Interview - Ken Lister 

Ken Lister

Ken Lister has been a professional jazz bassist since 1983. (Junos: 2012-The Phil Dwyer Orchestra; 1997-The Hugh Fraser Quintet). Ken’s career took an interesting turn in the 90’s when he lived off-grid on a remote island, raising his young family. From there he toured nationally and internationally. Now based on Vancouver Island, Ken teaches bass (and yoga) and continues to perform, record and tour. Some of the many great musicians he has played with include Don Thompson, Linton Garner, Ross…

Read more

Interview - Mike Downes 

Mike Downes

What are some important musical and other lessons you've learned that you can pass on to aspiring bassists?

Music is infinite, so I've learned to embrace the endlessness. If you build a shoe rack, you gather the materials, put in the work and then proudly look at the finished product when it's done. Becoming a better musician is not like that - it is never a tangible finished product. The beauty of this is that it teaches you to enjoy and live in the process rather than focusing solely on the…

Read more

Interview - Rene Worst 

Rene Worst

Rene Worst was voted Bassist of the Year by the BC CARAS Tribute to West Coast Music for the 4 years that the awards were given. Rene was co-leader of the now-legendary fusion band Skywalk with six CD’s to their credit.  He has toured Canada with jazz legends Chet Baker,  Gene Bertoncini and Joe Pass and on the international scene, has toured  the former Soviet Union with Paul Horn. He is a virtuoso on both string and electric basses. Rene Worst has recorded and performed with numerous jazz…

Read more

Interview - Dave Piltch 

David Piltch

David Piltch's career began at age 17 playing on the bandstand with:  Art Pepper, Chet Baker, Gil Evans, Ed Bickert, Zoot Simms, Kenny Wheeler, George Coleman , Lee Konitz, Sonny Stit, Art Farmer, Jack Sheldon, Cleo Lane and Herb Ellis. For almost 40 years he has been collecting experiences and tools that are useful to him as a player, writer, arranger and producer. He has recorded with artists including Holly Cole, KD Lang, Elton John, Randy Newman, Bill Frisell, Bonnie Raitt and many others…

Read more

Interview - Kieran Overs 

Kieran Overs

Toronto-born bassist Kieran Overs has been active on the Canadian music scene since 1970, first on guitar and electric bass, and for the past 34 years on acoustic bass. Overs holds an Honours Diploma from Humber College, a B. Mus. from Humber/BCOU and an M. Mus. from McGill University (Montreal). He has also studied privately with renowned Danish bassist Neils-Henning Orsted-Petersen and arranger Rick Wilkins. He has toured internationally with Moe Koffman/Dizzy Gillespie, Jane Bunnett, Sophie…

Read more

Interview - Jason Raso 

Jason Raso

Over the past two decades, eight albums and countless live performances, Jason Raso has shown that he not only has the skills to pay the bills, but more often than not, enough musical currency left over at the end of the month to make good on the debts other musicians have welched on. A Hartke Canadian Artist Search Winner (2010), Raso is a master of the four and six-string bass guitar whose music has been heard on public radio and jazz stations around the globe. Jason Raso’s latest album “Man of…

Read more

Interview - Michel Donato 

Michel Donato

Michel Donato was born in Montreal on August 25, 1942. He began on the accordion at age 10, piano at 12 and then the bass at 14. He has performed and recorded with Sonny Greenwich, Oscar Peterson, Ian McDougall, Bruce Coburn, Dave Samuels, Bernie Senesky, Buddy De Franco, Gordie Fleming, Oliver Jones, Toots Thielmans, Bill Evans and others. He has written numerous scores for film, television and radio including "Omni Romance," "Le Marché du Couple" and "Les Muses Orphelines," for which he won…

Read more

Interview - Dave Young 

Dave Young

Multiple award-winning bassist and composer Dave Young is, without a doubt, one of Canada’s most valuable musical exports. The list of artists with whom Dave has shared the stage is a virtual “Who’s Who” of international jazz...including the late Oscar Peterson (with whom Dave had a thirty-five year musical relationship), and additional iconic artists Lenny Breau, Clark Terry, Harry “Sweets” Edison, Joe Williams, Oliver Jones, Kenny Burrell, Cedar Walton, Nat Adderly, Peter Appleyard, Gary…

Read more

Interview - Ross MacIntyre 

Ross MacIntyre

Ross MacIntyre has been playing bass for over 25 years. He studied at the Berklee College of Music in Boston and got his degree in jazz performance from the University of Toronto. He's played with all sorts of great musicians from Canada and around the world. He can be heard on over 50 recordings, 7 of which have been nominated for JUNO awards, and one of which won for Vocal Jazz Album of the Year.

What are some important musical and other lessons you've learned that you can pass on to

Read more

Interview - Will Jarvis 

Will Jarvis

Toronto-born Will Jarvis is a busy freelance bassist and educator. Over his career, Will has gained a reputation as a very versatile player and is equally comfortable playing jazz, R&B, funk, jazz-fusion along with Brazilian and Cuban music. Will has performed with Tito Puente, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Paquito D’Rivera, Hilton Ruiz, Hilario Duran, Luis Conte, Dave Valentin, Steve Gadd, David Clayton-Thomas and Sinal Aberto. Currently, Will plays regularly with Manteca, Paul DeLong’s “Bucket Of Fish…

Read more