Jason Heath’s Double Bass Blog

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While surfing around online doing some promotional activities for the Contrabass Conversations podcast, I happened to stumble upon the Lyric Opera of Chicago’s MySpace page. Although finding an arts organization on MySpace is not exactly a rare occurrence, I was struck by just how well-conceived and organized the content, layout, and structure [...]

This photo features the Lyric Opera of Chicago bass section onstage beneath the imposing countdown clock from John Adams’ opera Doctor Atomic.

(pictured left to right: Greg Sarchet, Aventino Calvetti, Mike Geller, Andy Anderson, Brian Ferguson, and Collins Trier)
This opera features a particularly challenging extended double bass solo.  You can check it out below (click [...]

…on the birth of Eli, their second son!  Andy plays bass for the Lyric Opera of Chicago, teaches at Roosevelt University, and is a regular contributor to the Contrabass Conversations podcast.  He also happens to be a dear friend, and I wish him and his wife Rose all the best.
You can check out photos of [...]

 

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We’re wrapping up the interview with Pittsburgh Symphony Principal Bassist Jeff Turner that we began on episode 26 of the podcast, plus featuring music from U.K.-based bassist Leon Bosch’s new album titled The British Double Bass on this week’s episode of the podcast.
We also feature bass news, listener feedback, shout-outs to members of the [...]

Lyric Opera of Chicago and Northeastern Illinois bass teacher Greg Sarchet sent me a link to this video recently.  I remember seeing an earlier incarnation of this a while ago, and this is an updated version with new statistics.  I really like this video–it makes you think, and it’s the sort of thing that I [...]

Jerry Fuller directs the Chicago-area period instrument ensemble Ars Antigua in Chicago’s Quigley Chapel. Photos by Robert Osterlund
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The following is a guest post from Double Bass Blog contributor Phillip W. Serna. Check out Phillip’s recitals and interviews on his Contrabass Conversations page, and visit him online at http://www.phillipwserna.com/. Enjoy!
 
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Contrabass Conversations and the Double Bass Blog [...]

I’ve been playing backstage at the Lyric Opera of Chicago for this season’s production of La Traviata.  This is a wonderful gig–a real blast to play.  As an added bonus, the offstage part for this specific opera only requires our participation for the first few minutes of the opera, so I’m driving back north toward [...]

» China blogger beaten to death Dvorak Uncensored: General interest observations and true web-log.
This grim story comes from CNN.com via Dvorak Uncensored.
(tags: dvorak uncensored blogger beaten china)

Why schools should exclusively use free software - GNU Project - Free Software Foundation (FSF)
Free software also gives users the freedom to cooperate with each other, to lead an [...]

 

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This week’s episode features an interview with jazz bass legend Steve Rodby. Rodby has played bass on every Pat Metheny Group record since 1980, co-produced the group’s last five albums and won 10 Grammy Awards with the group. He has toured with jazz greats Joe Henderson and Tony Bennett, and also works [...]

Here is audition information for January 2008
posted every month on doublebassblog.org by Phillip W. Serna

For many more auditions, also visit

http://www.afm.org/ for information on the auditions below:

Arizona Opera

DOUBLE BASS - 4th Chair Double Bass
Resume Date - February 12, 2008
Audition Date - [...]