Hello and welcome to Talking Spirits Podcast #24!

I am very happy about today’s episode, since it’s once again about the bass, and my guest is a very special bassist, the Serbian and Austria based double bass master Nenad Vasilić.

Nenad has created a remarkable and very original body of work as a leader and as a side man and his records have been a huge influence on me since I heard his first album „Folk Songs“ about 20 years ago.

Most recently Nenad got appointed as a professor for double bass at the prestigious Jazz Institute Berlin, Germany. We have now been in touch for many years and I am very happy that he accepted my invitation for a chat.

The conversation was recorded in October of 2020 already and we are discussing all things bass, Nenad´s path in music and life, the richness of the musical tradition of the Balkans, being a foreigner in Austria and much more…

If you are into bass and music, this episode is definitely worth your time…

00:00:00 Intro

00:01:39 Effects of the Covid-19 pandemic

00:05:15 Beginnings in music and becoming a bassist

00:09:44 From electric bass to double bass

00:16:06 Roberto Franceschini Double Basses

00.20:22 From Niš, Serbia to Graz, Austria

00:31:52 Body of work as a leader and the musical tradition of the Balkans

00:53:22 The art of Balkan bass and solo performances

01:03:13 New album projects

01:06:36 Working as a sideman and cooperation with Amira Medunjanin

01:20:19 Being a foreigner in Austria

01:27:08 The political and societal situation of the Balkans nowadays

01:34:42 Future plans

01:36:50 Message to the listeners

01:38:10 Outro

Nenad Vasilić on German Wikipedia

Nenad Vasilić official website

Nenad Vasilić on Facebook

Nenad Vasilić on Instagram

Roberto Francheschini Double Basses

Nenad Vasilić – Vranjanka – from “The Art of Balkan Bass”

Vasilić Nenad Balkan Band – Folk Songs – debut album – full

Nenad Vasilić Bass & Strings

Nenad Vasilić Trio – Live in Belgrade

Amira Medunjanin & Nenad Vasilić – Zapjevala sojka ptica – Live

Amira Medunjanin, Bojan Z & Nenad Vasilić – Grana od Bora – Live in Sarajevo – ARTE CONCERT