double bass | Dirty Bourbon River Show

1 Heroes of the Low End pt. 18 Giovanni Bottesini

Giovanni Bottesini: Composer, Conductor, The Paganini of the double bass, who elevated the instrument from background support to center stage.

Originally a violinist from a talented but poor musical family, Giovanni wanted to attend the Milan Conservatory. A scholarship was his only option. Unfortunately by the time he was able to apply, the only positions left were for bassoon and double bass. Unfazed Giovanni shed for a few weeks, nailed the audition and after 4 years of study, went on to become the most famous double bass soloist of his time.

P.S. Free show tonight at the Tiki Hut in Hilton Head Island, SC! Festivities start around 6.

0 Heroes of the Low End pt. 5

Frank Proto: Double Bass Trailblazer/Badass

Frank Proto was born in Brooklyn, New York. He began his musical studies with piano at the tender age of 7 and started learning double bass at the age of 16. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the Manhattan School of Music in 1963 where he performed the first solo double bass recital in the history of the school.

Not content with the poor quality and limited selection of works for double bass at the time, Proto decided to write his own. His first composition, Sonata 1963 for Double Bass and Piano, is so badass it immediately entered the standard double bass repertoire. It has been performed by thousands of bassists worldwide.

Isac Ryu – Double Bass
Min Young Park – Piano

This was just the start of Proto’s professional career as a bassist/composer. His accolades and compositions are too numerous to list here, so go check him out, there’s plenty more out there to discover.

P.S. Gig tonight at the Animas City Theater in beautiful Durango, Colorado. Show starts at 9:30.

– Bassman

0 Heroes of the Low End pt. 2

Throughout history, there have been musicians who through supreme dedication and an unreal amount of hard work, transcend the supposed limits of their instrument. DaXun Zhang is one of those few.

Playing since the age of nine, DaXun was accepted at Central Conservatory of Music in Bejing when he was just 11. Daxun Zhang has conquered competitions normally dominated by violins and cellos, becoming the first double bassist to win the WAMSO Competition and the Young Concert Artists International Audition. This man is an utter badass. His awards and accolades are too numerous to list so here are some performances instead.

P.S. Gig tonight at the Broadberry in Richmond, Virginia. We will be joined by Richmond’s own, Yo Mamma’s Brass Band! Doors open at 8.

– Bassman

0 Ocean Springs Tonight!

Tonight we are back at the Government Street Grocery in Ocean Springs! Show starts at 10.

0 Day 4: We Have Strings!

We have strings! Today we invited my old orchestra buddies James Hausmann, Sam Craft and Jack Craft to record some overdubs. This session was incredibly fun. The string parts sound fantastic. This is going to be a great record.

– Bassman