One of the cool things about doing a weekly interview podcast is watching this body of work grow over the weeks, months, and years. After 1 1/2 years of doing Contrabass Conversations, we’ve got quite a body of content (approaching 100 interview shows, plus numerous video lessons, all-music shows, and special feature episodes), and this resource will only be growing in value over time.

Just wrapped a great interview with Kristin Korb

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I had a wonderful chat with the extremely talented vocalist and bassist Kristin Korb Monday night. Folks who haven’t heard this great musician perform are really missing out!

About Kristin:

Born and raised in Montana, Kristin grew up in a musical family and often presented concerts with her three younger brothers. Her passion for music eventually led to a bachelor’s degree in music education from Eastern Montana College. In 1992, she moved to San Diego to hone her bass skills with bass professor Bertram Turetzky, earned a master’s degree from the University of California (San Diego), and became one of the busiest bassists in San Diego. Kristin had a brief stint as director of jazz studies at Central Washington University in Ellensburg, Washington. After two years of teaching, she decided to follow her dreams and relocated to focus on her performing career based out of Los Angeles. She hasn’t looked back since.

Her debut CD, Introducing Kristin Korb, was on the Telarc label and featured bassist Ray Brown (Kristin’s main musical influence), pianist Benny Green and drummer Gregory Hutchinson. Guest artists included Conte Candoli, Plas Johnson and Oscar Castro-Neves.

Kristin tours internationally as both an artist and educator. Recent performances include concerts at the International Association of Jazz Educators (IAJE) Conference (2004), the 2005 Playboy Jazz Festival at the Rose Bowl, the West Coast Jazz Party and Bass Encounters conference in Vienna, Austria. She was a featured performer and clinician at the International Society of Bassists Conference (2005) and is a member of their Board of Directors.

In addition to Ray Brown and Benny Green, Kristin has appeared with such artists as Bill Mays, John Clayton, Jeff Hamilton, Alan Pasqua, Carl Allen, Joe LaBarbera, Tamir Hendelman and Mike Wofford. Her own trio features Llew Matthews (former musical director for Nancy Wilson and Lena Horne) on piano.

Kristin singing and playing the bass

Check out the following video of Kristin, and stay tuned for this weekend’s Contrabass Conversations episode–we’ll be featuring this interview plus a track with Kristin doing her own unique take on the Ellington classic “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore.”

Kristin live performing Lined Up With A Groove at Vienna’s famed jazz club Porgy and Bess

Learn more about Kristin at her website www.kristinkorb.com.

Chatting with the Interlochen Arts Academy double bass faculty

We had the opportunity to do interviews with both Lawrence Hurst (Indiana University) and Jack Budrow (Michigan State University) over the past year. Bassist and blogger John Grillo co-hosted these interview episodes with me, which have proven to be some of our most popular episodes, chock full of useful content like:

  • how double bass performance standard have changed over time
  • the audition process
  • evolving standards in double bass playing
  • differences in students over the past 30 years
  • repertoire and materials taught
  • challenges facing today’s double bass students

About Lawrence Hurstlawrence hurst.jpg

Lawrence Hurst is the former principal double bass for the Dallas Symphony. He is a former faculty member of Southern Methodist and Eastern Michigan Universities and former faculty member, associate dean, and chair of the string department at University of Michigan School of Music. He was honored with the Alumni Award from the University of Michigan School of Music in 1998.

Professor Hurst is former director of the University Division of the National Music Camp and is a summer faculty member of the Interlochen Arts Camp.

He is past chair of the American String Teachers Association National Solo Competition, and past president of the International Society of Bassists.

His former students can be found in many prestigious orchestras, including Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Indianapolis, and Atlanta.

He has chaired the Indiana University Strings Department for the past 19 years and has been on faculty at Interlochen for the past 40 years.

Learn more about Lawrence Hurst and his Indiana University double bass studio at http://newsinfo.iu.edu/sb/page/normal/231.html

Lawrence Hurst interview segments

About Jack BudrowBudrow.jpg

Jack Budrow is professor of music and co-chair of the string area at the Michigan State University College of Music.

He has enjoyed a long and varied career in double bass performance and teaching. Budrow has been a member of the Houston Symphony, and principal bass of the North Carolina Symphony, Santa Fe Opera, and the American National Opera orchestras. A well-known teacher, Budrow’s students play in many of America’s symphony orchestras, including Cincinnati, San Francisco, Atlanta, Houston, Charleston, San Antonio, the Michigan Opera, and the Army Band. Internationally, he has placed students in the Oslo Philharmonic, Israel Philharmonic, Munich Radio Orchestra, and the Caracas Symphony.

Each summer, Budrow teaches at Interlochen Center for the Arts and Indiana University. He serves on the board of directors of the International Society of Double Bassists, and was a judge for their most recent International Solo Bass Competition. Budrow has presented master classes throughout the United States, including the Cleveland Institute, Florida State University, University of Houston, Indiana University, University of Michigan, Peabody Conservatory, and University of Texas. In addition, he served as the bass section coach at the National Orchestral Institute and New World Symphony. Budrow received his B.M. from Bowling Green State University.

Jack Budrow interview segments

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