Jason Heath's Double Bass Blog » jazz

Name this tune

Jason — Mon, 09 May 2011 11:00:52 +0000

Can you recognize what tune the chord changes of this tune come from?

New book on Paul Chambers

Jason — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 13:55:40 +0000

A new title about one of the great jazz bassists has recently launched, and it’s getting some good press. Check it out: http://mikkonurmi.wordpress.com/

News from Ben Allison

Jason — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 11:00:46 +0000

Ben Allison was invited to teach a one-week workshop on composition and group interplay at the Siena Jazz Foundation’s International Jazz Master Program. Then he debuts a new group back in New York City at the Abrons Arts Center before heading back to Europe for a tour with the Ben Allison Band. Ben and his band will perform at the Newport Jazz Festival on August 8th.

The Chicken

Jason — Fri, 14 May 2010 11:00:00 +0000

This is a video of Lee Starovich (one of my longtime bass students) performing The Chicken along with trumpeter Kyle Liccoci. Both of these musicians have been involved with the Midwest Young Artists program and attend Libertyville High School, where I teach:

Brad Mehldau Trio – 50 ways to leave your lover – part 1

Jason — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 12:00:27 +0000

Here’s a great rendition on 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover (one of my favorite Paul Simon songs) featuring an awesome bass solo intro by Larry Grenadier (pardon the green flashes in the video–it’s well worth watching despite this):

YouTube
- Brad Mehldau Trio – 50 ways to leave your lover – part 1

Giant Steps video animation

Jason — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 12:00:45 +0000

One of my students recently showed me this really amazing computer animation by Michael Levy set to John Coltrane playing Giant Steps. What a cool way to visualize this music–well worth checking out:

http://michalevy.com/giantsteps_download

More about François Rabbath from Brian Roessler

Jason — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 12:00:39 +0000

The second part of Brian Roessler’s excellent look at the development of François Rabbath’s career as a jazz artist was recently published. Many bassists seem to forget that Rabbath (former Contrabass Conversations guest) was well-known as a jazz bassist and composer in France, and Brian profiles this key figure in the double bass world wonderfully.

Here’s an excerpt from Brian about Poucha Dass (a piece that I play and have worked on with several students):

“Poucha Dass,” from 1968, opens every Rabbath performance to this day. It was the first piece of his that I ever heard, and it is a marvel of sensuousness and musical magnetism. It was not written for a film according to Rabbath, but was instead for his own interest and musical exploration. In keeping with the Zelig-like way Rabbath has of working with many of the most important musicians of our time yet remaining under the radar, he explained the origins of the piece:

Its simple. Because I see Ravi Shankar one day and we planned to play together in the future. And I hear his sitar and the sound, I like it very much. And I say, with the double bass, with the arco we can imitate this. So, I write “Poucha Dass” for that.

Read the complete article (part 2 of a 3-part series) here.

TV/FILM: Ken Burns: What About Mingus?!

Jason — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 11:00:00 +0000

Here’s a hilarious bass player-related story from All About Jazz:

The documentary filmmaker Ken Burns has a story he clearly loves to tell. He was walking in New York City a few years ago — on a date — when he heard a man he’d just passed yell violently back at him: “What about Mingus?!” Preceding the name of the protean jazz bassist was a pungent (and unprintable) expletive.

Burns turned to his date and reassured her. “It’s just about ‘Jazz,’ “ he said, referring to his 10-part history shown on PBS in 2001, which drew big audiences and critics’ complaints that he overlooked key figures.

Complete story: TV/FILM: Ken Burns: What About Mingus?!

The declining state of the Chicago jazz scene

Jason — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 21:31:13 +0000

All About Jazz laments the decline of several venerable Chicago jazz venues and puts out a heartfelt plea for this magnificent art form this weekend:

From PERFORMANCE/TOUR: Chicago Jazz Scene

The Jazz Showcase, the area’s biggest jazz venue closed its doors at the end of 2007 after they were not able to renew their lease. Now the HotHouse, Chicago second largest venue that was beginning to pick up the slack with out the Showcase around is closed. Northwestern just canceled their jazz program at the end of the last school year.

Jazz is no longer on the radio in Chicago with WBEZ (corrected–see below) 91.5 cutting all of their jazz programing. What is going on? Won’t somebody step up to help this art form from dissolving in a city that arguably is the birth place on modern jazz: a company, a philanthropist, and government, a school, anyone? These are truly dark days for the first truly American art form. We hope for better days ahead.

They go on to list what’s happening on the Chicago scene in the venues that are still active. Read more here.

Correction: the Jazz Showcase has, in fact, reopened–see comment below.

CBC 137: Todd Coolman interview

Jason — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 11:00:00 +0000

We’re featuring an interview with jazz bassist Todd Coolman on the podcast. This episode is guest hosted by double bassist Win Hinkle, who interviewed Rufus Reid previously for Contrabass Conversations as well.

After listening to this interview, I went out and downloaded Perfect Strangers, Todd’s newest album, and I highly recommend it to listeners. Truly top-notch and extremely enjoyable playing all around! We’ll begin today’s episode with a brief excerpt from Crescent City Ditty, and well conclude with Todd’s bass solo from Connotation. Both excerpts are from Todd’s new album and you can find it on iTunes here.