February 5, 2009
Donovan Stokes performs on double bass Feb. 7
Donovan Stokes, professor of double bass at Shenandoah Conservatory, will present an eclectic mix of classical, world and electronic compositions by Sarasate, Misek and Stokes in a Barry Leiberman and Friends concert at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb, 8, in Brechemin Auditorium.
An active composer, Stokes is a specialist in the use of amplified and electronically manipulated double bass. The program includes works for solo bass, amplified bass, and bass with Echoplex. Tickets are $10, cash or check at the door. For more information, call 206-685-8384.
Stokes also will lead a free master class with UW music students at 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 7, in Room 214 of the School of Music Building, and that class is open to the public. Space for the class is limited; to reserve a space, please call 206-685-9112.
Stokes’ fluency in a wide range of musical styles has compelled critics to hail him as “to the string bass as Basquiat was to canvas.” Whether arco, pizzicato or “slap” style, Stokes has the “ability to perform circus type bass maneuvers with effortless efficiency.” From concert hall to club stage, Bach to rockabilly, few musicians are as comfortable, and proficient, in so many musical genres. His 2006 CD of unamplified solo bass works, Gadaha, has garnered international praise and solidified his place in the new generation of double bass soloists.
His freelance work has led to performances with the Washington Choral Arts Society, the National Cathedral Choral Society and the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra. On the club circuit Stokes appears regularly with his Psychobilly project and his “Hardcore Jazz” trio. This trio of bass, drums and Rhodes piano, incorporates elements of hardcore punk rock and jazz.
