This site is home to the research of Australian bassist Greg Gottlieb on those few bassists in the history of jazz who have played ‘left-handed’ on a right-handed instrument.
This research was inspired by discovering the legacy of jazz’s most prominent idiodextrous bassist Earl May (1927-2008). Researching his life and music invited the question: how did he overcome the physical and sonic challenges of playing back-to-front to have such a successful career, that included playing with Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, and Billy Taylor?
This motivated a journey that culminated in the completion of an MA by Research project at Middlesex University in London. Visit the Research page to read interviews and to download the full thesis.
This research is ongoing and contributions to the discussion are very welcome! Visit the Participate page to add your perspective to the continuing debates sparked by this research.
[1] Image source: http://www.nmc-inc.org/Carol_s_Corner.html
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