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Double Bass Teachers in the Big Apple

Kevin Hsieh

Kevin Hsieh

Jun 2, 2007
1,043
2
37
New York City
www.myspace.com
#1
Hey guys,
Moving to New York next month. Looking for someone to kick my ass on the East Coast. Does anyone here teach in New York and can recommend someone that they have taken lessons from? I'll probably try to take lessons from as many different people as possible. Lessons are provided at my University but they are not as often as i hope them to be. Around two a semester, for some instruments.

Thanks in Advance
Kevin
 
#5
Where are you going to school? NYU?
I don't know who's on the faculty there, but being in the city you'll certainly have your pick of the best players around. Some that come to mind in NYC:
Scott Colley
John Patitucci
Ron Carter
Marc Johnson
Some in NJ:
Rufus Reid
Todd Coolman
Ray Drummond
upstate NY:
Dave Holland
Those are just the big guns; there's also guys around like Dwayne Burno, Harvie S, Marco Panascia (who's on this board), Steve LaSpina, etc....and that's just the jazz guys.
Meanwhile there are a million great classical teachers; I'd recommend Orin O'Brien from the NY Phil.

No shortage of great teachers in NY!
 
#6
jbonny said:
What bow do you play Kevin?
Click to expand...

French bow. Primarily pizz player

i'm attending Columbia, which gets blammed sometimes by musicians for not being a hardcore music school. It's jazz studies program is more of a "studies" program than an actual performance program. Their performance program is under development with a very small faculty. Chris Washburne (trombonist) is a director there. I think he has a weekly gig at smoke with his Latin band.
Bass instructors are two classical: Jeremy McCoy and Linda McKnight. and one jazz: Brad Jones.
I heard by word of mouth, that the opportunities to land lesson times are limited so... looking around for some other cats to study from while waiting for my instructor at Columbia to get around to me.
 
#7
Joe Solomon came very highly recommended to me by Paul Ossola of the Saturday Night Live Band and I have not been disappointed. I've been studying with him for about five years. Joe studied jazz with Lennie Tristano and Sal Mosca, and also plays classical bass.

Joe's pedagogical philosophy embraces a sustained course of study over time rather than isolated lessons. Ed Fuqua could tell you more and probably will, but you can speak to Joe directly by calling 212-741-2839.
 
#8
Second Mike Richmond. Check his work with the late, great Arnie Lawrence, if you can find it.

Speaking of Arnie, who pretty much started the Jazz program at the New School (my alma mater) the faculty there alone is pretty impressive, and I'm willing to bet you can go with some of these guys privately:

Reggie Workman
Cecil McBee
Buster Williams
Greg Cohen
Bob Cranshaw
Doug Weiss (my favorite of the private teachers, as much for being an all-around good guy as for his teaching/playing cred)
Andy McKee

Full list of New School faculty:

Link Removed
 
#10
I took lessons from George Mraz and Lew Norton (now retired NYPhil). Both were great players and generous teachers. Mr. Mraz is a German player but golly, can he play beautifully with the bow! And of course, one of the great living jazz bassists...

I don't know if Lew Norton still teaches, but he has a solid respect for and knowledge of jazz and can definitely show you whatever you want to know about the French bow...He was the guy my teacher's teacher sent me to when I went to school in NY. He was always known for being a very cool, no nonsense guy with a killer sound.

The **s kicking came from within...Mssrs. Mraz and Norton were both just so much better than me...

You will be just down the street a few blocks from The Manhattan School and not that far from Mannes, either. I wonder if either of them would have some sort of reciprocity thing going with Columbia (?). A couple of phone calls would tell you that answer. I know that when I was at Manhattan there was a lot of back and forth of classes/teachers with some other schools...but that was a long time ago...

Along the same line of thinking, there are some great teachers at Yale, an hour north. Perhaps some sort of reciprocal thing exists between those two schools (?).
 
#11
Eric Swanson said:
I took lessons from George Mraz and Lew Norton (now retired NYPhil). Both were great players and generous teachers. Mr. Mraz is a German player but golly, can he play beautifully with the bow! And of course, one of the great living jazz bassists...

I don't know if Lew Norton still teaches, but he has a solid respect for and knowledge of jazz and can definitely show you whatever you want to know about the French bow...He was the guy my teacher's teacher sent me to when I went to school in NY. He was always known for being a very cool, no nonsense guy with a killer sound.

The **s kicking came from within...Mssrs. Mraz and Norton were both just so much better than me...

You will be just down the street a few blocks from The Manhattan School and not that far from Mannes, either. I wonder if either of them would have some sort of reciprocity thing going with Columbia (?). A couple of phone calls would tell you that answer. I know that when I was at Manhattan there was a lot of back and forth of classes/teachers with some other schools...but that was a long time ago...

Along the same line of thinking, there are some great teachers at Yale, an hour north. Perhaps some sort of reciprocal thing exists between those two schools (?).
Click to expand...

Thanks Eric, so far for bass we only have 3 teachers that are affiliated with Columbia's program. I actually hooked up with David Wong for all my jazz stuff and he's totally kicking my ass. I might be getting coached by Chip Jackson next month too.

As far as a joint program with MSM goes. it doesn't exist just yet, but a couple freshman this year have shown interest in creating one in conjunction with the current Juilliard option. Columbia has reservations about it, but it's gotta happen soon if we keep pushing for it.

Thanks for all the replies.
 
#13
As I recall, the reciprocity thing between MSM and other schools had a lot to do with relationships; between the student and teacher, the teacher and administrations at both schools, and between teacher and teacher (at the other school).

These kinds of things took time and students/teachers with pull, persistence, and charisma (not to mention like-minded folks in administration).

Other student perks that MSM had that might be worth asking about/pushing for included free tickets to music in town and reserved, lit score desks at some venues. Pretty cool to be able to walk into a free concert with your copy of the score, sit at a desk and follow the notes...
 
#14
LizzieBurns said:
i take lessons from linda and she is wonderful. she's not the "kick your ass" type but she's amazing.
Click to expand...
I've studied with Linda, and found her to be very demanding, but in a nice way. My read is that she's what Kevin is looking for. I had just put the bow on the string to start an exercise, and she yelled "STOP", and told me three things I had done wrong before I played a note. You'll learn how to play bass, that's for sure. You'll also learn professionalism, and respect for the instrument, your colleagues, and music. And every lesson I had with her also made me a better jazz player.
 
#16
I think your forgetting a very easy option.

Jeremy McCoy?? I caught his masterclass at ISB this summer on bow strokes and technique, and it was pretty incredible. He has a lot to say and knows how to say it. Definitely someone that would be worth studying with. Not to mention he's assistant Principle in the Met, so obviously he can give pretty sound advice on what it takes to make it in the orchestral world.

Check it out. MANY of the above players would be more than adequate as well, I'm sure. Seems like New York would be a pretty hard place to go wrong as far as studying with a teacher.
 

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