Jason Heath’s Double Bass Blog

Hope you all enjoy episode 13 of Contrabass Conversations! This week we are featuring music of double bassist Donovan Stokes and an interview with Weldon Anderson. Enjoy!

Show Notes

Length: 58:35

website: contrabassconversations.com

e-mail: contrabassconversations@gmail.com

voicemail: 206-666-6509

blog: www.doublebassblog.com

Download the episode here

This episode features the first part of an interview that
Jason recently did with double bassist Weldon Anderson. Weldon has worked in many styles of music,
from traditional classical bass playing to very experimental forms of
music. The first part of this interview
discusses Weldon’s early years on the instrument and how he became involved in Pittsburgh’s Squonk Opera.

Weldon Anderson was a member of the Squonk Opera when they
secured a run on Broadway in New York
City, and Weldon and Jason discuss the unique
situation of getting to Broadway by creating your own show. What an unusual and very interesting
trajectory!

Visit the Squonk Opera to learn more about this ensemble http://squonkopera.com

Click here to read the Ben Brantley review of the Squonk Opera

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The music of double bassist Donovan Stokes is featured throughout

the episode from his recent album Gandaha. A former student of David Murray and Edgar
Meyer, Donovan manages to blend several styles of bass playing and create his
own compelling compositions. I am a real
fan of Donovan’s, and I can’t wait to hear more of his playing.

Visit http://donovanstokes.com

or http://myspace.com/donovanstokes
for more information on this extremely talented and creative bassist, and visit
the following links to order Donovan’s album Gandaha:

Buy Gandaha on iTunes

Buy Gandaha on CDBaby

Buy Gandaha through Lemur Music

Donovan’s bio:

Fluent on electric bass and double bass, Dr. Donovan Stokes currently teaches bass and composition in the Department of Music at Valdosta State University in Valdosta, GA and bass in the Schwob School of Music at Columbus State University in Columbus, GA. He earned his D.M.A and M.M from Indiana University Jacobs School of Music and his B.M. from Vanderbilt University. An active soloist, composer, and clinician Stokes is a specialist in the use of amplified and electronically manipulated double bass and performs regularly both as a soloist and a sideman in a variety of musical genres, venues and collaborations.

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Listener feedback from Dave Swenson, Kirsty Matheson, and Joel Negus.