Episode notes
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…
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Contrabass Conversations
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
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E1158 · 20 Aug 2026 · 46 min
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E1157 · 14 Aug 2026 · 38 min
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E1156 · 6 Aug 2026 · 49 min
1156: SoJung Kim's journey from Korea to the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra
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E1155 · 30 Jul 2026 · 54 min
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E1154 · 16 Jul 2026 · 1 hr 1 min
1154: Dominik Wagner on teaching, competitions, and finding your sound
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E1152 · 2 Jul 2026 · 56 min
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E1151 · 25 Jun 2026 · 1 hr
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E1150 · 18 Jun 2026 · 1 hr 2 min
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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…
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E1148 · 4 Jun 2026 · 44 min
1148: Georgia Wartel Collins on Practice, Texture, and Creative Freedom
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