75 Years on 4 Strings

75 Years on 4 Strings is the authoritative biography of the legendary self-taught double bassist Francois Rabbath. The much-beloved artist-teacher sat for countless hours of interviews and shared candid stories from throughout his illustrious career, from his earliest memories of his childhood in 1930s Syria to his ninetieth-birthday virtual recital in Paris in 2021. Highlights, such as accompanying twentieth-century French chanson stars Charles Aznavour and Edith Piaf, performing for Pablo Picasso's ninetieth birthday, and premiering his own virtuosic compositions influenced by jazz, Middle Eastern, and classical music in front of crowds of thousands in South America, contrast with the painful consequences of trying to balance a life on the road with a young family, as well as the struggles he faced as a Middle Eastern immigrant in France. Artists and musicians from around the world spoke of their encounters and collaborations with Rabbath. Many shared their astonishment at hearing him for the first time-describing their reactions to witnessing performances of Bach at the same pitch as the cello, improvisations on major movie soundtracks, or interpretations of adventurous new works composed for him. While he has been called a sorcerer and the Paganini of the double bass, he is also remembered as unstintingly generous and childlike. Rabbath revolutionized the way the double bass is played through his innovative pivot and crab techniques-discoveries that allow the double bass to be played with ease. His multivolume Nouvelle technique method, DVDs, and masterclasses on five continents have influenced a generation of bassists. Includes photographs.