The bass world lost a great virtuoso and tireless advocate with the passing of Gary Karr, at the age of 83, on July 16. When I was editor-in-chief of Bass Player, we published a feature on Karr in our November 1996 issue. Timothy L. Stinson, the author, rightly described him as “the first classical bassist in history to earn his living as a professional soloist and only the fourth, following the revered names Dragonetti, Bottesini, and Koussevitsky, to have an international career.” That career stretched for more than 50 years, with hundreds of performances and dozens of notable recordings, all of them distinguished by his superb technique and irrepressible personality. 

Gary Karr grew up in Los Angeles in a family of musicians—his father played bass in dance bands and his mother was an oboist—and showed musical prowess at an early age. After studying at UCLA, Northwestern, and the Juilliard School of Music, he came to national attention in 1962 by performing in a televised Young People’s Concert with the New York Philharmonic conducted by Leonard Bernstein. He was 20. Shortly after that, he made his solo debut at Town Hall; a New York Times review of the concert said that “he played the double-bass, and he played it in a way that few bassists even dreamed of.” One member of the audience was Olga Koussevitsky, the widow of the great bassist and composer Serge Koussevitsky. She was so taken by Karr’s performance that she gave him her husband’s prized bass, known as the 1611 Amati, which became his main instrument for many years. (Later research determined that it was not, in fact, made by Amati and probably dated to the early 1800s—but it is still an exceptional bass.) Many appearances as a soloist and a featured performer with leading orchestras around the world followed. Because of the dearth of music for bass soloists, Karr often transcribed works written for other instruments, such as the Bach cello suites, as well as commissioning composers to create works for him. Adept in many styles of music, he was often praised for the “singing” tone he achieved, a tribute to his mastery of the bow.

In addition to his virtuosity as a performer, Karr was a committed community-builder—he founded the International Society of Bassists—and teacher. He served on the faculties of Yale University, Hartt School of Music, and Juilliard, among others, and also taught many master classes and clinics. “When teaching,” Stinson noted, “Gary stresses an open-minded flexibility, as he feels flexible artists are able to see more opportunities. He also stresses an appreciation of the pursuit of excellence and a commitment to playing from the heart.”

Nineteen years after that feature article appeared, I was able to appreciate, firsthand, Gary Karr’s commitment to both performance and teaching at the 2015 New Hampshire Bass Fest, which took place on a college campus near where I lived at the time. This four-day event had a faculty of bass notables headlined by Michael Manring, Eddie Gomez, and Karr. They each performed showcase concerts and spent many hours working with young bassists. I had the good fortune to observe many of these events. In his solo performances, Karr showed simply amazing range—not to mention unmatchable technique—mugging on comedic numbers like “Slap That Bass” and then leaving us transfixed with moving versions of such pieces as Lalo Schifrin’s “Cavatina” and Ernest Bloch’s “Prayer” from his suite From Jewish Life. Throughout the Bass Fest, Karr was affable and approachable, ready to discuss any aspect of his life or career. I had the good fortune to watch him work with several aspiring upright players in a small group, patiently helping them to improve their technique and answering their questions. When I spoke with him afterward, he was complimentary about our mutual efforts to build the bass community. It was an unforgettable moment, and I remain grateful to have been in his presence during those four days.

Links: For more about Gary Karr’s life and career, go to: isbworldoffice.com