Jorge Roeder - Momentum in improvisation

Interview witH Jorge Roeder

If you’re new here, welcome to Discover Double Bass, the home of online learning with our courses and masterclasses by many of the bass world’s finest players and educators. In 2023, we are celebrating our first decade online, so thank you for your support, and I hope you enjoy this interview.

Today’s guest is the incredible jazz and contemporary double bassist, Jorge Roeder. A Peruvian bassist residing in New York, Jorge has performed and collaborated with many legendary artists, including Gary Burton, John Zorn, Shai Maestro, Julian Lage and Sofía Rei. He was the International Society of Bassists Jazz Competition winner in 2007 and is headlining the 2023 ISB convention in Ann Arbour, Michigan on June 10th.

In 2020, Jorge Roeder released his first solo double bass album, El Suelo Mío. His upcoming duo recording with Sofía Rei is due for release soon.

One of the key themes in our discussion is developing momentum within improvisation and how Jorge can build a rhythmic and melodic narrative. He’s a master improviser, so if you’re a fan of jazz bass, please take the time to check this out. We also cover Jorge’s most influential teachers, his love of South American music, improvising to children's story books, playing double bass duets, rebuilding his technique after an injury, the legacy of Charlie Haden, bass gear, and much more.

I hope you enjoy this video with Jorge Roeder and his virtuosic solo performance of a classic jazz standard at the end! As usual, we have provided links to the people referenced in our conversation below. There are also behind-the-scenes photos from the session; scroll down to check them out!

Timecodes

00:00 Introduction
01:11 On the road with Julian Lage
03:07 Solo bass features
05:22 The bow in jazz
05:53 Juan Pablo Navarro & Tango bass playing
07:41 South American music and the Tango
12:12 Charlie Banacos
15:10 Cecil McBee
16:51 John Lockwood
19:04 Double bass duos
21:20 Arriving in NYC
23:21 Charlie Haden
25:00 Recording a solo bass album
25:57 Use of a C extension in improvisation
30:25 Chords
31:49 Momentum
35:30 Epic version of ‘Sentimental Mood’
36:34 Relearning the bass
40:23 Bass gear
46:03 Solo performance