Photo by David Schenk

Edgar Meyer is one of the most talented musicians around today. He has performed at the top levels in several kinds of music. He is an accomplished performer, composer, leader and arranger. He has brought the bass from a background and rhythm instrument to a solo instument, and to an equal partner with all the other instrurments in chamber and other small group settings.

Edgar has all the chops on his instrument, some of which he may have invented. "All along he's retained gorgeous tone, highly developed bowing, precise pizzicato articulation, soaring vocal-like sonorities, and a penchant for subverting highbrow artifice through down-home humor." (Bass Player Mag). He has adapted fiddle-bowing techniques for the bass.  His ability to control pitch is legendary. In the interview with Brittany Frompovich he describes how he is able to get the vocal quality in his playing.  Edgar's main solo bass, a Gabrielli made in 1769 in Florence, Italy has been modified with an extended fingerboard by Don Hachez, then with Don Robertson's shop in Albuquerque (this occurred sometime between Mar 93 & Feb 94).  I estimate that he can get an octave higher than other bass players with this mod.  He also uses extensions on the lowest string to get down to C1.  He has a 5-string (with B0 the added string) 18th century Bogemian bass, which he uses for Chamber Music Society work.  He still has his original 1933 Robert Jager he grew up with.   (The dots on Edgar's bass were put there as a joke.  According to Dr. Darol-one of the alter egos of Darol Anger: "Classical guitarists and bowed string players are supposed to be above the use of such aids.  Edgar had dots installed on his bass neck a couple of years ago, solely to drive the purists nuts and provoke fistfights.")

"Anyone with Edgar's intensity is going to be somewhat unusual. He's a genius, and that's not a word I toss around lightly. He's also the sweetest, nicest, most interesting guy to hang around with. He has incredible patience. But he also expects everybody to be great, and he really won't accept anything less. He expects you to be in tune and in time, and he expects you to have perfect intonation and to phrase things beautifully. He expects that because that's the way he does it." Fred Sherry, cellist with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center

"I sat through an hour and a half of the most awesome bass playing I had ever heard. It was totally overwhelming. Both his technique and creativity were amazing. The musical expressiveness he demonstrated, coupled with his personality, which he wraps around his instrument, was spectacular." Karen Deal, assistant conductor, Nashville Symphony

"Edgar isn't blending two or more worlds-he's living in a single very large world."  David Shrifin, Artistic Director of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center

"I don't consider that Edgar and I play the same instrument.  He is a soul that has decided to locate itself in a bass." Susan Ranney, principal bass player of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra.

Born in Oklahoma City, Nov 24 1960.
Grew up in Oak Ridge TN where his bassist father (Edgar Sr) taught in the public schools. His father was a jazz bass player who picked up classical in his late 20s, so Edgar was surrounded by classical, Count Basie, Oscar Peterson, John Coltrane, Miles Davis. He started the bass at 5.
Attended the University of Indiana, studying under Stuart Sankey. Bass God Ray Brown tells the story (on the Lonesome Pine Special) how in 1981 at a competition in Cincinnati (Zimmerman-Mingus), according to one of his students (John Clayton), Edgar had wiped the plate clean in the classic competition.
In Aspen in 1982 Edgar placed second in the Pitkin County Fiddling Contest (on his bass-this from one of the judges, Nick Forster). He was a resident sidewalk musician at Hagen-Daas playing for tips. Bela walked by, and a jam session started. It is still going on. Met Connie at Aspen.
Moved to Nashville in 1983. Also coming in about the same time: Bela Fleck, Jerry Douglas, Mark O'Connor.
On Jan 2 1988 married Connie Heard, an accomplished violinist with the Blair School of Music of Vanderbilt Univ and the Blair String Quartet. The album Love of a Lifetime was partially written on his honeymoon. (Edgar is on the adjunct staff at Blair, since 84). They have a son George, born in 1992(?).  See the end of this article for a story about George.
In addition to his position as Adjunct Professor of Double Bass at the Blair School of Music of Vanderbilt University, he is visiting Professor of Double Bass at the Royal Academy of Music in London and at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia.

Some listed awards: Knoxville Symphony Concerto Competition (75, age 15), Zimmerman-Mingus Competition (81), Indiana U Concerto Competition (81), Aspen Concerto Competition (82), Avery Fisher Career Grant (94; the first bassist to receive this award; receiving a career grant at age 35 is noteworthy), Avery Fisher Prize (2000), McArthur Fellow (2002).

This are the Grammy awards Edgar has been associated with.  This doesn't mean that he got a statue for his mantle.

1. Kathy Mattea: Where've You Been
        1990 Female Country Vocal Performance
2. Orchestra of St Lukes: Listen to the Story Teller
        1999 Spoken Word for Children
3.  Appalachian Journey
        2000 Classical Crossover
4.  Bela Fleck & thre Flecktones: Outbound
        2000 Contemporary Jazz
5. Bela Fleck: Perpetual Motion
        2001 Classical Crossover
6. Bela Fleck & Edgar Meyer: Debussy: Dr Gradus and Parnassum
        (on Bela Fleck: Perpetual Motion)
        2001 Instrumental Arrangement

Edgar's first recording in Nashville was on Bela Fleck's Double Time (83). He was from the first involved with the forming progressive Bluegrass, or NewGrass movement. Leaders in this movement in Nashville were Bela & Sam in New Grass Revival,  Jerry Douglas and Mark O'Connor. Edgar's first album as a group leader, Unfolding (86), brought together the group Strength in Numbers that achieved lasting fame despite its short existence. The small group recordings he was involved with, either as leader or collaborator, are masterpieces: Dreams of Flight (87), Love of a Lifetime (88), The Telluride Sessions (89), Skip, Hop & Wobble (93), Appalachia Waltz (95), Uncommon Ritual (97), Short Trip Home (99), Appalachian Journey (2000). The last five of these albums actually are beyond NewGrass, and have a heavy classical chamber influence. Call them Alternative Classical, or NewGrass Chamber Works. (Sometimes Edgar is referred to as "Viscosity" by the Bela/Jerry/Sam crowd, probably in analogy to Jerry's nickname "Flux".)

Yes, Edgar has worked as a studio musician backing country music "Stars" (for that matter, so did/do Bela Fleck, Mark O'Connor, Jerry Douglas, and Sam Bush). His big break in country music came with Vince Gill's The Things That Matter (85). Producer Emory Gordy added a bass solo line for Colder Than Winter. One particularly classy thing from this period is Kathy Mattea's Where've You Been, which won a Grammy and other awards. Edgar is prominent on the recording and the video.

Edgar has appeared as performer and composer at the Aspen, Caramoor, Chamber Music Northwest, Marlboro and Tanglewood Music Festivals. He was formally associated with the Aspen Chamber Symphony 1982 and 1983, and with the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival as a performer and composer from 1985 to 1993. He has been associated with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center since 1994,with whom he has had over 380 performances,  and with Chamber Music Northwest. Edgar has performed as a guest soloist with many orchestras. He appears on a number of chamber recordings: Schubert Trout Quintet (Sony 61964, 95) and recordings for Chamber Music Northwest, Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, and with the Modern Mandolin Quartet. (See the Discography for details)

Edgar's classical compositions are amalgamations of classical, jazz, bluegrass, folk, world music, and everything else he has ever heard (actually, all of his work is like this). His skill is at seamlessly integrating various styles. He listens to all this stuff, mixes it around in his head, and out comes an integration of all this in a way that sounds just right. He may not even know himself how he is able to do this. It definitely does not happen by "I need 8 bars of an oriental theme here."

Edgar's compositions are usually written for specific performers.  This is true for the compositions for the small group classical/bluegrass/folk crossover albums as well as the classical compositions.

Edgar has written four concertos for the double bass, probably necessary because of the small amount of serious literature for the instrument:  The first two are available on the Concertos album, Sony Classical SK60956, released Jun 11, 2002.
Concerto in D for Double Bass, Premiere Minnesota Orchestra under Edo De Waart, Mar 1993
Double Concerto for Cello and String Bass, Premiere San Luis Obispo Festival Orchestra under Jeffrey Kahane, 1995, with Carter Brey on cello (was written for him). Commissioned by the Nashville Symphony, the Knoxville Symphony, and the San Luis Obispo Mozart Festival, and underwritten by Reader's Digest Meet The Composer in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and Lila Wallace-Reader's Digest Fund.
The third, Concerto For Double Bass No 2 had its premiere April 12 2003 with the IRIS Chamber Orchestra, Germantown (Memphis) TN.  This makes use of a new instrument, as yet unnamed, developed by Sam Bacco and Edgar.  It consists of 73 pieces of PVC pipes tuned in quarter-tone steps.  This particular mateial was chosen because it has a very low sustain characteristic.
Concerto for Banjo, Bass and Orchestra by Edgar & Bela Fleck had its premiere Nov 7 2003 with Bela Fleck and the Nashville Symphony.
Concerto for Banjo, Bass and Tabla by Edgar, Bela Fleck & Zakir Hussain premiere Sept 6 2006 at the new Schermerhorn Symphony Center in Nashville.
His Violin Concerto was premiered by Hilary Hahn (the young virtuoso for whom it was written) and the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra on Sep 26 99.  It is available on Sony Classical, SK89029, released Mar 14, 2000.  This piece is scored for a chamber orchestra, which is generally less than 1/2 the size of a symphony orchestra, and so is closer in size to the small groups Edgar excels at writing for.  As a result, the chamber orchestra seems able to tackle more creative rhythmic patterns, as least it seems to me on this  recording.  It is also unusual it that it's the first released serious composition of Edgar's in which he is not a performer.

His work for smaller groups is quite varied:
Amalgamations for Solo Bass, Premiere Santa Fe Music Festival 1985. 3 movements ~ 12 min.  Actually not so much a composition as a form.  It is always in 3 movements with the second pizzacato, but different specific movements are included.  Moderato is on Dreams of Flight, and the 3rd Movement on Uncommon Ritual.
String Trios 1, 2, and 3, Premiere Santa Fe Music Festival 1986, 87, 88 . Trio No 1, minus the first movement, is on Dreams of Flight and MCA Master Series Sampler '89. The reason that the first movement is missing from the recordings is that Edgar considers this movement less successful than the rest of the composition, and is not as integrated as well. Tapes of the complete Trio 1 are available. Would love to have tapes of  2 & 3.
Quintet for Banjo and String Quartet (with Bela Fleck), Premiere with Bela Fleck and the Blair String Quartet, Louisville KY Bomhard Hall, Aug 2 1988. Bootleg tapes and video are available.
Quintet for String Quartet and Double Bass, Premiere with the Emerson Quartet, 1995. Available on DG 453 506, recorded May 96. Commissioned by Performing Arts Chicago, UCLA, Lied Center of the Univerity of Kansas, Saint Paul Sunday Morning, The Lively Arts at Stanford, and bassists Harold and William Slapin.
Trout Variations This was performed on Live From Lincoln Center, PBS Feb 14 96, with Yo-Yo Ma and Emanuel Ax. Was performed with Schubert's Trout Quintet. (Does anybody have a tape of this??)
Concert Duo for Violin and Bass.  On Short Trip Home.
Duet for Cello and Bass.  On Appalachian Journey
The Lesson of the Land (99)  consists of  the background music accompanying  the story of a Native American boy coming of age.  It is available on Listen To The Storyteller, Sony Classical 60283.
Trio for Clarinet, Cello and Double Bass (00), commissioned by Chamber Music Northwest, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center (and perhaps others).  This is a re-write of a previous string trio (No 3?).  Premiered Jan 26 01 in U of Chicago Mandel Hall.  Extensive touring with CMSLC the first quarter of 2001.
Impromptu, a duet for double bass and clarinet was performed when Edgar and David Shifrin  received their Avery Fisher Prizes (Jan 01?).
Concert Piece for Violin and Piano (06), commissioned by Joshua Bell , premiered in Aug  2006 in Caliifornia, aand in New York on Aug 20 2006 in Alice Tulley Hall as part of the Mostly Mozart Festival.
Duo for Double Bass and Piano (07) premiered Apr 17 2007 with Emanuel Ax at the Nashville Shcemernorn Symphony Center.  Commissioned by the Blair Schol of Music
Serenade for Double Bass and Wind Octet (07) premiered Jul 28 2007.  Commissioned by Chamber Music Northwest.

New works in development, usually entitled Untitled Work, are often played in recitals.

Edgar has written many songs, as listed in Sections 1, 2 and 3.  In addition, several songs are included in Section 4
                                     William Eaton: Wisdom Tree
                                     John Jarvis: Pure Contours
                                     Radhika Miller: Laughing Waters
                                     Ransom Wilson: Fire at Dusk

Some of the more memorable song titles are:

So Why Don't You Go Back to the Woods? (compare with Jim Webb's Fly Through the Country as recorded by the New Grass Revival on Fly Through the Country, 76, and Too Late to Turn Back Now, 77)
Jacques Cousteau Goes Moose Hunting in Antartica with a Can Opener (as announced by Jerry Douglas, perhaps facetiously). It might have been:
    Life in Antartica (Is Cold and Lonely)
    and/or
    Strollin' (With My Moose)
The Great Green Sea Snake
Green Slime (Uncommon Ritual Tour)
Chromium Picolinate
Contramonkey
Barnyard Disturbance
Druid Fluid (actually Yo-Yo Ma claims credit for this title.  It's still noteworthy.)
Itsa Chicken
Pickles
Attack of the Giant Fly (Skip Hop & Wobble Tour)
Squeezy Pig 
OK, All Right, Whatever (Shirt Trip Home)

Frog related: 
My Pet Frog 
Froglike
Webbed Feet (same as Green Slime)

An amusing little story about George:
George, Connie's and Edgar's son, is taking violin lessons.  Edgar has written some practice exercises for George.  One of them, 1B, is on Appalachian Journey.  At the initial concert of the tour, at the Opry House in Nashville, Mar 30 00, George played his version, before an audience of a few thousand,  and was then joined by the others.   So George will be able to say, truthfully, that he made his public debut before ~2500 when he was 7, with Yo-Yo Ma as accompanist.