Phil Jones Bass and Labella Strings first annual West Coast Solo Bass Contest was held on Thursday night at NAMM at the Clarion Hotel in front of a capacity crowd. The pre-selected finalists performed for a celebrity panel of judges that included bass legends Lee Sklar, Bakithi Kumalo, Bob Glaub, Oskar Cartaya, Jerry Watts, and producer Jeff Weber. The winners of the contest and prizes awarded were:
1st Place Josh Cohen (Madison WI)
PJB Double Four
NS Omni Bass (5 string electric upright Bass)
Collection of La Bella Strings
2nd Place – Kirby Barber (Nashville TN)
PJB Bighead pro and Headphones
Brubaker Jazz Bass Four String Sunburst
Collection of La Bella Strings
3rd Place – Samuel Smith (Newburgh NY)
PJB M7 combo
Warwick Corvette 5 String Bass
Gizmotron Bass Bridge
Collection of La Bella Strings
The evening began with a total of ten finalists that competed for prizes from sponsors that included PJB, Labella, NS Design, Warwick, Gizmotron, Bass Magazine, Marleux basses, Sandberg, Brubaker, and Lathon Basswear. Michael Albronda of Phil Jones Bass hosted the event along with assistance from Eric La Bella.
The Solo Bass Contest is a popular annual event that takes place each October at the LaBella showroom in New York City. As a result of the success of the NAMM event plans are already underway to book a larger venue for the January 2021 contest as many interested attendees were turned away due to the capacity crowd.
