Upright Citizens

Come hang with some effortlessly cool professional jazz bassists who have a lot to say about music, life, and of course...the bass! Great interviews with legendary artists, funny road stories, playing and practicing advice, listening suggestions, and much more await you on your journey with the Upright Citizens.

Bassist Spotlight: Percy Heath

"This time the Citizens celebrate one of the greatest, and perhaps underrated, bassists of all time - Percy Heath. He played and recorded with everyone from Bird to Dizzy and was a crucial component to the Modern Jazz Quartet. Join us as we listen and learn more about the great Percy Heath!"UC - Percy Heath PlaylistIf you like Bass - you're in the right place! Interested in more music and practice advice? Check out Open Studio...where you'll find courses and much more by world-class bassists like Reuben Rogers, Ron Carter, Christian McBride, Bob DeBoo and more. Reach out to the Upright Citizens anytime at uprightcitizenspodcast@gmail.com ★ Support this podcast ★

11-12
25:56

The Switch!

Many upright bassists start on the electric first - we both did! They are very different instruments that often function in similar ways, but there is a lot of technical considerations that must be addressed. In this episode we share our thoughts and suggestions for electric bassists looking to make 'The Switch!'If you like Bass - you're in the right place! Interested in more music and practice advice? Check out Open Studio...where you'll find courses and much more by world-class bassists like Reuben Rogers, Ron Carter, Christian McBride, Bob DeBoo and more. Reach out to the Upright Citizens anytime at uprightcitizenspodcast@gmail.com ★ Support this podcast ★

10-29
18:43

Better Ears

As musicians, our ears are one of the most important tools we use! They are instruments unto themselves and we have to practice listening to grow in our musicianship. In this episode we delve into our thoughts on how to get "Better Ears"... If you like Bass - you're in the right place! Interested in more music and practice advice? Check out Open Studio...where you'll find courses and much more by world-class bassists like Reuben Rogers, Ron Carter, Christian McBride, Bob DeBoo and more. Reach out to the Upright Citizens anytime at uprightcitizenspodcast@gmail.com ★ Support this podcast ★

10-15
01:20

Guess THAT Bassist! (Bob Guesses)

We're back with another 'Guess THAT Bassist' episode! This time Reuben will say a few bits of trivia about some well-known jazz bassists, and let's see how quickly Bob can figure it out. Can you guess before he does? If you like Bass - you're in the right place! Interested in more music and practice advice? Check out Open Studio...where you'll find courses and much more by world-class bassists like Reuben Rogers, Ron Carter, Christian McBride, Bob DeBoo and more. Reach out to the Upright Citizens anytime at uprightcitizenspodcast@gmail.com ★ Support this podcast ★

10-01
12:42

Electric Bass Love: Marcus Miller

"We love the electric bass here at Upright Citizens, and most especially the great Marcus Miller! A true pioneer of music, Marcus is just as well-known for his writing, producing, arranging, and is a leader in so many facets in the music biz. In this episode, Bob and Reuben share some of their favorite Marcus tracks, as well as their thoughts and stories all about this legendary musician..." UPRIGHT CITIZENS MARCUS MILLER PLAYLIST If you like Bass - you're in the right place! Interested in more music and practice advice? Check out Open Studio...where you'll find courses and much more by world-class bassists like Reuben Rogers, Ron Carter, Christian McBride, Bob DeBoo and more. Reach out to the Upright Citizens anytime at uprightcitizenspodcast@gmail.com ★ Support this podcast ★

09-17
41:45

Guess THAT Bassist! (Reuben Guesses)

Let's play a nerdy bass game. Bob will say a few bits of trivia about some well-known jazz bassists, and let's see how quickly Reuben can figure it out. Sounds like fun! If you like Bass - you're in the right place! Interested in more music and practice advice? Check out Open Studio...where you'll find courses and much more by world-class bassists like Reuben Rogers, Ron Carter, Christian McBride, Bob DeBoo and more. Reach out to the Upright Citizens anytime at uprightcitizenspodcast@gmail.com ★ Support this podcast ★

09-03
14:00

Bass Blindfold Test pt2 - Reuben's Turn!

"The Citizens are back for part 2 of the Bass Blindfold Test! This time Reuben is in the hot seat trying to guess who's playing. See if you can name the bassists that Bob is choosing before Reuben does!"If you like Bass - you're in the right place! Interested in more music and practice advice? Check out Open Studio...where you'll find courses and much more by world-class bassists like Reuben Rogers, Ron Carter, Christian McBride, Bob DeBoo and more. Reach out to the Upright Citizens anytime at uprightcitizenspodcast@gmail.com  ★ Support this podcast ★

08-20
15:42

Bass Blindfold Test (Bob's Turn)

"We all know the classic 'blindfold test' - well, here's the Upright Citizens "bass-centric" version with Bob in the hot seat first! Reuben has picked a few bassists and will play a snippet of a recording and then we're off to guess who is playing and talk about what we hear..."If you like Bass - you're in the right place! Interested in more music and practice advice? Check out Open Studio...where you'll find courses and much more by world-class bassists like Reuben Rogers, Ron Carter, Christian McBride, Bob DeBoo and more. Reach out to the Upright Citizens anytime at uprightcitizenspodcast@gmail.com ★ Support this podcast ★

08-06
20:04

The John Patitucci Interview

"The Upright Citizens are celebrating the release of their 100th episode in style with very special guest and bass legend, John Patitucci. The conversation goes from 'doubling' to football, and Instagram to Larry Graham...listen to the end to find out what John thinks would surprise his fans to know about him!"If you like Bass - you're in the right place! Interested in more music and practice advice? Check out Open Studio...where you'll find courses and much more by world-class bassists like Reuben Rogers, Ron Carter, Christian McBride, Bob DeBoo and more. Reach out to the Upright Citizens anytime at uprightcitizenspodcast@gmail.com ★ Support this podcast ★

07-23
39:12

Declutter

"We all know the phrase 'One man's trash is another man's treasure' and the Citizens are here this time to talk about letting go of the things we don't really need. Not just for ourselves, but for others." If you like Bass - you're in the right place! Interested in more music and practice advice? Check out Open Studio...where you'll find courses and much more by world-class bassists like Reuben Rogers, Ron Carter, Christian McBride, Bob DeBoo and more. Reach out to the Upright Citizens anytime at uprightcitizenspodcast@gmail.com ★ Support this podcast ★

07-09
13:57

Know Who You Are for Yourself

"We open up with a great T.K. Coleman quote about what success is and understanding what that means for ourselves. Give yourself some grace and start working towards who you are for yourself..."If you like Bass - you're in the right place! Interested in more music and practice advice? Check out Open Studio...where you'll find courses and much more by world-class bassists like Reuben Rogers, Ron Carter, Christian McBride, Bob DeBoo and more. Reach out to the Upright Citizens anytime at uprightcitizenspodcast@gmail.com ★ Support this podcast ★

06-25
10:42

Can You Practice Without a Bass...?

"Can you practice away from the bass? Of course you can! In this episode the Upright Citizens answer 'why' you might want to practice without your instrument, and then offer some great advice on 'how' to creatively do just that!"If you like Bass - you're in the right place! Interested in more music and practice advice? Check out Open Studio...where you'll find courses and much more by world-class bassists like Reuben Rogers, Ron Carter, Christian McBride, Bob DeBoo and more. Reach out to the Upright Citizens anytime at uprightcitizenspodcast@gmail.com ★ Support this podcast ★

06-11
14:23

On the Gig Challenge!

"In a rut? Feeling uninspired when you play? Try out these 5 'on the gig' challenges that just might open up some new pathways for your musicianship today!" If you like Bass - you're in the right place! Interested in more music and practice advice? Check out Open Studio...where you'll find courses and much more by world-class bassists like Reuben Rogers, Ron Carter, Christian McBride, Bob DeBoo and more. Reach out to the Upright Citizens anytime at uprightcitizenspodcast@gmail.com ★ Support this podcast ★

05-28
12:18

Why Do We Study the Masters?

"We have often heard that we should transcribe and study the Masters - we're talking about Ray Brown, Ron Carter, Paul Chambers, and many more - but the deeper question was brought up by our recent special guest Linda Oh: "WHY should we transcribe the Masters?" Well, that's what we're here to talk about...the WHY!"If you like Bass - you're in the right place! Interested in more music and practice advice? Check out Open Studio...where you'll find courses and much more by world-class bassists like Reuben Rogers, Ron Carter, Christian McBride, Bob DeBoo and more. Reach out to the Upright Citizens anytime at uprightcitizenspodcast@gmail.com ★ Support this podcast ★

05-14
09:58

Sax Trio Brilliance! (Part 2)

"We heard from so many of you after our last release that you dug the 'Sax Trio Brilliance' episode - so we are back with more of Bob and Reuben's favorite Sax Trios! As a bassist, the freedom and transparency that happens in a chord-less saxophone trio can lead to inspiring new territory. We'll dig in this time to cuts that feature some of our favorite bassists - Milt Hinton, Gary Peacock, Charlie Haden, Ron Carter, Reggie Workman, and Christian McBride" If you like Bass - you're in the right place! Interested in more music and practice advice? Check out Open Studio...where you'll find courses and much more by world-class bassists like Reuben Rogers, Ron Carter, Christian McBride, Bob DeBoo and more. Reach out to the Upright Citizens anytime at uprightcitizenspodcast@gmail.com ★ Support this podcast ★

04-30
28:18

Sax Trio Brilliance! (Part 1)

"Sax Trios have long been an engaging and explorative vehicle for bassists. Think the freedom of Wilbur Ware on "A Night at the Village Vanguard", Oscar Pettiford on "Freedom Suite", or Ray Brown on "Way Out West"...yeah, we love Sonny Rollins! In this episode Bob and Reuben share and rap about some of their favorite Sax Trios 'situations'. Larry Grenadier, Henry Grimes, Pablo Menares, Dave Holland, and Kiyoshi Kitagawa are featured in this 1st of a 2-part series." Here's a bonus Spotify Playlist with some of our favorite Sax Trios. Let us know what YOU like!If you like Bass - you're in the right place! Interested in more music and practice advice? Check out Open Studio...where you'll find courses and much more by world-class bassists like Reuben Rogers, Ron Carter, Christian McBride, Bob DeBoo and more. Reach out to the Upright Citizens anytime at uprightcitizenspodcast@gmail.com ★ Support this podcast ★

04-16
25:33

Versatility: Virtue or Vice???

"Versatility. That word gets used a lot when talking about being 'marketable' as a musician. While it is a positive attribute when balanced being too versatile can potentially hinder us as well. Bob and Reuben discuss their thoughts on finding that balance in this episode..." If you like Bass - you're in the right place! Interested in more music and practice advice? Check out Open Studio...where you'll find courses and much more by world-class bassists like Reuben Rogers, Ron Carter, Christian McBride, Bob DeBoo and more. Reach out to the Upright Citizens anytime at uprightcitizenspodcast@gmail.com ★ Support this podcast ★

04-02
18:17

Linda Oh Interview

"Linda May Han Oh is one of the premier bassists and composers in the world. In this episode the Upright Citizens discuss everything from advice for students, hearing and singing what you play, emotional aspects of her compositions, and so much more..."If you like Bass - you're in the right place! Interested in more music and practice advice? Check out Open Studio...where you'll find courses and much more by world-class bassists like Reuben Rogers, Ron Carter, Christian McBride, Bob DeBoo and more. Reach out to the Upright Citizens anytime at uprightcitizenspodcast@gmail.com ★ Support this podcast ★

03-19
47:27

Trial & Error

"Why is the 'Trial & Error' process so important for creative musicians? We need to be fearless and embrace our mistakes to grow, so that's where we'll start in this episode of Upright Citizens."If you like Bass - you're in the right place! Interested in more music and practice advice? Check out Open Studio...where you'll find courses and much more by world-class bassists like Reuben Rogers, Ron Carter, Christian McBride, Bob DeBoo and more. Reach out to the Upright Citizens anytime at uprightcitizenspodcast@gmail.com ★ Support this podcast ★

03-05
17:44

The Genius of Scott Colley

"Bassist Scott Colley has been in high demand for decades, and for good reason! Come hang with the Upright Citizens as we listen to and discuss his bass brilliance..."Upright Citizens 'Scott Colley' PlaylistIf you like Bass - you're in the right place! Interested in more music and practice advice? Check out Open Studio...where you'll find courses and much more by world-class bassists like Reuben Rogers, Ron Carter, Christian McBride, Bob DeBoo and more. Reach out to the Upright Citizens anytime at uprightcitizenspodcast@gmail.com ★ Support this podcast ★

02-20
30:41

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