Hey, we got enough folks to “Like” our facebook musician/band page that we now have the vanity url
We’re also on MySpace, at
I imagine that has to be worth something in SEO value — I mean, it can’t hurt, can it?
Thanks to those of you who connected with us. Now, let’s get some comments on these blog postings!!
I learned just a few days ago of the passing of Pete Zaluba.
Pete was a member of the Lyric Opera Orchestra from its inaugural season until 1986. My fond memories of Pete were of his accompanying his wife Beth to Rockford to hear our performances with the Rockford Symphony Orchestra.
I’m not sure where it came from, but somehow, at least among us who were playing there at the time, Pete got the nickname “The Anointed One.” Something to do with the translation of his name, but at the moment I can’t verify that. It was always a great pleasure to have him with us.
Greg Sarchet has posted an obituary on his facebook wall. It will also appear in the Chicago Tribune on July 4.
Visitation will be at Petkus Lemont Funeral Home, 12401 S. Archer Avenue, Lemont from 3:00 to 9:00 P.M. on Tuesday. A Masonic Service will take place at 7:00 P.M. Tuesday evening. Funeral service Wednesday 10:30 A.M. at the funeral home. Interment Lithuanian National Cemetery. Memorial Offerings to Shriner’s Hospital for Children will be deeply appreciated. 800-994-7600
Some marketing efforts pay off . . .
I’m working to make better use of the resources I have, the resources that just about anybody has these days: Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, WordPress, and an e-mail list. The folks at Bass Musician Magazine received the latest e-mail and have posted it on their “Events” page. I have to say I was pleased to find myself sharing a page with Victor Wooten and Eddie Gomez (and just off-screen the NAMM show).
So, in case you can’t make it to their gigs this coming Friday, June 25, 2010, come see ours!
June 25, we performed at the exhibition opening of artist Cheri Reif Naselli.
Cheri Reif Naselli and the Chicago Bass Ensemble at ARC Gallery
ARC Gallery and Educational Foundation
832 W. Superior St. #204
Chicago, IL 60622
Phone: 312.733.2787
Cheri Reif Naselli’s work “investigates the reality below the surface” and for the opening of the exhibit, we will explore how the presence or absence of sound, particularly music, affects your perception of the visual artwork on display. By alternating performances of some of our repertoire with silence–i.e. not music, since a gallery opening is likely to be filled with human conversation–the attendees (that’s you) can gauge how their experiences of the works differ in the presence of music vs. silence.
Introducing the next piece
Program:
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Audience members seated to watch the group
photos: Kina Bagovska
I’ve been meaning to write this blog post for a couple of weeks now, but haven’t known quite what to say.
I still don’t know quite what to say, but I’ve got to write it! I’m so proud that I played in the Menlo-Atherton High School jazz ensemble. When I was in the eighth grade, the M-A jazz band traveled for the first time to Europe, by invitation, to play at a number of prestigious jazz festivals. I was so excited about the prospect of joining that band that I arranged to attend M-A instead of Woodside H.S. (some school district politics or policies helped, as well).
I played in that band, and after my sophomore year of high school, I too got to play at the NorthSea Jazz Festival, the Montreux Jazz Festival, and at other European venues.
The leader of the band at M-A from shortly before that time to the present day is Frank Moura. This year is Frank’s last year directing the band. I won’t recap his career (because it’s done better in The Country Almanac’s article on Frank Moura), but I will say that I really honor what he accomplished, and feel that I owe a lot of what I am to having played under his tutelage.
If while playing backgammon you hear someone yell “get ’em, fellas!” or hear an airport page for “Ned Freebish,” you might assume that an alumni of the Frank Moura experience is nearby.
One of the reasons I wanted to move the CBE’s website to a blog platform was so that I could talk, from time to time, about the work of organizing, promoting and generally “building” a performing group. This is one of those posts.
About 8 weeks ago, after giving a performance at a private salon, I asked the other members of the group to look at their schedules and give me some ideas about when would be the next good time to set up a performance. Enough waiting around for other presenters to contact me, I need to set up more performances of our own!
John, Doug and Michael dutifully responded with messages about their schedules. And I promptly got so busy with other, non-bass-ensemble stuff that I did absolutely nothing with the information. Scheduling FAIL on my part.
It’s a lot to keep on top of, to be an adult!
Since their entire world will have changed in the intervening 8 weeks, I’ve asked the guys to again give me some schedule/availability ideas, and will try again. Wish me luck in the comments!
We’re happy to have heard from our friend Jan Alm that his new website is up and running.
He describes himself as “Bass player, Teacher and Composer.” He has written several pieces we perform and which we enjoy a great deal.
Relevant Tones – Chicago Bass Ensemble on the radio.
Chicago Bass Ensemble Founder Jacque Harper was a guest on Seth Boustead’s Relevant Tones radio program. 6:00 pm Central Time, 88.7 FM. Also available on the internet at www.wluw.org.
February 7, 2010
Chicago Bass Festival
Bennett-Gordon Hall, on the grounds of the Ravinia Festival.
Onstage in Bennett-Gordon Hall
Jacque Harper, Doug Johnson, Michael Hovnanian, John Floeter.
(TiVO’d the Super Bowl so as not to miss any of the good commercials.)
In the Name of Hope, a benefit concert celebrating the work of Michael Miller, pianist and composer.
You are invited to a special tribute concert celebrating the work of Chicago pianist and composer Michael Miller, May 27 7:30pm (Wednesday) at Nichols Hall in Evanston.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009 @ 7:30pm
Nichols Concert Hall
1490 Chicago Ave. (map)
Evanston, IL 60201
Suggested donation: $30
The Chicago Bass Ensemble will perform two short works on this concert: an arrangement by Miller of Robert Schumann’s Traumerei and an original composition by Miller, Caught, part of a planned multi-movement work for bass quartet. Michael Miller and our Doug Johnson are old friends, but had lost contact with each other until Miller spotted our MySpace page. In short order he created several arrangements for us. He also began work on Enambered, of which Caught is one of the movements.
Members of the Chicago area performing arts community are joining together for this benefit concert as a tribute to Michael Miller’s work as a performer and composer. This event will feature performances by prominent Chicago musicians including mezzo-soprano Julia Bentley (CUBE ensemble, Lyric Opera and Santa Fe Opera apprenticeships), pianist Fiona Queen, award-winning vocal performer Danielle Brothers, double bassist Douglas Johnson, violinist Nina Saito, English horn player June Matayoshi, and other surprises. The concert will feature compositions by Robert Schumann, Kurt Weill, and Michael Miller.
Michael is entering into an indefinite period of inactivity as a performer, having recently been diagnosed with a neurological condition which greatly impairs the use of his arms. Proceeds from this concert will go toward assisting Michael Miller through this challenging time of personal transformation.
Please contact Orson Panetti if you have any questions regarding this event.
For this concert, the Chicago Bass Ensemble lineup was: Jacque Harper, John Floeter, Doug Johnson and Jason Heath.