My busy schedule prevented me from seeing two fantastic double bassists play concerts last week. Edgar Meyer played at Pick-Staiger Concert Hall in Evanston, Illinois with the fabulous mandolinist Chris Thile. Seeing Edgar perform is always a treat. I remember rehearsing and premiering Edgar’s second double bass concerto with the IRIS Chamber Orchestra a few years ago. This piece was commissioned by the IRIS Orchestra, and it was really cool to play this new piece.

The great jazz bassist and educator Rufus Reid was in town doing a clinic and concert with the Midwest Young Artists program in Highwood, Illinois. I have been to clinics that Rufus has done in the past, and I’ve always found them to be really excellent. Rufus is a great jazz educator as well as a performer, and his method of teaching fundamental double bass concepts is unsurpassed.

I have put a lot of Edgar Meyer videos up on my blog in the past (Check them out: 1 2 3 ), but I haven’t pt up any Rufus Reid videos before. Here is The Shadow of Your Smile featuring Marvin Stamm on trumpet, Bill Mays on piano, Rufus Reid on bass, and Ed Soph on drums. Rufus takes a solo about 3 1/2 minutes into the video.