My good buddy Troy was on guitar, but I know a ton of musicians in that orchestra.
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Double Bass Charlotte Symphony w/ Rhiannon Giddens
- Thread starter Jason Sypher
- Start date
Thanks Jason. In October 2021 I bought a great New Standard plywood La Scala and had Jed Kriegel do the neck conversion. We’ve been having some fingerboard/wolftone issues so I haven’t played it in public yet let alone traveled with yet. A Chadwick case was purchased for me along with a rifle case for the neck, so I’m going to try that and see how it goes. Another question I have for you is, do you check the entire bass or just the body and carry on the neck? Any overweight or oversize fees? Thanks
Love Jed’s work. Wolftones? Oh yeah, I got ‘em. F#-Ab is rough. I just work on through. Some days seem worse than others. I check both cases. Occasionally an airline will request that I bind them together, but then they charge me $200. Usually I keep them separate and do not get charged 80% of the time. Incidentally I put an AirTag in my bow case (always in the neck box, and also one in my Mooradian. Love being able to see where they are after an unfortunate JetBlue experience.
Hi Jason, is Eric Robertson still playing with Rhiannon? He was in a few classes I taught at the HS in Greensboro he attended. Bennett Sullivan (banjo) was his bandmate then, you might have also come across him.
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Not for some years. I think he was with us for a tour or two. Great guy. Great player.
You're a lucky man to be working with Rhiannon Giddens. She's a remarkable talent and an important touchstone for certain areas of blues/jazz/folk musicology. I've been following her (not in a creepy way) for some years now—and coincidentally your excellent playing with her. Great to be playing such interesting music with interesting musicians! 
Yeah, well I’m playing a VFW post next month!
Seriously, to play those high profile jobs must be pretty sweet.
And in front of an entire orchestra? Yikes!
Nervous?
Maybe a little.
First time?
No, I’ve been nervous lots of times.
Seriously, to play those high profile jobs must be pretty sweet.
And in front of an entire orchestra? Yikes!
Nervous?
Maybe a little.
First time?
No, I’ve been nervous lots of times.
Our first gig together was filmed for television at BAM. The second gig was David letterman. THAT made me nervous! After that trial by fire you just learn to adapt. We played with the Boston Pops twice on the Fourth of July. One of them was with Rita Moreno. When the conductor handed me my score I almost fainted, I’m not a good sight-reader. I gathered myself and began to read and play then quickly realized someone had transcribed my part from somewhere and then I just watched the conductor and played to the orchestra. Probably the most difficult part is that we never rehearse anything and add material on the fly quite a bit. It keeps me paying attention and ready to adapt at any second.
Thanks Jason, especially for the AirTag idea. I’m done flying for this year but already have a ton of it in ‘23, both domestic and international, and I want to start bring the NS with me. Rental basses are literally destroying my will to live
I wrapped mine in the material used to make grocery store shopping bags and gaff taped mine to the inside walls of various pockets. If someone reaches in they will not feel it and it seems to stay secure.
Thanks for the tip. One last thing then I’ll leave you alone. I googled Case X-Treme but I can’t seem to find anything about it, can you post a link or something?
Which just won the Pulitzer Prize for music:
Awarded to Omar, by Rhiannon Giddens and Michael Abels, premiered on May 27, 2022 at the Spoleto Festival USA in Charleston, S.C., an innovative and compelling opera about enslaved people brought to North America from Muslim countries, a musical work that respectfully represents African as well as African American traditions, expanding the language of the operatic form while conveying the humanity of those condemned to bondage.
Awarded to Omar, by Rhiannon Giddens and Michael Abels, premiered on May 27, 2022 at the Spoleto Festival USA in Charleston, S.C., an innovative and compelling opera about enslaved people brought to North America from Muslim countries, a musical work that respectfully represents African as well as African American traditions, expanding the language of the operatic form while conveying the humanity of those condemned to bondage.
