Mark Helias's guest appearances

Mark Helias

Contrabass Conversations

Spotlight On

David Allen

Paul Simon

Brian Johnson

Willie Nelson

Henry Chen

William Parker

Steve Metcalf

Scott Dixon

John Davis

Chris West

Leonard Bernstein

Paul Johnson

Miles Brown

Kevin Brown

Rick Jones

OwlTail

Jane Ira Bloom

Today, the Spotlight shines On New York-based jazz innovators Jane Ira Bloom and Mark Helias, who join us to discuss their latest collaboration with drummer Bobby Previte, 2.3.23.I’d like to read from Mark’s notes for the album, “2.3.23 was an outgrowth of the improvisational recording project that emerged between myself and Jane Ira Bloom beginning at an early stage of the pandemic in April/May of 2020. We struggled to come to terms with the technological limitations of playing remotely over the internet. The initial motivation was to play music with another musician, something that we had become accustomed to and took for granted until the pandemic arose. As we became adept at the advances in software and the tamping down of the inherent latency of remote recording we managed to produce two wonderful collections of spontaneous duos that documented our shared need for human and musical connection in a trying time…At one point I sent a duo track of myself and Jane to Bobby Previte to see if he might want to add drums and percussion to the track. It was just a thought on my part but the result was stunning. Bobby was able to interact so deftly with our improvised duo that I felt that we were now venturing into new territory conceptually that brought into question many suppositions about improvisation, interaction and issues of time and being…”These recordings completely challenge any preconceived notions the listener might have about any “right way” to collaborate or create improvisational music. To paraphrase Elvis Costello, talking about these recordings is like dancing about architecture, but we gave it a go and an enlightening and intriguing conversation was the result.Get 2.3.23Learm About Jane Ira Bloom | Mark Helias | Bobby PreviteHost Lawrence PeryerMore Spotlight OnFind more great podcasts from Osiris Media, the leading storyteller in music.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, the Spotlight shines On New York-based jazz innovators Jane Ira Bloom and Mark Helias, who join us to discuss their latest collaboration with drummer Bobby Previte, 2.3.23.I’d like to read from Mark’s notes for the album, “2.3.23 was an outgrowth of the improvisational recording project that emerged between myself and Jane Ira Bloom beginning at an early stage of the pandemic in April/May of 2020. We struggled to come to terms with the technological limitations of playing remotely over the internet. The initial motivation was to play music with another musician, something that we had become accustomed to and took for granted until the pandemic arose. As we became adept at the advances in software and the tamping down of the inherent latency of remote recording we managed to produce two wonderful collections of spontaneous duos that documented our shared need for human and musical connection in a trying time…At one point I sent a duo track of myself and Jane to Bobby Previte to see if he might want to add drums and percussion to the track. It was just a thought on my part but the result was stunning. Bobby was able to interact so deftly with our improvised duo that I felt that we were now venturing into new territory conceptually that brought into question many suppositions about improvisation, interaction and issues of time and being…”These recordings completely challenge any preconceived notions the listener might have about any “right way” to collaborate or create improvisational music. To paraphrase Elvis Costello, talking about these recordings is like dancing about architecture, but we gave it a go and an enlightening and intriguing conversation was the result. Get <a href="https://markhelias.bandcamp.com/album/2323-bloom-helias-previte" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">2.3.23</a>Learm About <a href="https://www.janeirabloom.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Jane Ira Bloom</a> | <a href="http://www.markhelias.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Mark Helias</a> | <a href="https://www.bobbyprevite.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Bobby Previte</a>Host <a href="https://www.lawrenceperyer.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Lawrence Peryer</a>More <a href="https://www.spotlightonpodcast.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Spotlight On</a>Find more great podcasts from <a href="https://www.osirispod.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Osiris Media</a>, the leading storyteller in music. Hosted on Acast. See <a href="https://acast.com/privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.

Jane Ira Bloom & Mark Helias

Mark Helias is a renowned bassist, composer, and producer who has performed throughout the world for more than four decades with some of the most important and innovative musicians in Jazz and Improvised Music including Don Cherry, Edward Blackwell, Anthony Davis, Dewey Redman, Anthony Braxton, Abbey Lincoln, Cecil Taylor, and Uri Caine.  Mark recently released Some Kind of Tomorrow with saxophonist Jane Ira Bloom.   We talk about what life has been like during the pandemic, this latest remote album collaboration with Jane and about remote collaboration in general, and many lessons learned from Mark’s years working as a jazz bassist.   Enjoy, and be sure to check out Some Kind of Tomorrow and Mark’s many other albums!   Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!   Check out our Online Sheet Music Store with 80+ wide-ranging titles for bassists.   Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle. Check out my  Beginner's Classical Bass course, available exclusively from Discover Double Bass.   Thank you to our sponsors!   Dorico - Dorico helps you to write music notation, automatically producing printed results of exceptional quality — and plays it back with breathtaking realism. It is easy enough for anyone to learn, yet has hundreds of advanced notations, features, options and sounds to satisfy even the most demanding professionals.  With its streamlined, natural user interface, students and those with less experience in scoring can compose and arrange straight into Dorico, making learning the language of music notation much faster and more intuitive. Editing and making changes — such as instrument, time signature or key — are straightforward, with the notation instantly and correctly adapting to include them, reinforcing the learning outcome.   Ear Trumpet Labs - They make hand-built mics out of Portland, OR and they have an excellent mic for upright bass called Nadine. The Nadine is a condenser mic with a clear natural sound and incredible feedback rejection. This mic is a completely new design -- the head mounts in between the strings above the tailpiece with a rubber grommet, and the body securely straps to the tailpiece with velcro elastic. A 14-inch Mogami cable connects the two parts making it easy to place on any bass. It’s durable and holds up to the demanding needs of the instrument while offering excellent sound quality. Ear Trumpet Labs is offering a free t-shirt just for Contrabass listeners with the purchase of a mic, just visit EarTrumpetLabs.com/contrabass to claim yours and check out the Nadine!   Modacity - Are you a practice-savvy musician? Get Modacity – the music practice app that organizes, focuses, and tracks your progress.  Recorder… metronome… tone generator… timer… note taking… Do away with the random assortment of music practice apps in your arsenal. Modacity™ combines all the tools you need into one easy to use, music practice tool.  Organize, focus, and reflect on your practice – motivating you to increase retention in less time.  Modacity has a special offer for Contrabass Conversations listeners that includes lifetime access to the app.   Contrabass Conversations production team:  Jason Heath, host Michael Cooper and Steve Hinchey, audio editing Mitch Moehring, audio engineer  Trevor Jones, publication and promotion theme music by Eric Hochberg 

<a href="https://markhelias.bandcamp.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mark Helias</a> is a renowned bassist, composer, and producer who has performed throughout the world for more than four decades with some of the most important and innovative musicians in Jazz and Improvised Music including Don Cherry, Edward Blackwell, Anthony Davis, Dewey Redman, Anthony Braxton, Abbey Lincoln, Cecil Taylor, and Uri Caine.  Mark recently released <a href="https://markhelias.bandcamp.com/track/some-kind-of-tomorrow" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Some Kind of Tomorrow</a> with saxophonist <a href="http://www.janeirabloom.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jane Ira Bloom</a>. We talk about what life has been like during the pandemic, this latest remote album collaboration with Jane and about remote collaboration in general, and many lessons learned from Mark’s years working as a jazz bassist. Enjoy, and be sure to check out <a href="https://markhelias.bandcamp.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Some Kind of Tomorrow and Mark’s many other albums</a>! <a href="http://smarturl.it/cbcpodcast?ck_subscriber_id=90309136" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Subscribe to the podcast</a> to get these interviews delivered to you automatically! Check out our <a href="https://gumroad.com/dbbpublications?sort=newest" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Online Sheet Music Store</a> with 80+ wide-ranging titles for bassists. <a href="http://contrabassconversations.com/app" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle</a>. Check out my <a href="https://courses.discoverdoublebass.com/p/beginners-classical-bass" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Beginner's Classical Bass course</a>, available exclusively from <a href="https://discoverdoublebass.com/jasonheath" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Discover Double Bass</a>. Thank you to our sponsors! <a href="https://new.steinberg.net/dorico/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Dorico</a> - Dorico helps you to write music notation, automatically producing printed results of exceptional quality — and plays it back with breathtaking realism. It is easy enough for anyone to learn, yet has hundreds of advanced notations, features, options and sounds to satisfy even the most demanding professionals.  With its streamlined, natural user interface, students and those with less experience in scoring can compose and arrange straight into Dorico, making learning the language of music notation much faster and more intuitive. Editing and making changes — such as instrument, time signature or key — are straightforward, with the notation instantly and correctly adapting to include them, reinforcing the learning outcome. <a href="https://EarTrumpetLabs.com/contrabass" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ear Trumpet Labs</a> - They make hand-built mics out of Portland, OR and they have an excellent mic for upright bass called Nadine. The Nadine is a condenser mic with a clear natural sound and incredible feedback rejection. This mic is a completely new design -- the head mounts in between the strings above the tailpiece with a rubber grommet, and the body securely straps to the tailpiece with velcro elastic. A 14-inch Mogami cable connects the two parts making it easy to place on any bass. It’s durable and holds up to the demanding needs of the instrument while offering excellent sound quality. Ear Trumpet Labs is offering a free t-shirt just for Contrabass listeners with the purchase of a mic, just visit <a href="https://EarTrumpetLabs.com/contrabass" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">EarTrumpetLabs.com/contrabass</a> to claim yours and check out the Nadine! <a href="https://www.modacity.co/music/contrabassconversations/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Modacity</a> - Are you a practice-savvy musician? Get <a href="https://www.modacity.co/music/contrabassconversations/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Modacity</a> – the music practice app that organizes, focuses, and tracks your progress.  Recorder… metronome… tone generator… timer… note taking… Do away with the random assortment of music practice apps in your arsenal. Modacity™ combines all the tools you need into one easy to use, music practice tool.  Organize, focus, and reflect on your practice – motivating you to increase retention in less time.  Modacity has a <a href="https://www.modacity.co/music/contrabassconversations/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">special offer for Contrabass Conversations listeners</a> that includes lifetime access to the app. Contrabass Conversations production team: <ul> <li><a href="http://doublebassblog.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jason Heath</a>, host</li> <li>Michael Cooper and Steve Hinchey, audio editing</li> <li><a href="http://mitchmoehring.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mitch Moehring</a>, audio engineer</li> <li><a href="http://contrabassconversations.com/2016/04/20/cbc-205-trevor-jones-on-musical-pit-work-scheduling-creativity-and-finding-balance/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Trevor Jones</a>, publication and promotion</li> <li>theme music by <a href="https://erichochberg.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Eric Hochberg</a></li> </ul>

792: Mark Helias on pandemic collaborations