Revisiting the ‘Amati’ bass

I had the good fortune to be asked to perform a recital in 2006 on Gary Karr’s former bass, formerly attributed to Amati and previously owned by the great Serge Koussevitzky. This recital happened in the very early days of my blogging, and though I covered it...

Flurry of double bass interviews

We’re kicking the Contrabass Conversations podcast series into high gear this spring (March is spring for me, no matter how much snow is still on the ground), interviewing bass performers, teacher, and luthiers from all over the United States (and beyond). Last...

The benefits of keeping your independent voice

I’ve been blogging for several years now, and doing this kind of writing on a daily basis (there are over 2100 posts on doublebassblog.org right now….and counting!) has naturally made me take some time to think about the benefits and drawbacks of...

ArsAntiguaPresents.com March edition now available

I help manage the ArsAntiguaPresents.com podcast series that bassist and early music specialist Jerry Fuller puts out each month.  These are well-produced short (less than 15 minutes) performances from a variety of artists.  Sign up (for free) through this...

Joe Guastefeste master class at Northwestern University

I had a chance this past Saturday (March 1, 2008) to watch a master class hosted by Northwestern University double bass professor Peter Lloyd (fourth from right) featuring longtime Chicago Symphony Principal Bass Joe Guastafeste (pictured here in the center of the...