early music specialist Jerry Fuller turns the tables and interviews Jason Heath in this brief and fun episode.

We're speaking with Cincinnati Symphony principal bassist Owen Lee today on Contrabass Conversations. Owen played for the New World Symphony and the Houston Symphony prior to his appointment with the Cincinnati Symphony, and it was a real pleasure to do this interview along with Contrabass Conversations regular collaborator John Grillo.

Find Owen Lee on Twitter here. Enjoy!

About Owen:

Described as "a true virtuoso" by legendary pianist Gary Graffman and praised by The New York Times for his "deft and virtuosic solo performance" at his New York debut at Alice Tully Hall, double bassist Owen Lee has earned acclaim as a soloist, chamber musician and since 1996, at the age of 26, as Principal Bass of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.

Mr. Lee is heard regularly as a soloist with orchestras including the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Paavo Järvi and Jesús López-Cobos, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra under John Harbison, and the New World Symphony under Michael Tilson-Thomas in Miami and on tour to New York's Lincoln Center. During the 2006-07 season, Mr. Lee and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, along with a consortium of other soloists and orchestras, will present the world premiere of John Harbison's Concerto for Bass Viol and Orchestra.

Mr. Lee's prizes in competitions include First Prize at the 1995 International Society of Bassists Competition and Fourth Prize at the 1992 Irving M. Klein International String Competition in San Francisco. He has been presented in recitals throughout the United States, and in Geneva.

For the Boston Records label, he has recorded the Misek Sonata No. 2 and Bach Unaccompanied Suites No. 3 and No. 5. American Record Guide praised this disc for its "tasteful phrasing, polish and verve" while The Strad wrote "Owen Lee is a fine player with strong musical ideas. A dark and austere sound is produced for Suite No. 5 and the architecture of each suite is carefully considered and shaped. I look forward to his next recording."

Mr. Lee's extensive international chamber music experience includes three summers as the bassist of the Marlboro Festival. While there, he performed extensively with such artists as Richard Stoltzman, Midori, Nobuko Imai, Bruno Canino, Pierre-Laurent Aimard, and members of the Beaux Arts Trio, Guarneri Quartet and Juilliard Quartet. He also collaborated with composers Gyorgy Kurtag, Leon Kirchner and Richard Danielpour preparing performances of those composers' works. Mr. Lee has also performed with the Tokyo String Quartet on tour to Mexico, John Browning, Anne-Marie McDermott, Jaime Laredo, Ida Kavafian, Steven Tenenbom, Peter Wiley, Eugenia Zukerman, the Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival, San Diego's Mainly Mozart Festival, Ojai California Festival, Chamber Music L.A. Festival, Tanglewood Festival, Texas Music Festival, and on tour throughout China. With the Rossetti String Quartet he performed the world premiere of Melinda Wagner's Concertino at the 2005 Bravo! Vail Festival.

Mr. Lee was born in Berkeley, California in 1969 to Chinese parents. He began playing bass at age 15 after previous study of the piano. A graduate of the University of Southern California, Mr. Lee's principal teachers were Dennis Trembly, Edwin Barker and Paul Ellison.

Prior to his appointment in Cincinnati, Mr. Lee was a member of the Houston Symphony under Christoph Eschenbach. In addition to his position with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Mr. Lee serves as Principal Bass of the Shanghai Festival Orchestra.

Owen is married to CiCi Lee. He enjoys bicycling, snowboarding, cigars, auto repair and playing drums and writing songs with his rock band Toe (Eric Bates, CSO 2nd Assistant Concertmaster is Toe's guitarist and lead singer, and Ted Nelson, CSO cellist is Toe's bassist).

This week we bring you a conversation with Chicagoland double bass luthier, teacher, and performer Steve Reinfranck. Steve runs SMR Double Basses in Evanston, Illinois, writes regularly for Bass World (the publication of the International Society of Bassists), and operates a double bass teaching studio. We also listen to a track from the Redd Holt Unlimited Quartet featuring Steve on bass, plus listener feedback, news and notes, a very fun holiday track from Jonathan Coulton, and much more. Enjoy!

About Steve: Steve has performed and taught on the Double Bass for over twenty-five years, principally in the Chicago Area, but in places as far away as New Zealand, Japan, Kenya, and Germany. He plays section bass with a variety of area symphonies, and plays jazz with Isaac "Redd" Holt, original drummer with the Ramsey Lewis Trio. Steve is also involved in Klezmer, Bluegrass, and other folk styles. Steve has presented at Midwest Band & Orchestra Clinic, Illinois Music Educators convention, the Kentucky Music Educators convention, and at many of the conventions of the International Society of Bassists. He was awarded a three-week study tour of Japan under the aegis of the Fulbright Memorial Fund, and was voted Outstanding Studio Teacher by the Illinois Chapter of ASTA, the American String Teachers Association. Steve runs the largest shop in the Chicago Area dedicated strictly to the needs of the Double Bassist. He maintains a private teaching studio of about 50 students, and edits the "Young Bassists' Page" for BASS WORLD, journal of the International Society of Bassists. Steve teaches most Summers at ISYM, Illinois Summer Youth Music, held at the University of Illinois in Champaign/Urbana. Steve enjoys playing hockey, ice skating, reading, cooking, and politics when he isn't making music. About SMR Double Basses: We are a Chicago-Area shop catering to the largest member of the String Family, the Double Bass. We sell basses from the least expensive [that meet our minimum quality requirements] to several select instruments that are valued at over $20,000.00. All of our instruments have new professional-level strings and almost all have an upgraded endpin – except in cases where a good one comes from the factory. Our "Special Niche" is to provide reasonably priced instruments and bows for professionals and the serious student, perhaps bound for conservatory studies in college. Over twenty instruments in the $4,000.00 - $12,000.00 range are presently available. Link of the week: Hundreds of free, Creative Commons holiday songs-lots of great stuff with a lot of humor thrown in: http://www.hermann-uwe.de/blog/10-100-creative-commons-christmas-songs Tracks played: From 'Right Together' by the Redd Holt Unlimited Quartet

• Tenor Madness (Sonny Rollins)

Music Provided by:

• Steve Reinfranck - www.smrdoublebasses.com
• Eric Hochberg - www.erichochberg.com
• Fonkmasters
• Jonathan Coulton - www.jonathancoulton.com

Show Notes: Release Date: 12/22/07 Length: 1:08:40 listen by phone: +1 (360) 227-5632 call our comment line (24 hour voice mail): +1 (206) 666-6509 Website: www.contrabassconversations.com E-mail: [email protected] Blog: www.doublebassblog.org 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! 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

This week we feature the first half of an interview with double bassist Peter Seymour. Peter has performed for the New World Symphony and spent a season playing with the Cleveland Orchestra, and he is now involved with an exciting new trio called Project. This group is made up of Peter on bass, Eric Stephenson on cello, and Greg Patillo on flute. Learn more about Project at www.whatisproject.org and stay tuned for the conclusion of this interview in the next few weeks.