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PODCAST

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. With 2 million downloads and counting, Contrabass Conversations is the most popular podcast for double bassists. Join the community and experience life on the low end of the spectrum!

music music interviews

All Episodes

36:22

1144: John Goldsby on Big Band Bass

Contrabass Conversations ·

2026/05/07

John Goldsby returns to the podcast to celebrate Big Band Bass, a project that spotlights the double bass at the front of the band alongside the legendary WDR Big Band and arranger/conductor Bob Mintzer. We talk about what it felt like to close a 30-year run in one of the world's rare full-time jazz ensemble jobs, and how stepping away has opened up space for hand-picked gigs, home projects, and new recordings. We dig into the album's origin story—why Vince Mendoza's "Sonatinita" is the lone

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18:26

1143: Professional Instruments Aren't Luggage with...

Contrabass Conversations ·

2026/04/30

Valentina Ciardelli , double bass professor at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance and an active performer/educator, returns to the podcast to talk about a project that goes way beyond the practice room: fixing the chaos of traveling with large instruments. Check out Valentina's work and latest updates on her website . We dig into Valentina's advocacy work to create clearer, non-discretionary standards for transporting professional musical instruments, sparked by real-world experiences

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51:32

1142: Slow Water, Deep Grooves with Stephan Crump

Contrabass Conversations ·

2026/04/23

Stephan Crump is a Brooklyn-based bassist, composer, and educator whose work moves fluidly between groove, spacious sound-worlds, and collective improvisation. We dig into the making of Slow Water, the magnetism of deep feel, and how growing up in Memphis—and spending a lot of life near the Mississippi—shaped the way Stephan hears music as ecology, storytelling, and energy in motion. We talk about inspired listening walks, the ideas behind Erica Gies' book Water Always Wins (and what it means to let

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38:26

1141: Gut Strings and Time Travel - Michał Bylina on...

Contrabass Conversations ·

2026/04/16

Michał Bylina is a Polish bassist and composer whose work bridges early music performance and new music for the instrument. In this conversation, Michał shares how a love of the past pulled them toward gut strings, Baroque style, and the Vienna bass tradition, plus the path from studying in Kraków to a year studying in Brussels with Korneel Le Compte. We dig into Michał's composing process, from writing cadenzas to building a huge library of bass sheet music and learning by analysis, along with

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01:02:10

1140: Isaac Trapkus on Rosin, Hidden Manuscripts, and...

Contrabass Conversations ·

2026/04/09

Isaac Trapkus is a bassist with the New York Philharmonic, rosin maker, and developer of Monkey Wrench DB—a tool that syncs sheet music PDFs with YouTube performances. He's also the creator of a free urtext-style edition of the Koussevitzky Double Bass Concerto, based on a previously unknown personal score copy he discovered at the Library of Congress. We cover a wide range of topics: Isaac's years-long journey developing his handcrafted rosin (Winter), the unique acoustic challenges of the double

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01:01:39

1138: Seasons of Creativity with Casey Lipka

Contrabass Conversations ·

2026/03/26

Casey Lipka is a Los Angeles–based singer, songwriter, bassist, and collaborator with a gift for building community around music. In this episode, Casey shares the winding path that brought her into jazz voice, bass, and a creative life that blends composing, performing, and heartfelt projects. Along the way, Casey talks about how coaching shaped her work supporting other artists, and why creating space for connection has become such a central part of what she does. Jason and Casey dig into what it

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01:20:20

1137: Lloyd Goldstein celebration podcast

Contrabass Conversations ·

2026/03/19

This episode with Johnny Hamil and friends is a celebration of the music of Lloyd Goldstein. Enjoy this, and be sure to join Johnny and company March 21st at 11am Central Time via Zoom. You can visit KC Bass Workshop for more information and details. 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

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01:04:41

1136: Finding Your Sound - Marlonius on Craft,...

Contrabass Conversations ·

2026/03/12

In this episode, we're joined by bassist, composer, and bandleader Marlonius aka, Marlon Martinez, the creative force behind the Marlonius Jazz Orchestra. We talk about growing up in a deeply musical family, moving through a serious classical conservatory track at Colburn, and the long arc of building a personal sound. We dig into Marlon's early encounters with Stanley Clarke, what it means to live in the "in-between" of jazz and classical worlds, and how rhythm (including Marlon's time on drum

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47:21

1135: John Mietus and the World-First "Butterfly...

Contrabass Conversations ·

2026/03/05

John Mietus is a composer, double bassist, and conductor, currently Associate Principal Bass with the Auckland Philharmonia. Born in Hong Kong and raised in Ohio, John started playing bass at age four and went on to study with some legendary teachers while building a career that spans orchestral playing, chamber music, teaching, and composition. In this episode, John and Jason dig into John's world-premiere performance of the "Butterfly Lovers Violin Concerto" (He Zhanhao and Chen Gang) on double

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23:46

1139: Building The Sub Pool with Thomas Zera

Contrabass Conversations ·

2026/03/05

Bassist and arts administrator Thomas Zera joins us today to share what changed between our first chat years ago and now, including life in the Utah Symphony and the path that led to building his new project, The Sub Pool. We dig into what The Sub Pool is, why orchestra sub lists so often "run dry," and how a centralized, musician-friendly platform can help personnel managers find the right players, including for rarer instruments and big-repertoire needs. Tom also explains how the service is

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54:32

1134: Still Waters - The Art of Bass with Niklas...

Contrabass Conversations ·

2026/02/26

Niklas Lukassen is a German bassist, composer, and doctoral researcher splitting his time between London and Berlin. His bandleader debut album Still Waters releases February 20th on Kurt Rosenwinkel's Heartcore Records with liner notes by Ron Carter. The quartet features Ben Van Gelder on saxophone, Kit Downes on piano, and Francesco Ciniglio on drums, with guest appearances from Rosenwinkel, Wanja Slavin, and Geoffroy De Masure. Niklas is also exploring the bass cello—a unique hybrid instrument—in

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41:15

1133: Bird Watching and Bass Lines - A Conversation...

Contrabass Conversations ·

2026/02/19

Jon Henriksson is a Stockholm-based double bassist and composer who has become one of the leading voices in the contemporary Scandinavian jazz scene. Born in 1996 in Gothenburg, his path to the bass started when a high school big band director gave him just two months to learn the instrument for a Christmas concert. His 2023 debut album Harmonia placed second in Orkesterjournalen's Golden Album readers' poll, and his new album Shapeshifter drops March 20th, 2026, featuring a quartet with pianist

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55:06

1132: Chris Jennings on Traveling the World with a...

Contrabass Conversations ·

2026/02/12

Chris Jennings is a Canadian left-handed double bassist who's been based in Paris since 2002, traveling extensively across jazz and world music projects to all corners of the globe. A D'Addario Orchestral Artist, Chris has carved out a unique niche playing in ensembles where there's often no bass part written, working with artists like Nguyên Lê, Dhafer Youssef, and exploring the rhythmic complexities of Gnawa music. In this episode, Chris shares the story of his game-changing Petite Double Bass

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54:54

1131: 8 Weeks to the Jam Session - First Notes to...

Contrabass Conversations ·

2026/02/05

Matt Rybicki is a jazz bassist, author, and educator who helps bassists of all levels master jazz bass. Through his online courses and YouTube channel, Matt makes jazz bass education accessible to students worldwide. His new course, 8 Weeks to the Jam Session: First Notes to Walking Like a Pro, takes beginners from their first notes to confidently walking bass lines at jam sessions. Check out the new course here and explore Matt's past podcast appearances. Connect with DBHQ Join Our Newsletter

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51:47

1130: Bass is for everyone! Deep-Dive with Gaelen...

Contrabass Conversations ·

2026/01/29

Join us for a conversation with two frequent podcast guests, Gaelen McCormick and Michael Geib, as they discuss their recent article Bass Is for Everyone!, published in the American String Teacher journal. Gaelen is the Director of the Eastman Performing Arts Medicine Center and a passionate advocate for inclusive bass pedagogy. Michael teaches at the University of Central Oklahoma as a bass educator and is also President-Elect of his local ASTA chapter. Enjoy, and check out this cool article

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44:15

1129: Rohan Dasika - Exploring Heritage Through...

Contrabass Conversations ·

2026/01/22

Rohan Dasika has been a double bassist with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra since 2022. From a musical Melbourne family, Rohan started on piano, then played trombone and tuba before finding double bass in high school. He studied with Duncan Allen (Melbourne Opera, jazz), Sylvia Hoskin (MSO), Max McBride (Australian National University, Canberra), Damien Eckersley (Australian National Academy of Music), Hal Robinson (Philadelphia, 2015), Tim Dunin (Vienna Philharmonic), and completed a

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38:36

1128: Hannah Marks on Finding Her Voice

Contrabass Conversations ·

2026/01/15

Hannah Marks is a bassist, composer, and educator living in New York City. She has performed at festivals including the Detroit Jazz Festival, Hyde Park Jazz Festival, and Kennedy Center, and currently leads an acoustic jazz quartet featuring NYC's most in-demand musicians. Hannah teaches at prestigious programs including Interlochen, Stanford Dance Workshop, and Jazz Camp West. In this episode, Hannah shares insights about her versatile playing style, her evolution from rock guitar to jazz bass,

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19:14

1127: Stephen Tramontozzi on Basso Antico

Contrabass Conversations ·

2026/01/08

In this episode, San Francisco Symphony Assistant Principal Bassist Stephen Tramontozzi joins Jason to talk about his new solo album Basso Antico. Alongside his orchestral work, Steve has built a wide‑ranging career as a soloist and educator. He has released a series of solo recordings, including Walkabout, Home Bass, Urban Bass, and Basso Novo. In this conversation, Steve shares the musical and historical ideas behind Basso Antico, which traces the evolution of the cello and bass voice from

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54:01

1126: Adam Kubota on Postmodern Jukebox and beyond

Contrabass Conversations ·

2026/01/02

In this episode, we sit down with Adam Kubota, bassist and bandleader of the internationally acclaimed Postmodern Jukebox. Adam shares his musical journey—from studying bass with Barry Green to becoming a key figure in one of the most innovative ensembles reimagining modern pop hits with vintage flair. Enjoy, and be sure to give Adam a follow on Instagram! Connect with DBHQ Join Our Newsletter Double Bass Resources Double Bass Sheet Music Double Bass Merch Gear used to record this podcast Zoom H6

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51:36

1125: From Double Bass to Viola - Navigating...

Contrabass Conversations ·

2025/12/26

In this inspiring episode, Stephanie Patterson returns to share a deeply personal journey of resilience and adaptation. After experiencing serious health challenges that made it impossible to continue playing the double bass, Stephanie made the courageous decision to return to the viola—an instrument she hadn't played in over 50 years. This conversation explores the physical demands of playing large instruments, the importance of fitness for musicians, and how community orchestras provide

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1,201 results

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