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Bassist Todd Coolman has just released his latest recording, an ArtistShare project entitled Perfect Strangers. Todd spent over a year soliciting original jazz compositions from the public at large and formed a quintet to interpret them. This select group of individuals, known as the “Learning Community,” then collaborated in the creative process, yielding very interesting results. The recording, accompanied by documentation of the entire process via streaming audio and video files, is available at: www.toddcoolman.com. Learn more about ArtistShare at www.artistshare.com.
Players from around the world will travel to Paris for Bass 2008 at the Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique, October 30th - November 3rd, 2008. Renowned artists of all genres - classical, contemporary, avant-garde and jazz – will give masterclasses, showcases, clinics, recitals and evening concerts. There will also be an exhibition of publishers, makers and bass shops, and a composition competition. The player's competition will have 5 categories: solo, orchestra, jazz, contemporary and mini-bass (ages 7 to 18 years). Among the dozens of guest artists scheduled are: Petya Bagovska, Thierry Barbé, Bass'in Trio, Alberto Bocini, Fausto Borem, Jeff Bradetich, Carré de basses, Bernard Cazauran and CNSMDL, students of CNSMDP, Luis Cojal, Silvio Dalla Torre, Jean-Marc Faucher, Niek De Groot, Paul Ellison, Gottfried Engels, Paul Erhard, Giuseppe Ettorre, Diana Gannett, Didier Goury, Teppo Hauta-Aho, Christine Hoock, Rinat Ibraghimov, Miloslav Jelinek, Lasse Lagercrantz, Björn Malqvist, Daniel Marillier, Marc Morton, David Murray, Yoshio Nagashima, Jeremy Kurtz, Volkan Ohron, Irena Olkiewicz, Vassilis Papavasiliou, Božo Paradžik, Florian Pertzborn, Frank Proto, François Rabbath, Catalin Rotaru, Paul Sharpe, Anthony Stoops, Dan Styffe, Daniele Roccato, and Jean-Paul Celea. Jazz artists include Jean-Jacques Avenel , Gildas Boclé, Pierre Boussaguet, Marc Buronfosse, Jean-Paul Celea, Benoit Dunoyer, Hubert Dupont, Joachim Florent, Hein Van De Geyn, Renaud Garcia-Fons, Riccardo Del Fra, John Goldsby, Stephane Kerecki, Tom Knific, Rufus Reid, Hans Sturm and Jackie Allen, Claude Tchamitchian, Jean-Philippe Viret, Daniel Yvinec and Didi Beck. Contemporary/new music performers include Robert Black, Marc Helias, Joelle Leandre, Barre Philips, Stefano Scodanibbio, Frédéric Stochl, Hakon Thelin, Jean-Paul Celea, Andreas Bennetzen and David Neubert . Baroque performance artists include Joe Carver, Richard Myron, Rob Nairn, David Sinclair, and Nicola Moneta (octobasse). For more information go to http://www.contrebasse.com/en/news/index.html and www.bass2008.com. The Bass 2008 team can book the hotels for you, or you can register on contrebasse.com and post a message to find free housing with a Parisian bassist. Questions? Email Thierry Barbé at tbarbe@gmail.com.
The 2009 Stulberg String Competition will be held Saturday, March 7, 2009 at Western Michigan University. The application deadline is December 15, 2008. All string instrument students under the age of 20 are invited to apply. The 2009 judges are Miriam Fried, Ronald Leonard and Richard Young. For more information, application form and requirements, visit www.stulberg.org.
Arizona Bass Players, Inc. has established the David Walter Memorial
Scholarship in Double Bass, for a graduate student to study double bass
performance at any of the three state universities in Arizona, or other
location by choice of the recipient. Claudia Barritt, David Walter's widow,
is heading up the fund drive, with a goal of providing a graduate teaching
assistantship salary for a maximum three years of graduate study. The
endowment fund target is $200,000. The Fund has collected donations from
David's former students and family members. To donate to the Fund, please
contact Patrick Neher directly at abp@arizonabassplayers.org or call
520-891-0432. For more information go to www.arizonabassplayers.org.
What is the best ride for your double bass on the road today? Jeffrey Koczela, professor of double bass at George Washington University in Washington, DC, says the Honda Fit works great. It’s a 4-door, offers good mileage and can fit bass, driver and three other people (two people in the back seat, at least one of them should be small!) Says Jeffrey, “I can fit my bass on the 40% side of the 60/40 split back seat. The Toyota Yaris can do the same, but it’s only a 2-door, and it’s not easy to slide the bass in the 40% side due to the ceiling-mounted seat belt holder. Same issue with Toyota Matrix. One of my students got a ride with bass to his lesson yesterday in a Mini Cooper - now I want to see someone show up in a SmartCar!”
ISB member Yung-chiao Wei’s first CD, featuring her own transcription of the famous Chinese Violin Concerto “Butterfly Lovers” by Chen Gang and He Zhanhao and Brahms Cello Sonata in e minor, was released on Centaur Records label in June. She is an Associate Professor at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. For more information about Yung-chiao Wei, go to www.yungchiao.esmartmusic.com.
ISB past president John Clayton and his brother, saxophonist Jeff Clayton, have launched a new recording project on the Artist Share website, “Brother to Brother,” which will pay tribute to famous brothers in jazz. To participate in this community commission, go to http://www.artistshare.com/home/default.aspx and scroll down the menu on the right hand side of the page, where you’ll find another great opportunity to be a part of jazz history. Dan Ouillette’s Artist Share literary project, the authorized Ron Carter biography, is slated for release this fall, but there’s still time to be one of Ron’s many fans who are helping to commission this important book. We encourage ISB members to join both of these bass-focused Artist Share projects!
Dr. Phillip W. Serna is joining the faculty of Valparaiso University, located in the Chicago/ Northern Indiana area. Valparaiso University offers undergraduate degrees in music performance and music education. For more information go to www.valpo.edu/music/ or visit www.phillipwserna.com.
Upton Bass String Instrument Co. has a new location: 44 Taugwonk Spur, Unit 4, Stonington, CT 06378, telephone 860/535-9399, fax 860/535-9311, www.uptonbass.com.
The Honolulu Jazz Quartet, led by bassist John Kolivas, will be featured on Tuesday Night Market Jazz in Sonoma, California, August 12, 2008. Joining the quartet will be pianist Geoffrey Keezer. Go to www.sonomavalleyjazzsociety.org or www.honolulujazzquartet.com.
The Cedar Rapids (Iowa) Symphony has suffered major damage from the recent flooding of the Cedar River. The orchestra reports that water reached a height of nine feet in its administrative offices, and all office equipment was destroyed. The staff moved as many instruments, records and other items as they could. The staff plus students and teachers from the Symphony School were successfully evacuated without injury. While upper levels of the building escaped the worst, the recently renovated Paramount Theater, home to the orchestra’s concerts, suffered extensive damage. The search is on for temporary office and alternative venues for the school and the next symphony season. 6/20/08
Nico Abondolo and Timothy Eckert have joined the faculty of Azusa Pacific University, located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. APU offers undergraduate, graduate and artist certificate programs. Full scholarships are available. For more information go to www.apu.edu/music/ or email teckert@apu.edu 06/02/08
Stefan Krattenmacher has scheduled a grand opening of his new workshop on September 14, 2008. The Julia Hülsmann trio with jazz bassist Marc Muellbauer will perform, as well as a classical bassist in recital (TBA). For information go to www.krattenmacher.com. 06/02/08
Kurt Muroki has been appointed to the faculty of Stony Brook University and will start teaching there in the fall of 2008. Stony Brook offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees. Kurt is a featured artist with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and teaches at the Bowdoin Music Festival and The New Jersey City University. Kurt has also served on faculty at the Juilliard School of Music in New York.
More info at http://www.sunysb.edu/ and http://www.muroki.com.
MusicalAmerica.com reports that José Antonio Abreu, the Venezuelan economist and composer who in the early 1970s founded El Sistema, the national system of children and youth orchestras of Venezuela, has been awarded honorary membership of the Royal Philharmonic Society. He is the 123rd recipient of the award since the election of Carl Maria von Weber in 1826, and accepted the award at a ceremony in London's Dorchester Hotel on May 15. The socio-musical movement has created 120 Venezuelan orchestras, the most celebrated of which is the Simon Bolivàr Orchestra. Its young conductor, Gustavo Dudamel, is music director designate of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra. Keynote speaker Dr. Richard Holloway, chair of the Joint Board of Scottish Arts Council and Scottish Screen and chair of Sistema Scotland, stressed the importance of play in childhood. The first Sistema project in Europe, Sistema Scotland, is slated to begin in June, 2008.
Tod Leavitt is the new full-time bass instructor at Valdosta State University in Georgia, beginning August, 2008.
Bassist Jeffry Eckels recently traveled from Ecuador to join John Murphy, saxophone, and percussionist Jose Aponte, both on the faculty of the University of North Texas School of Music, for concerts and clinics in Lima, Arequipa, and Cusco, Peru. A highlight was a concert sponsored by the U.S. ambassador to Peru for 750 invited guests.
Atelier Constantin Popescu has moved to a new location! Here’s the address and contact information: 403 e. Putnam Ave., Greenwich/Cos Cob, CT 06807, 203/661-9500, www.atelierconstantinpopescu.com.
Jazz fans and bassists everywhere can enjoy more stories and photos by the late, great Milt Hinton in the new book “Playing the Changes: Milt Hinton's Life in Stories and Photographs,” co-authored by David Berger. Click here to listen to the May 4, 2008 interview broadcast during National Public Radio’s Weekend Edition Sunday program. The book is available at book stores everywhere from Vanderbilt Press.
Dan Styffe will be giving the world premiere of “Duo” for double bass and viola by Norwegian composer Ruben Sverre Gjertsen at the Oslo Chamber Music Festival in August, ’08. Later that month, he will appear at the World Double Bass Festival III in Wroclaw, Poland. In October , Dan will give the world premiere of “Concerto for Bass and Strings” by Swedish composer Fredrik Högberg during the Ultima Contemporary Music Festival in Oslo, Norway, with the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra. Watch for the release of his new solo CD this summer!
Prize winners in the 2008 Arizona Bass Players Festival Double Bass Solo Competition: Chunyang Wang, Grand Prize Winner (of a Shen bass from Robertson's Violin Shop), is a student of bass at the Juilliard School, where he studies with Tim Cobb. John Sims, Second Prize, is a student of Catalin Rotaru at Arizona State University, School of Music. Alexander Jacobsen, Third Prize, is a senior at Albuquerque (New Mexico) High School and is also an aspiring composer and conductor. Congratulations to these young artists! For more information go to http://arizonabassplayers.org/winners.html.
Where would bassist be without drummers? Pass the good word to your percussive friends that ISB parents Steve and Deb Maxwell, of Steve Maxwell Vintage and Custom Drums of Chicago, have opened a second shop in Manhattan at 723 7th Ave., 3rd floor. The shop features vintage and custom drum sets and snare drums, pro quality new drums, cymbals, heads and sticks. There is also a museum of classic drums. Go to www.maxwelldrums.com.
Check out the May issue of Esquire magazine for a photo shoot of 12 musicians who are redefining classical music, all decked out in designer outfits. Look, who’s that next to his double bass, looking smashing in an elegant tuxedo? It’s the ISB’s own Robert Black! Looking very sharp, Robert!
Bret Simner was in Berlin this February to play a concert of the music of Müthel with Ensemble Kesselberg at the Musikinstrumentenmuseum, Berlin. While there, Bret caught up with his fellow presenter from the 2007 Historically Informed Performance Mini-Conference at the Oklahoma City convention, Thomas Schiegnitz. Thomas is the museum's string instrument curator and luthier. He arranged for Brett to play the museum's original 18th century Stadelmann Viennese bass.pictured with us. Thomas and Bret are looking forward to the next convention in 2009 at Penn State University in State College, PA.
The John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation has announced the results of its 84th annual competition for the United States and Canada. The Foundation will award 190 Fellowships to artists, scientists, and scholars, with awards totaling $8,200,000. Honorees for 2008 were chosen from a group of more than 2,600 applicants, and include double bassist, composer and clinician Rufus Reid. Congratulations to Rufus!
After 21 years together, Dennis Trembly and his lovely lady Evangelina Estrada, made it official. They were wed in Los Angeles on December 20th at a downtown Los Angeles hotel in the presence of a few close friends, and strolled home together afterwards. Congratulations, Dennis and Evangelina!
Really Good Music, LLC. is pleased to announce the return and publication of
Dave Anderson's music for double bass. As many readers know, Dave is the
principal bass of the Louisiana Philharmonic, an active jazz-funk bassist on the New Orleans scene and a respected composer. He's managed to recover enough master copies of his many popular compositions (Dave and his family
suffered major, major losses during Katrina) to get them back in print. A joyous time for Dave and the double bass community! Go to
www.reallygoodmusic.com and click on "Artists," then Dave Anderson. Dave has
been appointed as bass instructor at the Loyola School of Music in New
Orleans. The school wishes to expand the bass department and is offering
graduate and undergraduate scholarships. Dave will be focusing on Torello/Benfield editions of audition material as well as advanced solo repertoire. For information go tohttp://mfa.loyno.edu/facultybios/jmontes or email jmontes@loyno.edu, or go to http://mfa.loyno.edu/facultybios/awnisbet or email awnisbet@loyno.edu.
Attention high school bassists! Applications are still being accepted for Saturday, May 17th auditions for admittance into the Juilliard Pre-College Division. Juilliard’s Pre-College Division offers a thorough and comprehensive program of music instruction for talented young people who show the potential to pursue a professional career in music. It meets on Saturdays for 30 weeks between September and May. Students have performance opportunities as well as lesson time with world class faculty. Courses offered include ear training and theory. For information and an application, call the Juilliard Pre-College Division at 212-799-5000 ext. 241
The Board of Administration of the George A. and Eliza Gardner Howard Foundation has awarded eleven fellowships of $25,000 each for the 2008-2009 academic years. The eleven fellows, representing the fields of music (composition, performance, musicology), playwriting and theatre studies, were selected from an outstanding group of applicants. These latest honorees include ISB president-elect and 2009 convention host Rob Nairn, for a performance project that will feature compositions by composers of his native Australia. Congratulations to Rob!
The Nashville Symphony is being honored for its historic “A Time for Greatness” campaign, which raised $123 million in five years, from 2001-2006. The total represents the largest amount raised ever for an arts organization in Tennessee in a single campaign. Even more impressive, whereas most concert hall building projects are conducted with public funders playing a major role, the Nashville Symphony raised more than 90 percent of campaign revenue from private sources. Through its Nashville Advisory Council, a coalition of more than 350 members of the Nashville community committed to the project, the symphony was able to reach out to a variety of donors and attracting more than 3,860 gifts, including 34 individual and corporate gifts of $1 million or more.
Jeffry Eckels will be leaving his post at the Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ) where, as head of the bass department, he teaches acoustic and electric bass and ear training and directs ensembles, for the University of North Texas in the Fall of 2008. He has been offered a full teaching fellowship at UNT, where he will conduct one of the lab bands and study with Jeff Bradetich.
Bassists in the news on National Public Radio: Double bassist Drew Gress, whose recent CD “The Irrational Numbers” was recently released to critical acclaim, was interviewed on the NPR program “Fresh Air with Terry Gross” on February 18th. To listen:
click here.
Also, Jon Deak of the New York Philharmonic reflected on the orchestra’s recent concert in North Korea on NPR’s “All Things Considered” on March 7th. To listen: click here.
Florian Pertzborn has launched the DAP Project - Developing the Ability to Perform on the Double Bass – at the research Centre of Performing Arts CITAR at Catholic University of Porto, Portugal. The survey project is supervised by the University of London, and will collect data from the largest possible international population of double bassists. Bass classes and their professors from around the world will be contacted in the following weeks and asked to participate. For more information go to the DAP Project website, www.dap.ontoo.de.
The University of Maryland, Baltimore County, is looking for a Full-Time Lecturer/Director of Jazz Studies to oversee jazz curriculum and related activities. Position to begin August 23, 2008. Teaching responsibilities include: jazz theory and arranging, jazz composition, jazz ensembles, and other classes dependent on areas of expertise. Additional duties include advising and service as needed. Salary competitive. MM required, with evidence of teaching experience in higher education and substantial professional experience. Deadline for receiving application: March 19, 2008. Applicant should send a letter of application, a current CV, and contact information for at least three references to: Professor Tom Goldstein, Search Committee Chair, c/o Music Department, UMBC, 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD, 21250. Final approval to fill the position is contingent on the availability of funding. UMBC is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer and actively seeks the applications of minorities, women, and individuals with disabilities.
William Gowen played the Koussevitzky Concerto in the 2008 Juanita Miller Concerto Competition, held in January at Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas, and won second prize in the string division, competing against violinists, violists and cellists. Congratulations, William!
Jason Heath interviewed the Chicago Bass Ensemble recently
for his Bass Blog. To listen in, click here.
Scholarship applications are due for the 2008 Stanford Jazz Workshop by March 17th. Applications and more information about the Jazz Camp and Jazz Residency can be found at www.StanfordJazz.org.
Congratulations to John Clayton on receiving a 2008 Grammy Award for “Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s)” for the track, “I’m Gonna Live Till I Die” from Queen Latifah’s latest CD, “Trav’lin’ Light.”
After a decade of research, Murray Grodner has completed Volume 2 and an updated version of Volume 1 of his “Comprehensive Catalog of Music, Books, Recordings and Videos for the Double Bass.” Grodner has donated his publications to the International Society of Bassists, and both volumes will soon be available in CD-ROM format from the ISB. One disc will contain the combined content of the updated Volume I and the new Volume II. For those who already own Volume 1 as a paperback book, the second disc will contain only the newly completed Volume 2. The total information in both volumes equals more than 700 pages, and sales will benefit the ISB.
Murray Grodner was professor of double bass at Indiana University from 1955-1986. He also served as principal or assistant principal bass with the Pittsburgh, Houston and Sacramento symphonies, and the San Diego Chamber Orchestra and Baroque Chamber Players, and in the sections of the Louisville Orchestra, Danish National Radio Symphony, Ballet Theatre Orchestra Ballet and Russe Orchestra, as well as appearing as a guest artist with several prominent string quartets.
Andrew Kohn is collecting the writings of Theron McClure with hopes of publication. If you have any copies of Ohio Bass Notes, please contact him at Andrew.Kohn@mail.wvu.edu or by phone at 412-621-3758.
Coming in January, 2008, is the new book, Playing the Changes: Milt Hinton’s Life in Stories and Photographs, by Milt Hinton, David G. Berger and Holly Maxson. There is no better view of 20th-century jazz and the people who made it than through the life and camera of legendary bassist Milt Hinton. On the road, in the studio, at work and at play, Milt’s photos and stories provide an all-access pass into the real world of a jazz titan and his celebrated colleagues. This collector’s edition also includes a CD of Milt telling stories and performing music. “A permanent, vividly multi-dimensional contribution to jazz history by ‘The Judge’ Milt Hinton, a singular creator of that history,” says jazz critic Nat Hentoff. The book with CD will be $75, and available at bookstores, by calling 1-800-627-7377, or by going to www.VanderbiltUniversityPress.com.
The great photographer Herman Leonard has a new website. Go to http://www.hermanleonard.com to learn about books of his collected photos for sale, and view dazzling images of many of your favorite jazz personalities.
Writer Dan Ouellette, well known to readers for his incisive liner notes and articles and profiles for DownBeat Magazine invites ISB members to actively participate in the authorized Ron Carter biography project that is the first of its kind: a traditional book-in-print enriched by a website that offers a host of online experiences. Go to http://danouellette.artistshare.com for streaming video (including exclusive footage of Ron at home and in concert halls and recording studios); streaming audio (excerpts of interviews with Ron as well as his colleagues); photo galleries (capturing Ron in various settings, including rehearsals and recording sessions); journal entries on the creative process in writing the biography; and a radio station of selected interviews. This innovative publishing concept is the brainchild of ArtistShare, a New York-based startup (www.artistshare.com) that uses the latest technology to connect artists and fans directly. Dan Ouellette is the first writer to sign a contract with ArtistShare, best known for its recording projects (most notably jazz composer/bandleader Maria Schneider's Grammy-winning CD, “Concert in the Garden.”) Founder/CEO Brian Camilio's mission for ArtistShare is to offer “a place where fans fund the projects of their favorite artists in exchange for the privilege of participating in the creative process.” Available for purchase exclusively online, the biography - a living document of Ron's life and extraordinary career - will never go out of print or be relegated to remainder status in a bricks-and-mortar bookstore.
Dan has uploaded three new podcasts on the RADIO section of the Web site: (1) Ron talking about using pedal tones in Miles Davis' quintet, (2) Ron talking about how he might have saved Miles' life once---based on a story Wayne Shorter told me, and (3) pianist Kenny Barron talking about Ron.
Gina Schwarz of the Bass Instinct ensemble, which wowed everyone at the 2007 ISB convention, won Austria’s “Hans Koller Sidewoman of the Year” prize for 2007. Congratulations, Gina!
The National Medals of the Arts and the National Humanities Medals were awarded at a White House ceremony on November 15, 2007. Among the honorees was the University of Idaho’s annual Lionel Hampton International Jazz Festival. President George W. Bush presented the award to University of Idaho president Tim White and the festival’s artistic director John Clayton, “for preserving and promoting the uniquely American art of jazz, educating teachers and young musicians, and for continuing to explore diverse cultural connections forged by Lionel Hampton in the collaboration with the Nez Perce.”
The Polish Double Bass Society is celebrating the 100th anniversary of Koussevitzky’s recital in Wroclaw, Poland, on November 26, 1907. Gary Karr performed in the same place in 1995 in honor of Koussevitzky (Gary’s appearance has been commemorated by a special plaque on the building). Now Polish Double Bass Society president Irena Olkiewicz will give a short lecture about Koussevitzky and present a recreation of a poster advertising the recital 100 years ago, and her students Fabia Raban and Janek Burger will perform works by Handel, Bruch, Koussevitzky and Bottesini.
Phillip Serna has been editing an interview series focusing on the
performance of early music on Jason Heath's Double Bass Blog. "Perspectives
on Early Bass Performance" began in
the fall of 2007 and focuses on bassists who specialize in early music.
Recent guests include Curtis Daily, Jay Elfenbein, Alison Mackay,
International Society of Bassists president-elect Robert Nairn and Shanon
Zusman. To read or listen to future installments go to Jason Heath's Double
Bass Blog, www.doublebassblog.org, or the Contrabass Conversations Podcast,
www.contrabassconversations.com.
Andrew Kohn is collecting the writings of Theron McClure with hopes of publication. If you have any copies of Ohio Bass Notes, please contact him at Andrew.Kohn@mail.wvu.edu or by phone at 412-621-3758.
Roman Patkoló is the new professor of double bass at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in München, Germany.
After freelancing in the Chicago area for over ten years, Jacques Harper has formed The Chicago Bass Ensemble. Currently performing as a quartet, the group is a way for bass players to move from the back of the orchestra stage into the spotlight, and express their love of playing music in an intimate chamber setting. For information go to www.chicagobassensemble.com/performances.html.
Luthier Stefan Krattenmacher is moving his shop from Berlin to the southwest region of Germany, and a village between Freiburg and Baden- Baden and Strasborgh. He will reopen the workshop in a restored 18th century home next to the vineyards of Baden. His new address will be: Am Kirchberg 38, Münchweier, Germany D-77955,
+49 (0)7822 300 50 70. For information email stefan.krattenmacher@t-online.de, or go to www.krattenmacher.com.
Stefano Sciascia and Laura Menegozzo were both prizewinners in a recent music and poetry competition and celebration in Verona, Italy. After the reading of Laura’s poem “Silenzio,” Stefano performed his soundscape “Mantra 22.22” (known to many ISB members from his recording) live for the first time, in a library in the heart of Verona, near the Romeo and Juliet balcony.
Sandor Ostlund is the new associate professor of double bass at Baylor University. He is active as a soloist and clinician, and as a chamber, early music, and orchestral musician. He received his master's degree and his doctorate of musical arts from Rice University, where he studied with Paul Ellison. He previously held faculty appointments at West Texas A&M University and Shenandoah Conservatory.
DaXun Zhang is the new associate professor of double bass at the University of Texas at Austin. He is the first double bassist to win the Young Concert Artists International Auditions, and the first bassist to take first prize in the Women's Auxiliary of the Minnesota Symphony Orchestra competition. Among his many honors are the La Jolla Music Society Prize, the Orchestra New England Soloist Prize, grand prize in the ASTA National Solo Competition, first prize in the 2001 ISB Double Bass Competition, and The Fergus Prize. He received his Bachelor of Music from the Indiana University School of Music, where he studied with Lawrence Hurst. Most recently he served on the faculty of Northwestern University. In April, 2007, he was the recipient of an Avery Fisher Career Grant.
Jack Unzicker has joined the faculty at Texas Tech University’s School of Music in Lubbock. He was previously on the faculties of the University of Texas at Arlington, Tarleton State University and Texas Woman’s University. He is currently pursuing a doctorate degree in double bass performance with Jeff Bradetich at the University of North Texas. He has performed as principal bass with the Plano Symphony Orchestra, Dallas Chamber Orchestra, Orquestra Divertimento (Costa Rica,) and the Irving, Texas Chamber, and Wichita Falls Orchestras.
Paul Sharpe in the new artist-teacher of double bass at the North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He maintains an international profile and career in a variety of roles as a soloist, chamber, and orchestral double bassist. As a student of Jeff Bradetich he received the B.M. degree in Performance from Northwestern University, and he earned an M.A. degree in Music from the University of Iowa studying with Diana Gannett. Paul is also a member of the popular quartet “The Bad Boyz of Bass.”
Kiyoe Wellington, first prize winner in the age 14 and under division of the 2007 ISB Double Bass Competition, has been invited to perform on the Maui, Hawaii, taping of the popular National Public Radio show “From the Top.” Host Christopher O’Reilly will accompany Kiyoe as she plays “Reitba” by Francois Rabbath. She will also sing with the elite “na leo” ensemble of the Hawaii Youth Opera Chorus during the Oahu taping of “From the Top.”
It's finally happened! Cellists are going to the double bass repertoire for
inspiration, reports composer Frank Proto, who reports that the Osaka
Philharmonic in Japan recently performed his "Carmen Fantasy" with cello
soloist Yoko Hasegawa. http://yoko-hasegawa.com/e_concert.html On the double
bass front, ISB president Hans Sturm performed Proto's Carmen with the Ball
State University Symphony to open the orchestra's 2007-2008 season.
ISB member Richard Hartshorne (AKA “Dobbs”), is touring and performing in Afghanistan on a personal mission of goodwill. For information on Dobbs and his musical outreach missions around the world, go to http://www.bachwithverse.org/Videos.html and watch his performances as they happen.
The University of Texas Pan American is offering one double bass graduate assistantship for Spring, 2008, along with a dorm scholarship and season contract with the Valley Symphony Orchestra. Deadline for applications is November 1st. Contact George Amorim at gamorim@utpa.edu for details. For more information about the UTPA Music Department and degree information go to www.utpa.edu/depts/music
Derek Zadinsky is the 2007 winner of the Aspen Music Festival Academy Bass Competition. He performed the Koussevitzky Concerto with the American Academy of Conducting at Aspen Orchestra on July 10, 2007. He also performed his own arrangement for solo bass and string orchestra of Zigeunerweisen by Pablo de Sarasate in Stern Auditorium, Carnegie Hall this past June. Derek was previously a scholarship student at the Perlman Music Program in New York and the Sarasota Music Festival in Florida. He is currently a second-year student at the Curtis Institute of Music, where he studies with Edgar Meyer and Harold Robinson.
John and Marian Casey have formed the Twin Cities Bass Club in the
Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota metroplex. For more nformation go to www.TwinCitiesBassClub.org.
Jeffrey Weisner, professor of double bass at the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University, sends word that the double bass department has a new group blog, PBDB. It’s a little corner of the Internet to sound off on all things bass at Peabody, and will feature posts from all the bass faculty as well as some student guest bloggers. Visit the blog at http://peabodydoublebass.blogspot.com.
Betty Carter’s “Jazz Ahead” residency and performance project, March 17-28, 2008, is accepting applications from U.S. and international jazz musicians under the age of 30. Applicants must be proficient in English and be dual composers and performers. If accepted, the Kennedy Center in Washington DC will provide round-trip travel, meal allowance and lodging. The application deadline is November 16, 2007. The application requires supporting materials and an audio recording. For information call Kennedy center jazz at 202/416-8348 or email artsabroad@kennedy-center.org.
In 1990, Tom Lord created The Jazz Discography as a CD-ROM. The resource currently lists 160,000 entries. According to Lord’s compilation, the most recorded single musician in jazz history is Milt Hinton and in fact, four of the top 12 most-recorded musicians are bassists. The other bass greats in the top 12 are Ron Carter, Ray Brown and George Duvivier. For information go to www.lordisco.com.
The Pew Fellowships in the Arts has announced the names of twelve Philadelphia-area artists who have received $50,000 fellowship awards for 2007, the largest such grants in the U.S for which artists can apply, in the areas of choreography, craft, and music composition. This year’s recipients, selected from among nearly 200 artists in the Philadelphia area, include ISB member Peter Paulsen, a classical and jazz performer and composer. Three of his CDs, Tri-Cycle by the Peter Paulsen Trio (Wahbo Records, 2005), Useful Music by the Jeff Baumeister Quartet (Wahbo Records, 2004), and Three-Stranded Cord by the Peter Paulsen Quintet (R&L Records, 1999) received international airplay, Top 10 ratings, and print reviews. Congratulations, Peter!
ISB member Donovan Stokes is the new professor of double bass at the Shenandoah Conservatory of Music in Winchester, VA. His wife, ISB member and former ISB board member Inez Wyrick has already been hired by McClean (VA) High School, and will be affiliated with the pre-college Arts Academy of Winchester, VA. Congratulations, Donovan and Inez!
The United States Army Field Band is advertising a vacancy for String Bass/Electric Bass. Deadline for tape is August 22, 2007. Salary is $45,000 with medical, dental, vacation, college loan repayment, etc. Go to www.armyfieldband.com, or call 301/677-5781 or 301/677-6231.
In the August issue of DownBeat magazine, the great saxophonist pays tribute to the ISB’s very own past president John Clayton in his “Insider” column, “John Clayton Defines the Future.”
Visit Chicago Symphony principal Joe Guastafeste's remarkable sculpture garden, Basshenge, when you're driving on U.S. Highway 11, about 42 miles west of International Falls, Minnesota.
Donations now being accepted for the Scott LaFaro Memorial Award, given annually to a deserving graduating student at the legendary jazz bassist's high school alma mater. Send your tax deductible donation, payable to Geneva City Schools: Attn: Amy Rogers, Geneva City Schools, 649 S. Exchange St., Geneva, NY 14456.
Banner space is available on this website! Visit our advertising page for more information!
The International Association of Jazz Educators' Artist Outreach Network Listing Service and Grants Program puts artists and students in touch worldwide. For more information, e-mail info@iaje.org, or visit http://www.iaje.org/.
HEY, BASSIST, COME HERE OFTEN? If you're using the resources of this website, we hope you're also a member of the International Society of Bassists. If you're not, you don't know what you're missing! Members receive Bass World magazine three times a year, with an eclectic mix of articles on every aspect of the double bass, profiles of performers, reviews of recordings and music and bass-focused ads. And you'll stay informed about bass events around the world, including ISB competitions and conventions, by reading the Bass Line newsletter, published twice a year. Join now by visiting our membership page!
Ray Brown's ART OF THE BASS VIDEOS are now available through Lemur Music. That means four chances to see and hear Ray again as he shares savvy tips and makes music with fellow bass greats Milt Hinton, John Clayton and Francois Rabbath, and swings with his own Triple Treat Trio featuring pianist Monty Alexander and guitarist Herb Ellis. Bassists everywhere will want these previously hard-to-find videos in their libraries. (VHS format only, color, 30 minutes except the Triple Treat video, which is 60 minutes long.) Sales benefit the ISB. Go to www.lemur-music.com or call 1-800-246-BASS in the U.S. and Canada.
The San Francisco Conservatory of Music is celebrating 50 years this year in its current location in the Sunset District of San Francisco. Next year the Conservatory will move into a new facility in the San Francisco Civic Center. For more information contact Karla Avila, kra@sfcm.edu.
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In Memory
A funeral service for Mona Hinton, widow of legendary jazz bassist,
photographer and mentor to so many, Milt Hinton, will be held Friday, May 9,
2008 at 10 AM. St. Albans Congregational Church is located at 172-17 Linden
Blvd. (near Merrick Blvd. intersection) in Jamaica, Queens, New York. Milt
and Mona were married for 57 years, during which she was his true partner,
anchor and helpmate. They were truly a match made in jazz heaven, and had a
daughter and granddaughter. The family requests that in lieu of flowers,
donations be made to the Jazz Foundation of America, 322 W. 48th Street,
NYC, NY 10036, or to the American Cancer Society.
Bassist and composer Israel "Cachao" Lopez, died on Saturday, March 22, at age 89, in Miami. He was born in Havana to a musical family, and performed over three decades with the Havana Symphony Orchestra. He and his brother also wrote hundreds of songs for dance bands and orchestras, and were credited with the creation of the mambo, improvised from the traditional Cuban “danzon.” The mambo revolutionized popular Latin jazz and dance music. In the ‘50s Cachao and his fellow musicians popularized the “descarga,” high-energy jam sessions blending jazz and Afro-Cuban influences. He left Cuba in 1962, and began performing with leading Latin bands in New York City, collaborating with stars like Tito Puente, Tito Rodrigues, Machito, Chico O'Farrill and Eddie Palmieri. He fell into musical obscurity during the 1980s after moving to Miami, only to be re-discovered by the Cuban-American actor and directory Andy Garcia. Garcia’s 1993 documentary “Cachao, Como Su Ritmo No Hay Dos” (Like His Rhythm There is No Other) led to new recordings, including the Grammy-winning album “Ahora Si!” in 2004. Cachao was feted at Lincoln Center in 2006, and led a mambo all-star orchestra in Carnegie Hall. His friend, Cuban-born reed player and composer Paquito D’Rivera, wrote a concerto for double bass and clarinet/saxophone, “Conversations with Cachao,” which premiered in June, 2007 at Caramoor. D'Rivera was working on a new piece for Cachao when he learned of his death. "He was what a great musician should be. He represented what true versatility in music is all about."
Jazz bassist Dennis Irwin, who appeared on more than 500 recordings, died March 10th in New York City after battling cancer. He was only 56 years old. Like so many freelance musicians, he had no health insurance. The jazz community rallied to support him with a number of benefit concerts to assist him with medical bills. He died the same day as a benefit concert at Lincoln Center. Part of the concert’s proceeds will go toward Mr. Irwin's medical expenses and the rest will go, according to his wishes, to other musicians in need through the Jazz Foundation of America. Irwin was born on November 28, 1951 in Birmingham, AL, and grew up in Atlanta, GA, and Knoxville, TN. He first played the clarinet and saxophone, but switched to double bass while attending North Texas State University. He moved to New York City in 1974 and became an in-demand side musician, playing with trumpeter Ted Curson, and vocalists Jackie Paris, Betty Carter, Annie Ross, Ann Hampton Callaway, Tania Maria and Mose Allison. In 1976, he joined guitarist John Scofield’s band, which also included Joe Lovano, and continued to collaborate with Lovano and Scofield for years afterwards. In 1977, he began a 3-year stint with Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers. He went on to work with Stan Getz, Johnny Griffin, Horace Silver and Chet Baker. Besides his son, Michael, he is survived by his companion, Aria Hendricks, a brother, David Irwin, mother Daisy Godbold, and father, David E. Irwin.
Jazz bassist Earl May died on January 4, 2008, after suffering a heart attack. He was 80. He launched his own group, the Earl May Quartet, in the early 1960s but was best known for performing with dozens of jazz legends. Born in New York in 1927, he spent his youth in Harlem and the Bronx. He decided to take up drums while attending public school, but was steered to the double bass. His mother bought him his own instrument for $15 when he was age 14. May had his first professional gig in the Bronx at the 845 Club, with an ensemble playing opposite bassist John Kirby’s band. He was still quite young but Kirby gave him encouragement. When he joined Billy Taylor’s trio in 1951 he gave up his office job to play professionally full-time. May became a protégé of Charles Mingus and played with a veritable galaxy of stars, including Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, Cab Calloway, Dizzy Gillespie and John Coltrane.
ISB member Art Davis, who played with John Coltrane and other jazz greats, died July 29th at age 73 of a heart attack at his home in Long Beach, CA. The bassist was blacklisted in the 1970s for speaking up about racism in the music industry, then later earned a doctorate in clinical psychology and balanced performance dates with appointments to see patients. He also played classical music with the New York Philharmonic, was a member of the NBC, Westinghouse and CBS orchestras, and played for Broadway shows. Described by Nat Hentoff as Coltrane’s favorite bassist, Davis performed on the saxophonist's album “Ascension” among others. Besides his collaboration with Coltrane, Davis played with a long and varied list of artists, including Thelonious Monk, Duke Ellington, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Louis Armstrong, Judy Garland and Bob Dylan. Davis began studying piano at age 5 in Harrisburg, PA, but chose the double bass, believing it would allow more opportunities to make a living. After high school, Davis studied classical music on scholarship at the Manhattan School of Music and the Juilliard School of Music. At night he played jazz in New York clubs. Besides his second career in psychology, Davis also taught at the University of California-Irvine for two years. Most recently he was a part-time music instructor at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, CA. Davis is survived by two sons, Kimaili Davis and Mureithi Davis, and a daughter, Taisha Jack.
Corin Long, professor of double bass at the Royal Academy of Music and Trinity College of Music in London, died in a diving accident on or about March 29th while he was on holiday. He was a previously a member of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and professor of double bass at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music, and became senior tutor of double bass at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, England. He also taught masterclasses at the Dartington International Summer School and elsewhere. Corin accepted the position of principal double bass in the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and was also a member of the Composers Ensemble, a group dedicated to commissioning and performing new works by contemporary composers. He was, along with Peter Weigold, a founder-member of the ensemble Notes Inegalès. In addition to his role in the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Corin was a busy chamber musician, playing with groups such as Ensemble Modern, the London Sinfonietta, The Nash Ensemble and the City of London Sinfonia. He worked with Steven Isserlis, Joshua Bell, Anne Sophie von Otter, The Belcea Quartet, Thomas Adès, Michael Collins, Isabelle Van Keulen, Rivka Golani, Nabucco Imai, The Smith Quartet and many others. At the Aldeburgh Festival, Corin gave the British premiere of Gyôrgy Kurtag's Duet for Double Bass and Soprano with Jane Manning. He recorded Schubert's “Trout” Quintet with Thomas Adès and members of the Belcea Quartet, for EMI Classics. He recently recorded Sir Peter Maxwell Davies' work for solo double bass, Lux in Tenebris. He premiered Rebecca Saunders' double bass duo Blue & Grey in 2006 and was due to record the work later this year in Germany. “It is so, so sad for his family and a huge loss to the bass world,” says his friend and colleague, Chi-chi Nwanoku.
Luthier Peter Chandler, of Ilderton, ON, Canada, died unexpectedly on January 26 from a heart attack. He was 79. He emigrated to Canada from England, and was a successful dairy farmer. It was only during his retirement that he became an accomplished instrument maker, concentrating on cello and bass building and repair. He was author of the book “So…You Want to Make a Double Bass.” A memorial celebration of Peter's life will be held on Sunday, February 11, 2007 at 2:30 PM at the Caradoc Community Centre, 116 Lions Park Drive, Mt. Brydges, ON Canada. He left a number of instruments in stock, including 18 basses, as well as a substantial stock of seasoned wood. His family is deciding what to do with these items, details will be posted at www.peterchandler.net.
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New in the Family
Bassist/vocalist/composer Jay Leonhart is a new grandfather to Vaughn Jalen Escoffery. Look at those hands! A future ISB member, perhaps? His parents are vocalist Carolyn Leonhart and saxophonist Wayne Escoffery.
Zbigniew Borowicz and his wife, Kazuyo, have welcomed their first child, a son, Léo, born July 3rd. Congratulations to the new parents and new arrival!
Naomi Emilia Zola-Finlay was born Friday, March 28th, to proud parents Sam Finlay of David Gage String Instruments and his wife Gabrielle Zola. Everyone’s over the moon with joy on Walker Street in lower Manhattan, congratulations, Sam and Gabrielle!
San Diego Symphony associate principal bass Susan Wulff and her husband,
well known jazz pianist Geoffrey Keezer, welcomed their new son Cameron
Keezer-Wulff on Oct 30, 2007. Says the proud new dad, "I was actually
plucking the bass strings during this photo shoot to get
Cameron to relax. He is used to hearing the bass up close from being in his
mommy's tummy during symphony gigs over the last nine months!"
Henry Jacob Stoops, son of Anthony and Emily Stoops, was born at 2:02 AM on
August 30, 2007, measuring in at 8 pounds and 21 inches long. Everyone is
tired and happy. Anthony is professor of double bass at the University of
Oklahoma in Norman.
Volkan Orhon, professor of double bass at the University of Iowa and member of the popular “Bad Boys of Bass” quartet, and his wife Susan welcomed their new son and first child Emre Erkan Orhon on June 18, 2007.
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Scholars, Scores, and Study
CALL FOR SCORES FOR DOUBLE BASS AND OBOE DUOS: Contact Rolf Erdahl if you are a composer with works featuring double bass and oboe (including English horn doubling), you have an interest in composing works for oboe and bass, or you belong to an oboe/bass duo interested in forming a consortium to commission and perform new works. The goal is to fund commissions through grant writing. Contact Rolferd@gmail.com, telephone 765-215-1209.
Accessible Contemporary Music, a Chicago-based, non-profit organization was founded by Seth Boustead. ACM promotes the performance and understanding of music by living composers, many of whom are not yet well known, through concerts, recordings and community outreach. Each week members of ACM and professional guest musicians from the Chicago area meet and conduct a prepared reading of a new piece of music, and post the recording onto its website (www.acmusic.org) as audio streaming. Composers send their music to ACM specifically for this project, called Weekly Readings. Parts are handed out to players at least two weeks before the reading session and there is a short rehearsal before the recording equipment is turned on. While pieces in all styles are considered, those that require a conductor or extensive preparation do not become part of Weekly Readings, although they may still be considered for performance on a live ACM concert. If you are a composer and are interested in having a piece read by ACM, go to www.acmusic.org, or contact Seth Boustead at 773/227-4858 or sethbou@yahoo.com.
Freelance writer Mikael Jansson is working on a book about electric double basses, and welcomes ISB member input, especially if it concerns vintage or custom-made or otherwise unusual electric uprights and hybrid basses with strong double bass features. You can reach him by email at mikjans@privat.utfors.se.
The Ovidiu Badila Musical Association has been created in memory of the late bass virtuoso and teacher Ovidiu Badila, for: 1) the promotion of musical studies and of any other initiatives regarding musical culture throughout the world; 2) the organization of courses, classes, meetings and seminars; 3) publishing of studies, monographs and research; 4) offering grants and prizes to the authors of such studies and research. The new association wishes to benefit those who not only show a passion and enthusiasm for music, but also a strong will and spirit of self-sacrifice, in the tradition of Ovidiu Badila. To remember him on the first anniversary of his passing, March 21, 2002, visit www.OvidiuBadila.it.
The International Sperger Society has been formed to explore the life and works of the most famous 18th century bassist. The Society's goals are documentation of his works, promoting performance of his works, establishing a Sperger Archives, support of the J.M.Sperger Musicschool in Ludwigslust, and support of the International J.M.Sperger Competition. Members will receive a yearly newsletter. Membership dues are $35 Euro ($15 Euro for students); eastern European membership $10 Euro ($5 Euro for eastern European students). Wire transfer funds to bank account Nr. 0110882, bank code 10070024, Deutsche Bank Berlin, or send a check. Please send your name, address, telephone, fax, email and occupation to: International Johann Matthias Sperger Society, Professor Klaus Trumpf, president, Am Fohlengarten 5a, D-85764 Oberschleißheim/München, Germany, telephone/fax +49-89-172333, info@klaus-trumpf-sperger.de, website www.sperger-wettbewerb.de.
Go to www.OJBR.com for the latest issue of the Online Journal of Bass Research, and read Shanon P. Zusman's critical review of Stephen Bonta's "Studies in Italian Sacred and Instrumental Music in the 17th Century" (Ashgate, 2003.) OJBR editor Joelle Morton reports that it is an important article for all those interested in double bass scholarship and early music.
If you read the article by Ture Damhus and Preben Fahnoe in Vol 29 #1 of Bass World about composer Theodor Findeisen and want to know more, you're in luck. ISB member Jay Grauer donated his music library to the University of California - Los Angeles library, including an extensive collection of the music of Findeisen. For a list of what is available, email info@ISBworldoffice.com.
Michael Greenberg is seeking double basses by the following French makers for inclusion in a doctoral dissertation in preparation at the Sorbonne University in Paris on the subject of 'The Double Bass in Paris and Île-de-France (16th-20th centuries)':
· Nicolas Bertrand (1687-1725)
· Louis Guersan (1700-1770)
· Jean Baptiste Deshayes (Dehaye) alias Salomon (1713-1767)
· François Lejeune (1700-1770)
· Louis Soquet
· Léopold Renaudin (1756-1795)
· Jean-Baptiste Lejeune (1749-1822)
· Ferrier Nicolas
· Nicolas Lupot (1758-1824)
· Charles-François Gand (1787-1845)
· Charles-Adolphe Gand (m. 1855)
· Honoré Derazey (1794-1883)
· Auguste-Sebastien-Philippe Bernardel (1798-1870)
· Justin Maucotel
· Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume (1798-1875)
· Jacques-Pierre Thibout (1779-1858)
· Gabriel-Eugène Thibout
· Caressa & Français
· Marc Laberte
· Fourier Magnié
· Laberte-Humbert
Anonymity will be guaranteed where requested. Owners of instruments by these makers or those with pertinent information are invited to contact: Michael Greenberg 4 rue Girodet 75016 Paris Tel.: +33140508558 e-mail: paribass@free.fr.
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Stolen Basses
Have you seen this instrument? Double bass stolen in Cagliari, Italy on March 26, 2002. Label says “Vincenzo Lucarini, Fecit in Faentae 19840.” Height, 112 cm; lower bout width 71.05 cm; higher bout width 52 cm; band thickness 21.05 cm; neck length 42.05 cm. No corners, “pear” shape. If you have news call Rinaldo Asuni, +39 347 7882618, or email the ISB. Reward for return!
Nathan Peck's double bass was stolen from in front of his apartment building
in Jackson Heights, Queens, on Friday May 30th at around 12:50 AM as he was
returning from a gig. It was in a dark blue Soundwear gig bag. The word"Pfretzchner" is printed inside as well as a label that reads "new bass bar
and re-graduation by Kichier Bros. Pittsburgh PA (49)" and a newer one with
the name "Bill Merchant." The bass is a red/blondish color. There is a small
chip in the scroll. It also has a Fishman Full Circle on it. Nathan needs
your help in keeping an eye out for his instrument. He can be reached at
412-414-7774 (cell) or 718-565-6514 (home), or at
myspace.com/nathanpeckmusic.
Nick Urquhart's bass was stolen Thursday night, April 26, 2007, on the 200
block of 6th Ave at Main St. in Vancouver, BC, Canada. It's a 3/4 Czech-made
bass by Fiedler, serial #SBC04X3, with a spruce top and sides and rounded
maple back. Medium teak colour. The screws on the scroll are corroded.
Valued at $5,000. It was in a black Mooridian case with the bottom left
pocket missing the zipper. Inside the bag was a blue German bow case
containing two bows (one was a Prochownik). If you have news of this missing
instrument contact Nick Urquhart, nickurquhart@hotmail.com, 778/994-6425.
$2,000 REWARD FOR MISSING BASS: Sometime between 5 PM on Friday, June 10, and the morning of Saturday, June 11 at the ISB convention at the Dalton Center, Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, MI, a large 7/8th size double bass belonging to Brian Del Bianco, ilbasso@hotmail.com, disappeared from the overnight instrument storage area. This instrument has the characteristic Tyrolean hump at the union of the ribs and the neck butt. This bass has recently been overhauled including, but not limited to the making of four new crossbars, a new bass bar, new endpin block, new bridge and sound post and a neck reset. There are two wooden dowels in the neck butt. The top is made of two-piece spruce and is cut with gamba corners-with the lower G-string side corner having been recently replaced. The ribs and flat back are made of maple. There is no purfling on this instrument. One distinguishing characteristic of this particular instrument is a new wood strip 1.5 inches wide inset into the ribs at the lower bout G-string side. The sycamore neck and scroll are original and accommodate an ebony fingerboard. There is a maple shim between the fingerboard and the neck. The brass plated tuning machines are individually mounted and have wood cores. The original varnish was a transparent reddish brown oil and is underneath the brown spirit over-varnish. The bass has several distinctive markings that can be used later for positive identification. In the time since the photos were taken, the most significant change is the addition of a brass B extension made by KC Strings (photos of extension available at www.kcstrings.com/masterlink.htm). In addition to the extension, a metal piece was added to the E string hole of the tailpiece due to the strings' inability to reach the opening. The tailpiece wire has been replaced with a black and red cord (viewable at www.mikepecanicmusic.com/catalog.html). The quiver was attached and had a few drops of dried glue splashed on one side. A Botoni bow with a german frog and black hair was in the quiver. Since the photos, the bass had been fitted with a Goetz style endpin manufactured by the Meisel company and there was a 10mm shaft Onyx brand bass wheel with the instrument. The bass was in a black Mooradian cover with a slightly modified shoulder strap. There were two extra cushions added to the strap. There was one (possibly 2) open seams near the cover's side carrying straps. The pockets' contents included a Samsonite travel bag with various bass accessories (rosin, mutes etc), a blue plastic ruler and a purple binder of orchestral excerpts. The instrument has no maker's label, but there is a penciled inscription along the instrument's back (viewable through the G string f hole) indicating a repair had been made in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the early 20th century. Photos may be viewed along with this description at www.imia.bravehost.com. Any information regarding this instrument's location can be sent to the ISB at info@isbworldoffice.com. $2,000 reward for return, NO QUESTIONS ASKED. Can be dropped off at David Gage String Instrument Repair 36 Walker Street New York, NY 10013-3514 Telephone: (212) 274-1322 Fax: (212) 274-9634 General E-mail Address: davidgage@davidgage.com.
STOLEN! Two instruments have been stolen in the night from October 2-3 in Madrid: an Italian theorbo belonging to Christina Pluhar, +33 (0) 143461546, made by Klaus T. Jacobsen, London, 1983/99 string length 78/160 multi-rib back black case; and a violone belonging to Richard Myron, +33 (0) 140409422, rlmyron@noos.fr made by Dominik Zuchowicz Ottawa, 1996, copy of Vogel (museum of Nürnberg) with two bows in black Mooradian soft case. Please contact these musicians if you hear any news of these missing instruments.
STOLEN! On July 24, 2002, at the Milan Malpensa Airport, two German-style bass bows in a double bowcase. One is a Matthias Thomas***, firemark nearly illegible, a simple bow without learther or silver trimmings. Round stick, small frog, screw has two ridges all around and a white dot at the end. 25 years old, signs of use and wear, frog slide is silver, black hair. The other is a Dirk Loescher, leather and silver trim, octagonal stick, fairly recent and in good condition. Frog has some small dents in the ebony, black hair. Black bowcase, two handles and a strap, lined in blue velvet. Had address, phone number and picture of son inside. Contact ISB member Korneel Le Compte, Brussels, Belgium, korneellecompte@hotmail.com.
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