New Album “The Contrapuntist” Out

I finally released my new project “The Contrapuntist” last March 2023 for Sunnyside Records. It is a two sides repertoire: one side is a full piece for string quartet composed by me, performed by the Ulysses Quartet and recorded at Oktaven Studio. The second side is a set of variations of that classical piece played this time by a world-class Jazz quartet featuring Jeremy Pelt (tp), Sullivan Fortner (piano), Bill Stewart (dms) and myself on bass, tracked by James Farber at Sear Sound studio.
The album is getting a nice buzz around musicians – even Ron Carter himself called me to tell me how much he enjoyed it! It also garnered some attention in the press: Rolling Stone, Jazz Magazine, Radio France, Stereophile, TV5 Monde, Jazz News, Telerama, and even the highest distinction (CHOC) in Classica – a classical music magazine.

You can learn more about the project and watch the teaser HERE, get a copy of the CD in the Shop section and learn about our upcoming dates in the Schedule page.

Patreon Bass Workshop Page: 50 videos now!

I have been updating my educational Patreon page monthly for the past two years with new videos and PDFs about music and bass playing. There are now 50 of them (and counting) available for subscribers. I take this work very seriously, as I like to share with the world some tips and techniques not often – if ever – talked about on YouTube or other platforms. Some of the themes covered are: Bass & Drums playing, Inside the Bassist’s Mind, Correct Changes for Standards, Right Hand techniques, Soloing on the Bass, 8th notes phrasing, Transcriptions, Metronome Exercises, Fast Tempos, Bass Lines on minor keys, Gear and Strings… and many others.
Check out the Patreon page HERE if you want to learn more, or subscribe to my mailing list HERE to get a free lesson download.

New sideman release: Three of a Kind

The band co-led by guitarist Michael Valeanu, saxophonist Jon Boutellier and myself on bass, an intimate trio without drums, will release a new album soon, in part sponsored by a grant received from the SACEM Music Organization. It features new original music by each band member, including four of my own songs: “Celerity”, “Thousand Springs”, “Lili Smiles Again” and “A Romance for JB.” Expect the music to be available to you in the fall of 2023.

On a side note, I’d like to mention that my song “A Romance for JB” is also available as a Bonus Track of my album “The Contrapuntist,” this time performed by Jeremy Pelt, Sullivan Fortner, Bill Stewart and myself. It is available on Bandcamp – with the sheet music – HERE.