Contrabass Conversations

Corcoran Holt is a Washington, D.C.–born bassist, composer, arranger, and educator whose musical roots stretch from the DC Youth Orchestra and Duke Ellington School of the Arts to work with artists including Kenny Garrett and Steve Turre. Now Assistant Professor of Jazz Bass at Arizona State University, Corcoran brings that deep performing experience into the classroom while continuing to develop his own voice as a bandleader. His second album, Freedom of Art, is an intimate musical portrait of transformation, family, loss, and new beginnings.
In this conversation, Corcoran talks about building community at ASU, why fundamentals and real-world experience matter, and how musicians begin finding their identities after leaving school. He also shares how fatherhood changed his approach to improvisation, how bass lines, voice memos, piano, dreams, and everyday chaos feed his composing, and why Freedom of Art was designed as a complete story best heard from beginning to end.
Enjoy Freedom of Art, and follow Corcoran on Instagram and Facebook!
 
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Wiedoeft Double Bass Rosin
We want grip and longevity from rosin. Most fail at one of them. We get a lot of rosin sent our way to evaluate on the job. Wiedoeft is the one we keep using, from symphony stages to theatre pits.
All Season — Balanced grip across normal swings in temperature and humidity.
Ultra-Grip — A softer blend built for cold halls and dry climates. Use code DBHQ for free shipping, direct from Wiedoeft.
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Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM Lens
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Theme music by Eric Hochberg

Darija Andzakovic is a freelance bassist and musicologist specializing in historical instruments, the Viennese bass, and the music of Johannes Matthias Sperger.
While researching Sperger's manuscripts for her doctoral dissertation, she discovered through melodic and handwriting analysis that the work long cataloged as Sperger's Fifth Bass Concerto was actually composed by Ignaz Pleyel.
Darija joins Jason to trace this musical detective story, from deciphering 18th-century handwriting and reconstructing watermarks to exploring how Pleyel's concerto may have influenced Sperger's own music. They also discuss the tension between scholarship and performance, 18th-century musical education, and why historical evidence still leaves room for imagination.
Learn more about the concerto's world premiere with Rob Nairn and the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, explore Peter Walls' History, Imagination and the Performance of Music and Clive Brown's Classical and Romantic Performing Practice, and follow the discovery through Schola Cantorum Basiliensis on Instagram.
Thank you to our sponsor!
Wiedoeft Double Bass Rosin
We want grip and longevity from rosin. Most fail at one of them. We get a lot of rosin sent our way to evaluate on the job. Wiedoeft is the one we keep using, from symphony stages to theatre pits.
All Season — Balanced grip across normal swings in temperature and humidity.
Ultra-Grip — A softer blend built for cold halls and dry climates. Use code DBHQ for free shipping, direct from Wiedoeft.
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 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

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 weight, the influence of violinist Augustin Hadelich and bassist Ovidiu Bădilă, adapting violin and cello repertoire, navigating London with a bass, and his ambitions across orchestral, chamber, and solo playing. Enjoy, and be sure to follow Eduard on Instagram!
Photo credit: Paul Cochrane
Thank you to our sponsor!
 
Wiedoeft Double Bass Rosin
We want grip and longevity from rosin. Most fail at one of them. We get a lot of rosin sent our way to evaluate on the job. Wiedoeft is the one we keep using, from symphony stages to theatre pits.
All Season — Balanced grip across normal swings in temperature and humidity.
Ultra-Grip — A softer blend built for cold halls and dry climates. Use code DBHQ for free shipping, direct from Wiedoeft.
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 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

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 him to dream on a larger scale.
We also dig into audition preparation, freelance life in New York, learning from musicians such as Xavier Foley, Joe Conyers, and Hal Robinson, and Chris's vision for building a musical community that compensates artists more generously. Enjoy, and be sure to follow Chris on Instagram!
Thank you to our sponsor!
Wiedoeft Double Bass Rosin
We want grip and longevity from rosin. Most fail at one of them. We get a lot of rosin sent our way to evaluate on the job. Wiedoeft is the one we keep using, from symphony stages to theatre pits.
All Season — Balanced grip across normal swings in temperature and humidity.
Ultra-Grip — A softer blend built for cold halls and dry climates. Use code DBHQ for free shipping, direct from Wiedoeft.
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 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

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 the road, stays healthy while touring, finds creative freedom beyond the bass's traditional role, and keeps herself open to unexpected opportunities. Enjoy, and follow Jeanette on Instagram and Facebook!
 
Thank you to our sponsor
Wiedoeft Double Bass Rosin
We want grip and longevity from rosin. Most fail at one of them. We get a lot of rosin sent our way to evaluate on the job. Wiedoeft is the one we keep using, from symphony stages to theatre pits.
All Season — Balanced grip across normal swings in temperature and humidity.
Ultra-Grip — A softer blend built for cold halls and dry climates. Use code DBHQ for free shipping, direct from Wiedoeft.
 
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 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