It was a treat to sit down and chat with world music bassist Elsen Price for the podcast!  Elsen is based in Sydney, Australia and is incredibly active as a solo and collaborative artist. More About Elsen: (excerpt from Elsen Price: Totally addicted to Bass by Samuel Cottell) Double bass player Elsen Price is making his mark on the music scene in a range of settings. He recently performed his original composition ‘red planet’ as part of Sydney’s Vivid Music at the Seymour Centre, where he also commissioned a new work for double bass and mandolin. Elsen also regularly performs his original music in cafés for five hours at a time (lucky there is coffee on hand), and is undertaking many collaborations with renowned musicians. His musical style is as diverse as the musical settings he performs in and, listening to his compositions and recordings, you can certainly hear a clear cut and confident musical voice. Elsen has a way of engaging audiences with his music, but it all boils down to the level of conviction you give in the performing of the music. Based in Sydney, Elsen grew up in the country six hours of out of the city and first heard the violin at an annual country music festival. “I’ve been fascinated by the fiddle playing from the first time I heard it,” Elsen says. “It didn’t all start out easy for Elsen, who suffered from a physical condition called ‘syndactyly’, which often leaves a person with limited use of their hands and fingers. “My mum figured playing an instrument would help my hands develop and seeing as I was already obsessed with the violin, she let me learn it,” says Elsen. (read more) Links to Check Out: Elsen on Facebook Chicken Chili Basil - Elsen's latest album Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: The Upton Bass String Instrument Company.  Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr.  Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long “Karr neck” has even become a favorite of crossover electric players. Check out this video of David Murray "auditioning" his Upton Bass! A440 Violin Shop - An institution in the Roscoe Village neighborhood for over 20 years, A440's commitment to fairness and value means that we have many satisfied customers from the local, national, and international string playing communities. Our clients include major symphony orchestras, professional orchestra and chamber music players, aspiring students, amateur adult players, all kinds of fiddlers, jazz and commercial musicians, university music departments, and public schools. The Bass Violin Shop, which  offers the Southeast's largest inventory of laminate, hybrid and carved double basses. Whether you are in search of the best entry-level laminate, or a fine pedigree instrument, there is always a unique selection ready for you to try. Trade-ins and consignments welcome! Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!