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Contrabass Conversations: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Jason Heath
Contrabass Conversations features interviews and performances from top leaders in the world of the double bass. Podcast host Jason Heath dives deep into what makes these world-class artists tick.
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The most recent episodes — sign up to get AI-powered summaries of each one.
- 2 weeks ago43 min
1166: Corcoran Holt on Music, Family, and the Freedom to Tell Your Story
Corcoran Holt is a Washington, D.C.–born bassist, composer, arranger, and educator whose musical roots stretch from the DC Youth Orchestra and Duke Ellington School of the Arts to work with artists including Kenny Garrett and Steve Turre. Now Assistant Professor of Jazz Bass at Arizona State University, Corcoran brings that deep performing experience into the classroom while continuing to develop his own voice as a bandleader. His second album, Freedom of Art, is an intimate musical portrait of transformation, family, loss, and new beginnings. In this conversation, Corcoran talks about building community at ASU, why fundamentals and real-world experience matter, and how musicians begin finding their identities after leaving school. He also shares how fatherhood changed his approach to improvisation, how bass lines, voice memos, piano, dreams, and everyday chaos feed his composing, and why Freedom of Art was designed as a complete story best heard from beginning to end. Enjoy Freedom of Art, and follow Corcoran on Instagram and Facebook! Thank you to our sponsor! Wiedoeft Double Bass Rosin We want grip and longevity from rosin. Most fail at one of them. We get a lot of rosin sent our way to evaluate on the job. Wiedoeft is the one we keep using, from symphony stages to theatre pits. All Season — Balanced grip across normal swings in temperature and humidity. Ultra-Grip — A softer blend built for cold halls and dry climates. Use code DBHQ for free shipping, direct from Wiedoeft. Connect with DBHQ Join Our Newsletter Double Bass Resources Double Bass Sheet Music Double Bass Merch Gear used to record this podcast Zoom H6 studio 8-Track 32-Bit Float Handy Recorder Rode Podmic Sony Alpha 7 IV Full-frame Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM Lens Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM Lens When you buy a product using a link on this page, we may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting DBHQ. Theme music by Eric Hochberg
- 3 weeks ago55 min
1165: Solving a 250-Year-Old Double Bass Mystery with Darija Andzakovic
Darija Andzakovic is a freelance bassist and musicologist specializing in historical instruments, the Viennese bass, and the music of Johannes Matthias Sperger. While researching Sperger's manuscripts for her doctoral dissertation, she discovered through melodic and handwriting analysis that the work long cataloged as Sperger's Fifth Bass Concerto was actually composed by Ignaz Pleyel. Darija joins Jason to trace this musical detective story, from deciphering 18th-century handwriting and reconstructing watermarks to exploring how Pleyel's concerto may have influenced Sperger's own music. They also discuss the tension between scholarship and performance, 18th-century musical education, and why historical evidence still leaves room for imagination. Learn more about the concerto's world premiere with Rob Nairn and the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, explore Peter Walls' History, Imagination and the Performance of Music and Clive Brown's Classical and Romantic Performing Practice, and follow the discovery through Schola Cantorum Basiliensis on Instagram. Thank you to our sponsor! Wiedoeft Double Bass Rosin We want grip and longevity from rosin. Most fail at one of them. We get a lot of rosin sent our way to evaluate on the job. Wiedoeft is the one we keep using, from symphony stages to theatre pits. All Season — Balanced grip across normal swings in temperature and humidity. Ultra-Grip — A softer blend built for cold halls and dry climates. Use code DBHQ for free shipping, direct from Wiedoeft. Connect with DBHQ Join Our Newsletter Double Bass Resources Double Bass Sheet Music Double Bass Merch Gear used to record this podcast Zoom H6 studio 8-Track 32-Bit Float Handy Recorder Rode Podmic Sony Alpha 7 IV Full-frame Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM Lens Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM Lens When you buy a product using a link on this page, we may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting DBHQ. Theme music by Eric Hochberg
- 4 weeks ago19 min
1164: Eduard Marcu on winning the Lutine Prize
At just 18, London-based double bassist Eduard Marcu became the first bassist to win Junior Guildhall's prestigious Lutine Prize. Born in Romania and raised in London, Eduard began playing bass at age 10, developed his craft at Junior Guildhall, and performed with the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain before beginning his studies at the Royal Academy of Music. Eduard joins Jason to talk about preparing for an all-instrument competition, balancing projection with a singing sound, and learning from musicians beyond the bass world. They also explore his approach to bow hair and weight, the influence of violinist Augustin Hadelich and bassist Ovidiu Bădilă, adapting violin and cello repertoire, navigating London with a bass, and his ambitions across orchestral, chamber, and solo playing. Enjoy, and be sure to follow Eduard on Instagram! Photo credit: Paul Cochrane Thank you to our sponsor! Wiedoeft Double Bass Rosin We want grip and longevity from rosin. Most fail at one of them. We get a lot of rosin sent our way to evaluate on the job. Wiedoeft is the one we keep using, from symphony stages to theatre pits. All Season — Balanced grip across normal swings in temperature and humidity. Ultra-Grip — A softer blend built for cold halls and dry climates. Use code DBHQ for free shipping, direct from Wiedoeft. Connect with DBHQ Join Our Newsletter Double Bass Resources Double Bass Sheet Music Double Bass Merch Gear used to record this podcast Zoom H6 studio 8-Track 32-Bit Float Handy Recorder Rode Podmic Sony Alpha 7 IV Full-frame Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM Lens Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM Lens When you buy a product using a link on this page, we may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting DBHQ. Theme music by Eric Hochberg
- Oct 1, 20261h 0m
1163: Chris Johnson on Building a Bigger Dream Through Music
Chris Johnson is a New York–based bassist, educator, and creative force whose career spans the Sphinx Virtuosi, New York City Ballet, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, and a wide range of chamber, commercial, and recording projects. He is also the founder of Strauss Hauss, a concert series that brings music, food, and conversation together while placing artists and community at the center. In this conversation, Chris shares how Project STEP and New England Conservatory launched his life in music, why touring changed his view of the world, and how Burning Man inspired him to dream on a larger scale. We also dig into audition preparation, freelance life in New York, learning from musicians such as Xavier Foley, Joe Conyers, and Hal Robinson, and Chris's vision for building a musical community that compensates artists more generously. Enjoy, and be sure to follow Chris on Instagram! Thank you to our sponsor! Wiedoeft Double Bass Rosin We want grip and longevity from rosin. Most fail at one of them. We get a lot of rosin sent our way to evaluate on the job. Wiedoeft is the one we keep using, from symphony stages to theatre pits. All Season — Balanced grip across normal swings in temperature and humidity. Ultra-Grip — A softer blend built for cold halls and dry climates. Use code DBHQ for free shipping, direct from Wiedoeft. Connect with DBHQ Join Our Newsletter Double Bass Resources Double Bass Sheet Music Double Bass Merch Gear used to record this podcast Zoom H6 studio 8-Track 32-Bit Float Handy Recorder Rode Podmic Sony Alpha 7 IV Full-frame Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM Lens Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM Lens When you buy a product using a link on this page, we may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting DBHQ. Theme music by Eric Hochberg
- Sep 24, 20261h 4m
1162: Jeanette Adams on community, creativity, and the touring life
Jeanette Adams is a bassist, educator, and member of the nationally touring progressive bluegrass trio Stillhouse Junkies. Raised in Michigan's Upper Peninsula and trained at Lawrence University, she now lives in Colorado, where she performs around 150–200 shows a year and helps expand access to string education through the Aspen Music Festival's educational programs. We talk about the changing landscape of touring, the special community surrounding house concerts, and Jeanette's journey from classical and jazz into bluegrass. She also shares how she practices in small pockets of time on the road, stays healthy while touring, finds creative freedom beyond the bass's traditional role, and keeps herself open to unexpected opportunities. Enjoy, and follow Jeanette on Instagram and Facebook! Thank you to our sponsor Wiedoeft Double Bass Rosin We want grip and longevity from rosin. Most fail at one of them. We get a lot of rosin sent our way to evaluate on the job. Wiedoeft is the one we keep using, from symphony stages to theatre pits. All Season — Balanced grip across normal swings in temperature and humidity. Ultra-Grip — A softer blend built for cold halls and dry climates. Use code DBHQ for free shipping, direct from Wiedoeft. Connect with DBHQ Join Our Newsletter Double Bass Resources Double Bass Sheet Music Double Bass Merch Gear used to record this podcast Zoom H6 studio 8-Track 32-Bit Float Handy Recorder Rode Podmic Sony Alpha 7 IV Full-frame Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM Lens Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM Lens When you buy a product using a link on this page, we may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting DBHQ. Theme music by Eric Hochberg
- Sep 17, 202643 min
1161: Daniel Chiva Sanz on Intonation, Audition Prep, and Daily Mozart
Daniel Chiva Sanz returns to the podcast to discuss his latest project, Daily Mozart, a new technique book that applies concepts from his School of Patience books to the second movements and minuets of Mozart symphonies. Daniel shares how his work as a performer, teacher, and creator has led him toward a brass-inspired approach to sound, pitch center, and hand-shape precision, and he reflects on how fundamental technique has shaped his audition preparation, orchestral playing, and overall confidence on the bass. We dig into why Mozart's slower movements make such effective daily studies, how Daniel uses color-coded markings to focus on hand shapes, same-note/different-string work, and short shifts, and why playing in tune with yourself may be one of the most important skills for auditions and excerpts. Daniel also talks about "training before the playbook," the athletic side of audition preparation, making technique engaging through variety and repetition, and his broader goal of giving bassists accessible tools to raise the overall standard of intonation and confidence in the bass community. Enjoy, and learn more from Daniel on his YouTube channel and Instagram, and check out a featured video from Daniel's School of Patience here. Thank you to our sponsor, Wiedoeft Double Bass Rosin We want grip and longevity from rosin. Most fail at one of them. We get a lot of rosin sent our way to evaluate on the job. Wiedoeft is the one we keep using, from symphony stages to theatre pits. All Season — Balanced grip across normal swings in temperature and humidity. Ultra-Grip — A softer blend built for cold halls and dry climates. Use code DBHQ for free shipping, direct from Wiedoeft. Connect with DBHQ Join Our Newsletter Double Bass Resources Double Bass Sheet Music Double Bass Merch Gear used to record this podcast Zoom H6 studio 8-Track 32-Bit Float Handy Recorder Rode Podmic Sony Alpha 7 IV Full-frame Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM Lens Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM Lens When you buy a product using a link on this page, we may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting DBHQ. Theme music by Eric Hochberg
- Sep 10, 202631 min
1160: What Bottesini Really Wrote - Mark Morton's Urtext Editions
Mark Morton joins Jason to discuss his decades-long project creating practical Urtext editions of Giovanni Bottesini's music. Drawing on 3,656 photographs of manuscripts from the Biblioteca Palatina in Parma, Mark has completed editions of 11 works so far, with the goal of eventually covering all 84 of Bottesini's compositions. He explains how he compares multiple surviving versions, preserves the composer's choices, and avoids imposing editorial preferences—including in familiar pieces such as Elegy No. 1. The conversation explores the advantages of writing the bass part in the sounding octave, or suono reale, as well as Bottesini's minor-third solo tuning and its effects on projection, orchestral balance, and tone. Mark also shares the story behind his research in Parma, the practical decisions involved in preparing piano accompaniments, his recording Bottesini's Greatest Hits, and the possibility of future editions with suggested fingerings and bowings. Enjoy, and learn more about Mark Morton on his website and YouTube channel! Thank you to our sponsor, Wiedoeft Double Bass Rosin We want grip and longevity from rosin. Most fail at one of them. We get a lot of rosin sent our way to evaluate on the job. Wiedoeft is the one we keep using, from symphony stages to theatre pits. All Season — Balanced grip across normal swings in temperature and humidity. Ultra-Grip — A softer blend built for cold halls and dry climates. Use code DBHQ for free shipping, direct from Wiedoeft. Connect with DBHQ Join Our Newsletter Double Bass Resources Double Bass Sheet Music Double Bass Merch Gear used to record this podcast Zoom H6 studio 8-Track 32-Bit Float Handy Recorder Rode Podmic Sony Alpha 7 IV Full-frame Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM Lens Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM Lens When you buy a product using a link on this page, we may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting DBHQ. Theme music by Eric Hochberg
- Sep 3, 202636 min
1159: Cole Davis and Jason Heath teach each other bass lessons!
Cole Davis is a bassist, composer, educator, and the creator behind Better Bass Lessons, where he brings a playful, practical approach to jazz bass education. In this episode, Cole and Jason Heath trade lessons across the classical/jazz divide, building on their previous New Simandl collaboration and digging into Cole's ideas around walking lines, open strings, and groove. Jason then turns the tables with a bow lesson for Cole, covering fresh rosin, French bow hold, using the whole bow, vibrato as its own hand position, "uni-finger" concepts, and finding a thicker arco sound through bow weight, contact point, gravity, and relaxation. Enjoy, and follow Cole at Cole Davis, Better Bass Lessons, Instagram, and check out his Simandl quiz and his Double Bass HQ collection. Thank you to our sponsor! We want grip and longevity from rosin. Most fail at one of them. We get a lot of rosin sent our way to evaluate on the job. Wiedoeft is the one we keep using, from symphony stages to theatre pits. All Season — Balanced grip across normal swings in temperature and humidity. Ultra-Grip — A softer blend built for cold halls and dry climates. Use code DBHQ for free shipping, direct from Wiedoeft. Connect with DBHQ Join Our Newsletter Double Bass Resources Double Bass Sheet Music Double Bass Merch Gear used to record this podcast Zoom H6 studio 8-Track 32-Bit Float Handy Recorder Rode Podmic Sony Alpha 7 IV Full-frame Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM Lens Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM Lens When you buy a product using a link on this page, we may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting DBHQ. Theme music by Eric Hochberg
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About Contrabass Conversations
Contrabass Conversations features interviews and performances from top leaders in the world of the double bass. Podcast host Jason Heath dives deep into what makes these world-class artists tick.
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