Contrabass Conversations

Chris Jennings is a Canadian left-handed double bassist who's been based in Paris since 2002, traveling extensively across jazz and world music projects to all corners of the globe. A D'Addario Orchestral Artist, Chris has carved out a unique niche playing in ensembles where there's often no bass part written, working with artists like Nguyên Lê, Dhafer Youssef, and exploring the rhythmic complexities of Gnawa music.
In this episode, Chris shares the story of his game-changing Petite Double Bass made by Polish luthier Piotr Poludniak — a hand-carved, neck-off instrument that weighs just 12kg in its carbon fiber case and sounds remarkably like a full-size acoustic bass.
We also dive into his bow technique journey with Tom Martin and Edgar Meyer, his philosophy of being "in service to the music," his travel productivity hacks, the polyrhythmic world of Gnawa music, and much more.
Enjoy, and connect with Chris on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube!
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Zoom H6 studio 8-Track 32-Bit Float Handy Recorder
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Sony Alpha 7 IV Full-frame Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera
Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM Lens
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Theme music by Eric Hochberg

Matt Rybicki is a jazz bassist, author, and educator who helps bassists of all levels master jazz bass. Through his online courses and YouTube channel, Matt makes jazz bass education accessible to students worldwide.
His new course, 8 Weeks to the Jam Session: First Notes to Walking Like a Pro, takes beginners from their first notes to confidently walking bass lines at jam sessions.
Check out the new course here and explore Matt's past podcast appearances.
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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 using a link on this page, we may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting DBHQ.
Theme music by Eric Hochberg

Join us for a conversation with two frequent podcast guests, Gaelen McCormick and Michael Geib, as they discuss their recent article Bass Is for Everyone!, published in the American String Teacher journal.
Gaelen is the Director of the Eastman Performing Arts Medicine Center and a passionate advocate for inclusive bass pedagogy. Michael teaches at the University of Central Oklahoma as a bass educator and is also President-Elect of his local ASTA chapter.
Enjoy, and check out this cool article here!
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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 using a link on this page, we may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting DBHQ.
Theme music by Eric Hochberg

Rohan Dasika has been a double bassist with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra since 2022. From a musical Melbourne family, Rohan started on piano, then played trombone and tuba before finding double bass in high school.
He studied with Duncan Allen (Melbourne Opera, jazz), Sylvia Hoskin (MSO), Max McBride (Australian National University, Canberra), Damien Eckersley (Australian National Academy of Music), Hal Robinson (Philadelphia, 2015), Tim Dunin (Vienna Philharmonic), and completed a two-and-a-half-year orchestra academy in Frankfurt.
We dig into what it's like playing in the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and the musical scene of this very cool town, diverse musical interests in the bass section (colleague Ben Lin's jazz career), Melbourne's arts scene and jazz festival, international training across Australia, the US, and Europe, exploring classical Indian music and family heritage, Pacific Music Festival (PMF) with Hal Robinson, and first teachers' influence on musical identity.
Enjoy, and be sure to connect with Rohan on his website and Instagram!
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Double Bass Resources
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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 using a link on this page, we may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting DBHQ.

Hannah Marks is a bassist, composer, and educator living in New York City. She has performed at festivals including the Detroit Jazz Festival, Hyde Park Jazz Festival, and Kennedy Center, and currently leads an acoustic jazz quartet featuring NYC's most in-demand musicians. Hannah teaches at prestigious programs including Interlochen, Stanford Dance Workshop, and Jazz Camp West.
In this episode, Hannah shares insights about her versatile playing style, her evolution from rock guitar to jazz bass, and what it's like to balance classical training with a thriving jazz career. Enjoy and be sure to connect with Hannah and her cool projects on her website.
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Join Our Newsletter
Double Bass Resources
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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 using a link on this page, we may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting DBHQ.
Theme music by Eric Hochberg