TUESDAY: July 20th: 4:00 p.m. (check in 3:00 p.m.) Sonia Ray: Brazil
WEDNESDAY: July 21st: 1:30 (check in 1:00 p.m.) Diana Gannett: Michigan
THURSDAY: July 22st: 1:30 p.m. (check in 1:00) Lu Yuan: China
FRIDAY : July 23rd 2:00 p.m. (check in 1:00) Jason Heath: Chicago
SATURDAY: July 24th 11:30 a.m. (check in 11:00) Michael Klinghofer: Israel

What a cool idea to incorporate this into a bass camp! We did some live blogging and virtual master classes for the 2009 International Society of Bassists Convention, but if the ambition of these sessions is any indicator, we’ll be having a whole lot more of this at the 2011 convention in San Francisco.

The Golden Gate Bass Camp is a very cool event, and if you’d like to learn more about it (or about Barry Green, the director for the camp), check out the interview with Barry Green that I did for Contrabass Conversations earlier this year. While you’re at it, check out this mini-episode with Barry covering some details about the 2011 ISB convention.

Born in New York City in 1936, Buell Neidlinger was a child prodigy on the cello. It wasn’t until he was a teenager that he began developing an ear for jazz and switched over to the double bass, playing and recording with the likes of Joe Sullivan, Herbie Nichols, Lester Young, Tony Bennet and Billie Holiday. He was Cecil Taylor’s bassist for seven years, and composer Gunther Schuller hired Buell for his Third Stream concerts at Circle in the Square. Buell was not only part of innovative jazz movements, but also played a role in new classical music through collaborations with Mauricio Kagel, Sylvano Busotti, George Crumb and John Cage. He has performed both in the sections of and as a soloist with the Houston Symphony, Berkshire Music Center Orchestra, Stokowski’s American Symphony, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, and with chamber ensembles such as Peter Serkin’s TASHI ensemble, the Guarneri String Quartet, Budapest String Quartet and Amadeus String Quartet. Buell also excels in the bluegrass genre and has been an in-demand studio musician, playing on albums for Barbara Streisand, Frank Sinatra, Earth, Wind, and Fire, The Beach Boys, Elvis Costello and Frank Zappa.

The ISB Online Store is proud to have in our catalog five selections from Buell’s K2B2 label’s discography, go to http://www.isbstore.com/recordings.html. While all of these albums are terrific, two that really stand out are his Thelonious band’s Atmosphere disc and Blue Chopsticks, his tribute album to jazz pianist Herbie Nichols. In Atmosphere, Buell and producer Marty Krystall have assembled 11 Monk tunes, including the lesser known Skippy and Little Rootie Tootie. To listen to samples from the album go to http://www.isbstore.com/buell-neidlinger-thelonious-atmosphere.html.

Herbie Nichols’ music career spanned just 12 years. His music has been described as a kaleidoscope style of bop, Dixieland and West Indian music, with influences ranging from George Gershwin to Shostakovich. Said Buell in an interview with LA Weekly: “He’d call them rehearsals. I don’t know why, there weren’t ever any gigs. He liked classical music, and he knew a lot about it. I had a lot of Bartok and Stravinsky records and he just ate that stuff up. He’d stay and listen to those records sometimes until ten or eleven in the morning. Then, I would kinda fall asleep and he’d say ‘Well, I gotta go home know.’ I found out years later that he had no home. He’d get on a subway and ride it until it was time for him to go back to work, playing standards in a hotel lounge.” Before Herbie died, Buell promised him that one day he would record an album of Nichols’ music arranged for strings, the way Nichols often imagined it. Listen to that vow come true on Blue Chopsticks, http://www.isbstore.com/buell-neidlinger-quartet-blue-chopsticks.html.

Not a member of the ISB? Join now at isbworldoffice.com!

One goal of the YCM is to encourage the creation – by adaptation, improvisation, or writing – of new works of all genres for small ensembles that include bass. For classical musicians involved, there is a great wealth of untapped chamber music repertoire with bass. Another goal of this initiative is to encourage bassists to search for and perform lesser-known works. We will be promoting many different sides of the bass as it is used to create music in all types of groups.

As a part of the yearlong celebration, MTNA has designated January 22, 2011, as the International Day of Collaborative Music (IDCM), one special day devoted to collaborative music making throughout the world. We are hoping that ISB members around the world will create events that celebrate this ideal, and we will post news of those events, both past and future, on a year-long calendar residing on the ISB’s website, which can include links to audio and video performances.

Performers: Let us know of performances that emphasize the bass’s role in collaborative music in any style. Send us the names of performers, a brief description of the concert or event, the location, and contact information to info@isbworldoffice.com.

University Teachers/Professors: Organize an event at your institution (particularly for January 22, 2011), and contact us to be an official ISB Collaborative Music partner. We will help publicize your event on our website and e-newsletter.

Amateurs: Let us know what ideas you have, and what resources you have found to help you connect with other musicians for collaborative music readings and performances.

If you have any questions, contact the ISB at info@isbworldoffice.com.

RESOURCES

Here are some helpful links for collaborative music:

MTNA’s webpage for the Year of Collaborative Music is www.mtna.org/Default.aspx?tabid=677.

Paul Nemeth has created a massive database of chamber music works with bass. If you’re looking for repertoire ideas go to www.paulnemeth.com/basschamber.htm.

Double Bass.org also has a chamber music listing at www.double-bass.org/music.html.

ISB board member and chair of its YCM initiative Jeremy Kurtz will be posting articles relating to the Year of Collaborative Music and chamber music with bass on his website throughout the year at www.jeremykurtz.com/writing.html.

The Amateur Classical Musicans Association has relevant information for finding other musicians who are looking for chamber groups at www.nycclassical.com.

The Chamber Music Network also has helpful listings for finding other musicians at www.acmp.net/index.php.

Not a member of the ISB? Join now!

Congratulations to Joel Quarrington, principal bass with the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa, Canada, who has won the 2010 Juno Award for Garden Scene in the “Classical Album of the Year: Solo or Chamber Ensemble” category. The Juno is the Canadian equivalent of the Grammy. The CD is based on a recital program he performed for his ISB convention debut in 2007, and includes transcriptions and double bass repertoire by Korngold, Bottesini, Gliere and others. Congratulations, Joel!

I interviewed Joel last fall for Contrabass Conversations. Check it out.

We’re doing a brief podcast interview today with Barry Green, who we recently featured in an interview/performance episode on Contrabass Conversations. Barry describes the setting for the 2011 convention (which will be awesome!), and some other details that I’m sure will make you excited for this event. Enjoy!

From Ron Carter:

“It seems as if I’ve been a member of the ISB since the the first blues line was played! It was a great choice of notes, as good a choice as joining this Society. I’ve met some fantastic people along the way, played on some fantastic instruments, new and old, and heard some fantastic performances. When you join, you’ll be sharing these things with me.” – Ron Carter

Ron Carter, jazz legend and recipient of the ISB’s 20009 Distinguished Achievement Award in recognition of his unparalleled career, supports our forum for bassists around the world to learn from each other with his own membership. That’s why it’s so important that the ISB continues not just to survive, but thrive. Acclaimed Philadelphia Orchestra principal bass and soloist Hal Robinson has also been an integral part of the ISB throughout his stellar career:

From Hal Robinson:

“In all my years in the orchestra business (35 so far), it has become obvious to me that the bass section is the coolest section in the orchestra. Bass players get along. We play well with others. We also show up when it’s time to serve on committees and mix with audiences. I am so very proud to be a member of this Bass Fraternity. One of the best ways for you to join in this fraternity is to become a member of the ISB. When you think of all the players and teachers we respect and want to emulate, nearly all of them are members of the ISB. Please join or renew today and hang with the cool players. Through the inspirational conventions and the magazine and website, we’ll all share in the fun!” – Hal Robinson

Membership is the life blood of any organization. As a current member of the ISB, we are grateful to you for your continuing support – and we need your help! We challenge you to sign up a fellow bassist during our February membership drive. Members receive Bass World magazine and monthly e-newsletters, and are among the first to hear of double bass events and competitions. Ask a friend, colleague or student to go to www.isbworldoffice.com/join_isb and join online or download a membership application and mail it in.

A new (and welcome) addition to this store is the inclusion of many audio snippets from these recordings. Check out these CDs, listen to available samples, and support these artists and the ISB in the process.

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Both of these videos feature Xavier performing the first movement of the Bottesini Concerto. In the first video, Xavier is performing in a recital this past April in Atlanta:

…and the second is of Xavier at the ISB Convention this past June:

About Xavier Foley:

Xavier Foley is a 14 year old bassist from Marietta GA, a suburb of Atlanta. He is a member of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Talent Develpment Program, a program designed to nurture promising young African American and Latino classical musicians. He is a member of the Atlanta Youth Symphony Orchestra. I started him on the bass just a little over 3 years ago. He is an amazing talent. This summer he is at BUTI. He plays a double bass made by Rumano Solano that is a copy of Edgar Meyer’s Gabrielli.