Podcast · Music

Contrabass Conversations

by Jason Heath · English · Music

Contrabass Conversations features interviews and performances from top leaders in the world of the double bass. Podcast host Jason Heath dives deep into what makes these world-class artists tick. With 2 million downloads and counting, Contrabass Conversations is the most popular podcast for double

New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 49 min
Latest: 8 Oct 2026
Language: English

Latest episode

8 Oct 2026 · 19 min

1164: Eduard Marcu on winning the Lutine Prize

At just 18, London-based double bassist Eduard Marcu became the first bassist to win Junior Guildhall's prestigious Lutine Prize . Born in Romania and raised in London, Eduard began playing bass at age 10, developed his craft at Junior Guildhall, and performed with the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain before beginning his studies at the Royal Academy of Music . Eduard joins Jason to talk about preparing for an all-instrument competition, balancing projection with a singing sound, and learning from musicians beyond the bass world. They also explore his approach to bow hair and…

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Earlier episodes 29 most recent

E1163 · 1 Oct 2026 · 1 hr
1163: Chris Johnson on Building a Bigger Dream Through Music
Chris Johnson is a New York–based bassist, educator, and creative force whose career spans the Sphinx Virtuosi , New York City Ballet, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, and a wide range of chamber, commercial, and recording projects. He is also the founder of Strauss Hauss , a concert series that brings music, food, and conversation together while placing artists and community at the center. In this conversation, Chris shares how Project STEP and New England Conservatory launched his life in music, why touring changed his view of the world, and how Burning Man inspired…
E1162 · 24 Sep 2026 · 1 hr 4 min
1162: Jeanette Adams on community, creativity, and the touring life
Jeanette Adams is a bassist, educator, and member of the nationally touring progressive bluegrass trio Stillhouse Junkies . Raised in Michigan's Upper Peninsula and trained at Lawrence University, she now lives in Colorado, where she performs around 150–200 shows a year and helps expand access to string education through the Aspen Music Festival's educational programs. We talk about the changing landscape of touring, the special community surrounding house concerts, and Jeanette's journey from classical and jazz into bluegrass. She also shares how she practices in small pockets of time on…
E1161 · 17 Sep 2026 · 43 min
1161: Daniel Chiva Sanz on Intonation, Audition Prep, and Daily Mozart
Daniel Chiva Sanz returns to the podcast to discuss his latest project, Daily Mozart , a new technique book that applies concepts from his School of Patience books to the second movements and minuets of Mozart symphonies. Daniel shares how his work as a performer, teacher, and creator has led him toward a brass-inspired approach to sound, pitch center, and hand-shape precision, and he reflects on how fundamental technique has shaped his audition preparation, orchestral playing, and overall confidence on the bass. We dig into why Mozart's slower movements make such effective daily studies,…
E1160 · 10 Sep 2026 · 32 min
1160: What Bottesini Really Wrote - Mark Morton's Urtext Editions
Mark Morton joins Jason to discuss his decades-long project creating practical Urtext editions of Giovanni Bottesini's music. Drawing on 3,656 photographs of manuscripts from the Biblioteca Palatina in Parma, Mark has completed editions of 11 works so far, with the goal of eventually covering all 84 of Bottesini's compositions. He explains how he compares multiple surviving versions, preserves the composer's choices, and avoids imposing editorial preferences—including in familiar pieces such as Elegy No. 1 . The conversation explores the advantages of writing the bass part in the sounding…
E1159 · 3 Sep 2026 · 36 min
1159: Cole Davis and Jason Heath teach each other bass lessons!
Cole Davis is a bassist, composer, educator, and the creator behind Better Bass Lessons , where he brings a playful, practical approach to jazz bass education. In this episode, Cole and Jason Heath trade lessons across the classical/jazz divide, building on their previous New Simandl collaboration and digging into Cole's ideas around walking lines, open strings, and groove. Jason then turns the tables with a bow lesson for Cole, covering fresh rosin, French bow hold, using the whole bow, vibrato as its own hand position, "uni-finger" concepts, and finding a thicker arco sound through bow…
E1158 · 20 Aug 2026 · 46 min
1158: Neal Miner on Juzeks, Golden Spirals, and the Art of Playing Bass Melodies
New York City jazz bassist Neal Miner joins the podcast to talk about his new book of original bass-feature compositions , an 11-song collection designed for students and professionals to use in ensemble settings. Neal shares how longtime collaborator Chris Byars encouraged the project, how the book grew into play-alongs and a My Music Masterclass , and how his work as a bassist, teacher, composer, and documentary filmmaker all connect through a patient "chip away" creative process. We dig into Neal's love of bass melodies, contrafacts, gut strings, his longtime Juzek bass, Golden Spiral…
E1157 · 14 Aug 2026 · 38 min
1157: Kathryn Schulmeister on Imagining Hands
Kathryn Schulmeister joins the podcast to talk about Imagining Hands , her debut solo album on Protomaterial Records . A bassist, improviser, composer, and University of Wisconsin faculty member , Kathryn brings together contemporary music, storytelling, extended technique, and deeply personal experience in a project shaped by her time at UC San Diego, her work with Mark Dresser, and the narrative world of Clarissa Pinkola Estés' Women Who Run With the Wolves . We dig into the album's connection to The Handless Maiden , the thread-and-tabletop bass techniques behind "Underground Forest," the…
E1156 · 6 Aug 2026 · 49 min
1156: SoJung Kim's journey from Korea to the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra
SoJung Kim joins the podcast to share her journey from discovering the double bass in Korea to joining the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra . A graduate student at the Colburn Conservatory studying with Peter Lloyd, SoJung has performed with the One Korea Youth Orchestra and Orchestra Ensemble Seoul, spent summers at the Pacific Music Festival and Music Academy of the West , and first came to the instrument after hearing the deep resonance of a bass ensemble at her cousin's concert. We talk about SoJung's move from solo repertoire into the world of orchestral excerpts, the wake-up call of…
E1155 · 30 Jul 2026 · 54 min
1155: Orion Miller on preparation, structure, and trusting the process
Orion Miller joins the podcast to talk about his path from growing up in New York City to joining the San Francisco Symphony bass section. Orion studied at the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University with Tim Pitts and spent formative summers at places like Tanglewood , Music Academy of the West , and Aspen Music Festival . We dig into Orion's audition journey, including getting cut from the San Francisco Symphony preliminaries, rethinking how he prepared, and eventually winning the job after a trial week. Orion shares the practice system that changed everything for him, from 25% tempo…
E1154 · 16 Jul 2026 · 1 hr 1 min
1154: Dominik Wagner on teaching, competitions, and finding your sound
Dominik Wagner returns to the podcast for a wide-ranging conversation recorded during his visit to San Francisco for the 2026 Golden Gate Bass Camp . A prizewinner for many major solo competitions, Dominik has built an extraordinary career as a soloist, chamber musician, recording artist, and pedagogue, with albums including Giovanni Bottesini - Revolution of Bass , Chapters - A Double Bass Story , and Double Bass Rhapsody . He currently teaches at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna , and his work continues to expand what is possible on the double bass. We dig into Dominik's…
E1153 · 9 Jul 2026 · 1 hr 49 min
1153: Remembering Don Prell
Don Prell passed away in 2026 at age 97. Born in 1929, Don went on the road with the Frank Ortega Band, played with people like Buddy Rich and Chet Baker, and was in the original Bud Shank Quartet. He played for the San Francisco Symphony for 30 years and, after retirement, formed his own group called the Sea Bop Ensemble, which played at various San Francisco spots, including the legendary Bay View Boat Club . Thank you to our sponsor! Carnegie Mellon University Double Bass Studio – CMU is dedicated to helping each student achieve their goals as a musician. Every week each student receives…
E1152 · 2 Jul 2026 · 56 min
1152: Noa Eve on Late Bloomer, Edgar tuning, and finding your own musical lane
Noa Eve (NoaBass) joins the podcast to celebrate the long-awaited release of *Late Bloomer ,* a debut album that blends virtuosic arco playing with the rhythmic grit of bluegrass, old-time, and acoustic music-making. We talk about the "10 years in the making" arc from Jason first hearing Noa play in the Bay Area to recording the album over three intense days in Portland, plus what it takes to bring a bass-forward project to life with a full band. Along the way, Noa shares how touring and real-world gig reps shaped their groove, arranging instincts, and confidence, plus why Edgar tuning and a…
E1151 · 25 Jun 2026 · 1 hr
1151: Hal Robinson on technique, teachers, and tools that work
Hal Robinson joins the podcast for a wide-ranging conversation on bass pedagogy, sound, and the practical fundamentals that actually move the needle. Hal reflects on his path from early studies with Paul Ellison to a career that spans major orchestras and shares how working alongside influential musicians like François Rabbath and Edgar Meyer helped shape a flexible, student-first teaching philosophy. We also dig deep into Hal's latest book Hitch-hikin' , which is a new look at the concepts Hal explored in his book Boardwalkin'. We dig into pivot health, low thumb position ("thumbage"),…
E1150 · 18 Jun 2026 · 1 hr 2 min
1150: Mary Ann McSweeney on Broadway Bass, Fado Roots, and the Reality of Subbing
Bassist, composer, and educator Mary Ann McSweeney joins Jason to talk about a career that spans Bay Area roots, L.A. training, and the demanding, ever-shifting world of Broadway and studio work. Mary Ann shares how piano and violin shaped her musicianship, what it took to become a stronger reader, and much more Enjoy, give Mary Ann a follow on Instagram , and check out this feature of her on YouTube: WPL's Jazz Series: Meet Mary Ann McSweeney . Thank you to our sponsor! Carnegie Mellon University Double Bass Studio – CMU is dedicated to helping each student achieve their goals as a…
E1149 · 11 Jun 2026 · 1 hr 7 min
1149: Caleb Quillen on auditions, orchestral sound, and leading by example
Caleb Quillen returns to the podcast to talk about the path that took him from growing up in Sugar Land, Texas, to principal bass of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Along the way, he reflects on formative teachers, including Dennis Whittaker and Paul Ellison, the influence of the Boston bass tradition, and much more. Check out our text/media version of this conversation and our interview with Caleb from 2016 here , and learn more about Caleb on his Boston Symphony and New England Conservatory pages. Thank you to our sponsor! Carnegie Mellon University Double Bass Studio – CMU is dedicated to…
E1148 · 4 Jun 2026 · 44 min
1148: Georgia Wartel Collins on Practice, Texture, and Creative Freedom
Photo credit: Oscar Benjamin Berg Bassist, improviser, and genre-crosser Georgia Wartel Collins joins us today to talk about the winding path that led her to New York, via Gothenburg, Trondheim, and Amsterdam, and how a deeply musical family shaped everything from early street performances to a life that's always moved freely between styles. Georgia also shares how rock and grunge became real creative fuel alongside a love of melody, and why the upright bass, alive and changing every day, keeps offering new colors to chase. Enjoy, and follow along with Georgia and her very cool work on her…
E1147 · 28 May 2026 · 48 min
1147: Unsung Songs - David Bowden Goes Solo
Glasgow-based bassist David Bowden joins the show on release day for Unsung Songs , a solo double bass record shaped by years of gigging and arranging. David talks about coming up in London before moving to Glasgow for the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, finding a creative home in Scotland's close-knit jazz scene, and how folk music and "sounding like yourself" became central to the way he thinks about writing and playing. We also talk solo bass, favorite recordings, right-hand technique, gear, touring, teaching, and new-parent life. Enjoy, and be sure to follow David on Instagram and…
E1146 · 22 May 2026 · 49 min
1146: Twelve Bees in a Jar - Rosie Moon's Dragonetti Waltzes on Three Strings
Rosie Moon joins us today to share the story behind *Twelve Bees In A Jar , her* multi-year Dragonetti project exploring his music on gut strings, a three-string bass, and a convex "Dragonetti" bow. Rosie talks about how a chance encounter with a bow at a UK bass shop kicked off a deep dive into historical equipment, technique, and the surprisingly big that happens when you take a string off the instrument. Enjoy, and be sure to follow Rosie on her website , Instagram , and Facebook ! Connect with DBHQ Join Our Newsletter Double Bass Resources Double Bass Sheet Music Double Bass Merch Gear…
E1145 · 14 May 2026 · 48 min
1145: Bowen Ha on his audition process
Bowen Ha joined the San Francisco Symphony at the start of the 2024–25 season after training at Juilliard with Timothy Cobb and Harold Robinson, and appearing as a substitute with major orchestras. Born in Shanghai, Bowen's path ran from piano to cello and finally to bass, through Interlochen, the Shanghai Conservatory's affiliated program, and Juilliard. We dig into the nuts-and-bolts of what changed between Bowen's early pro auditions and his San Francisco win: obsessing over details and doing daily metronome work. Enjoy, and connect with Bowen on Instagram and YouTube ! Connect with DBHQ…
E1144 · 7 May 2026 · 36 min
1144: John Goldsby on Big Band Bass
John Goldsby returns to the podcast to celebrate Big Band Bass , a project that spotlights the double bass at the front of the band alongside the legendary WDR Big Band and arranger/conductor Bob Mintzer . We talk about what it felt like to close a 30-year run in one of the world's rare full-time jazz ensemble jobs, and how stepping away has opened up space for hand-picked gigs, home projects, and new recordings. We dig into the album's origin story—why Vince Mendoza's "Sonatinita" is the lone non-Goldsby composition, how Bob Mintzer turned John's "little ditties" into full-blown big band…
30 Apr 2026 · 18 min
1143: Professional Instruments Aren't Luggage with Valentina Ciardelli
Valentina Ciardelli , double bass professor at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance and an active performer/educator, returns to the podcast to talk about a project that goes way beyond the practice room: fixing the chaos of traveling with large instruments. Check out Valentina's work and latest updates on her website . We dig into Valentina's advocacy work to create clearer, non-discretionary standards for transporting professional musical instruments, sparked by real-world experiences (including those "crying in the airport" moments many traveling musicians know all too well).…
23 Apr 2026 · 52 min
1142: Slow Water, Deep Grooves with Stephan Crump
Stephan Crump is a Brooklyn-based bassist, composer, and educator whose work moves fluidly between groove, spacious sound-worlds, and collective improvisation. We dig into the making of Slow Water , the magnetism of deep feel, and how growing up in Memphis—and spending a lot of life near the Mississippi—shaped the way Stephan hears music as ecology, storytelling, and energy in motion. We talk about inspired listening walks, the ideas behind Erica Gies' book Water Always Wins (and what it means to let water—and music—meander), and Stephan's approach to leading ensembles. We also get into…
E1141 · 16 Apr 2026 · 38 min
1141: Gut Strings and Time Travel - Michał Bylina on Early Music
Michał Bylina is a Polish bassist and composer whose work bridges early music performance and new music for the instrument. In this conversation, Michał shares how a love of the past pulled them toward gut strings, Baroque style, and the Vienna bass tradition, plus the path from studying in Kraków to a year studying in Brussels with Korneel Le Compte. We dig into Michał's composing process, from writing cadenzas to building a huge library of bass sheet music and learning by analysis, along with current projects like a concerto inspired by the surviving bars of Dittersdorf's concerto for…
E1140 · 9 Apr 2026 · 1 hr 2 min
1140: Isaac Trapkus on Rosin, Hidden Manuscripts, and Open-Source Music Tools
Isaac Trapkus is a bassist with the New York Philharmonic, rosin maker , and developer of Monkey Wrench DB —a tool that syncs sheet music PDFs with YouTube performances. He's also the creator of a free urtext-style edition of the Koussevitzky Double Bass Concerto, based on a previously unknown personal score copy he discovered at the Library of Congress. We cover a wide range of topics: Isaac's years-long journey developing his handcrafted rosin (Winter) , the unique acoustic challenges of the double bass that make rosin so stubbornly hard to get right, and his Library of Congress discovery…
E1139 · 2 Apr 2026 · 24 min
1139: Building The Sub Pool with Thomas Zera
Bassist and arts administrator Thomas Zera joins us today to share what changed between our first chat years ago and now, including life in the Utah Symphony and the path that led to building his new project, The Sub Pool . We dig into what The Sub Pool is, why orchestra sub lists so often "run dry," and how a centralized, musician-friendly platform can help personnel managers find the right players, including for rarer instruments and big-repertoire needs. Tom also explains how the service is designed to be low-friction for musicians, what feedback has shaped the early feature set…
E1138 · 26 Mar 2026 · 1 hr 2 min
1138: Seasons of Creativity with Casey Lipka
Casey Lipka is a Los Angeles–based singer, songwriter, bassist, and collaborator with a gift for building community around music. In this episode, Casey shares the winding path that brought her into jazz voice, bass, and a creative life that blends composing, performing, and heartfelt projects. Along the way, Casey talks about how coaching shaped her work supporting other artists, and why creating space for connection has become such a central part of what she does. Jason and Casey dig into what it looks like to move through "seasons" of creativity, from album release mode to collaboration…
E1137 · 19 Mar 2026 · 1 hr 20 min
1137: Lloyd Goldstein celebration podcast
This episode with Johnny Hamil and friends is a celebration of the music of Lloyd Goldstein . Enjoy this, and be sure to join Johnny and company March 21st at 11am Central Time via Zoom . You can visit KC Bass Workshop for more information and details. Connect with DBHQ Join Our Newsletter Double Bass Resources Double Bass Sheet Music Double Bass Merch Gear used to record this podcast Zoom H6 studio 8-Track 32-Bit Float Handy Recorder Rode Podmic Sony Alpha 7 IV Full-frame Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM Lens Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM Lens When you buy a product…
E1136 · 12 Mar 2026 · 1 hr 5 min
1136: Finding Your Sound - Marlonius on Craft, Groove, and Identity
In this episode, we're joined by bassist, composer, and bandleader Marlonius aka, Marlon Martinez , the creative force behind the Marlonius Jazz Orchestra . We talk about growing up in a deeply musical family, moving through a serious classical conservatory track at Colburn, and the long arc of building a personal sound. We dig into Marlon's early encounters with Stanley Clarke, what it means to live in the "in-between" of jazz and classical worlds, and how rhythm (including Marlon's time on drum set) shapes everything from groove to orchestration. We also get into Billy Strayhorn's legacy,…
E1135 · 5 Mar 2026 · 47 min
1135: John Mietus and the World-First "Butterfly Lovers" on Double Bass
John Mietus is a composer, double bassist, and conductor, currently Associate Principal Bass with the Auckland Philharmonia . Born in Hong Kong and raised in Ohio, John started playing bass at age four and went on to study with some legendary teachers while building a career that spans orchestral playing, chamber music, teaching, and composition. In this episode, John and Jason dig into John's world-premiere performance of the "Butterfly Lovers Violin Concerto" (He Zhanhao and Chen Gang) on double bass with orchestra in Changsha, China, on January 1, 2026, and what it took to make a faithful…

About Contrabass Conversations

Contrabass Conversations is a English music podcast from Jason Heath. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: Jason Heath
Language: English
Category: Music
New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 49 min
Latest episode: 8 Oct 2026
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id211054543

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