Blog

The Bates Update – Late September, 2014

The Bates Update – Late September, 2014. What’s on my mind, you ask? Death. Death is on my mind. It has been a seemingly unprecedented year for it. From celebrities and dignitaries to the innocent deaths of thousands around the world from natural and political disasters, death is everywhere. Maybe I’m just paying more attention…

Here comes a special evening folks! Join us at Jazz Central on Saturday September 20th when we invite NYC based guitarist and composer Joel Harrison to hang and collaborate with Chris Bates and Pete Hennig from Atlantis Quartet. This evening’s concert will truly be special as it features the music from Joel’s new Cuneiform album ‘Mother Stump’.…

Well folks this awesome summer has wound down to it’s final week. I have had a great season playing music with new and old friends and I even got some R&R in over the last few weeks. It’s good to recharge the batteries. I’m sprinting into September with a Tour de Twins Towns courtesy of…

The Bates Update -TC JAZZ FESTIVAL time. Summer has somewhat arrived here at the end of June and that means the TC Jazz Fest is coming up quick. This festival is 100% free and open to the public. This year’s fest will feature over 300 local and national musicians performing all over St. Paul, apparently…

Bates Update – May the Thanks be with YOU! Greetings! A hearty and warm thank you to ALL who attended the Good Vibes trio CD release events. It was an immensely joyous occasion and an enormous honor to play for such an in tune and out-of-this-world attentive audience. Dave, Phil and I all agree it…

Here we are on the cusp of another glorious MN spring. The snow melt is almost over and the crocuses and magnolias are getting set to bloom in my yard. Nature is doing it’s thing and we can only sit back and let it happen. So let’s embrace the spirit of change and celebrate the…

Apologies are in order as I have inadvertently taken a little hiatus from promotion this past month. I think maybe that was a good thing for me. For those who were worried or bummed, sorry about that. I haven’t been idle, just quietly making progress and getting through this rugged winter. The kids had snow…

I’ll keep this one short and sweet. I’m not super busy gigging but parenting and planning for the rest of the year. Writing music, booking, teaching, practicing, exploring collaborative options and prepping for the release of the Good Vibes trio record slated for early spring release on Technecore. The Good Vibe trio is a spectacular…

Hey all you true believers! It’s WINTER. Damn. Ok – don’t let it get you down. There are a bunch of musical gifts coming your way to help get you through the season. More on that below but first let’s talk about inspiration. One of the things all young musicians do regardless of musical…

Ever since my brother JT urged me to many years ago, I’ve taken time to try and listen to music for pleasure instead of analyzing it to death. I don’t always have time to do this because my schedule dictates that I listen to music I need to learn and perform more often than just…

“Chris Bates ‘Good Vibes Trio’ - Over the past few years, Bates has been on fire, playing in multiple bands, showing up on MPR podcasts, emerging as a leader and making two exceptional albums: 2012's ‘Chris Bates' Red 5: New Hope’ and now this. - Pamela Espeland - MinnPost

“With Red 5, Bates puts the bass in a new light.” – David Cazares, State Of The Arts

“…bassist Chris Bates’ album “New Hope” stands out like the Hope diamond among this year’s local CD gems.” -Tom Surowicz - Star Tribune

“New Hope is a stunning nine-song collection charged with emotion and a heartfelt ambition to let the music be fulfilling in and of itself.” - Natalie Gallagher - City Pages

“Speaking of Bates, he proves his vitality on the murky “Chance, Love, Logic” with his urgent lines pushing the ensemble…” - Jay Collins - Cadence Magazine

“‘Let’ starts with a pseudo-classical melody showcasing Chris Bates’ beautiful arco bow work” - Return of Slide Huxtable

“…on Kelly Rossum’s ‘Line’ bassist Chris Bates plays a critical role in holding together the loose limbed sound of the ensemble; his sound is elastic and spacious, present but not obtrusive. - Jeff Dayton-Johnson - All About Jazz

“The Bates Brothers are endowed not merely with well-honed chops but with an exquisite sensitivity to one another’s labors that could only come from living and playing together for twelve or more years. This is definitely not a recording that could have been made by a quickly assembled cast of all stars.” - Samuel Chell - All About Jazz

“Chris Bates’ ‘Solid Liquid’ is a highlight of the album, combing expressive Ellington voicings in the winds with bass and percussion underpinnings akin to the support the Maestro once received from the likes of Blanton and Greer.” - JazzTimes

“Then the wonderful quartet ‘How Birds Work’… even when Chris is standing still, he’s not standing still, he’s up on the balls of his feet, swaying, smiling, nodding his head, dancing with his bass.” – MPLS/St Paul Magazine

Chris Bates
3054 Boone Ave N
New Hope, MN 55427 USA

612-306-6781
[email protected]

Chris Bates

The Bates Update – Late September, 2014

Joel Harrison, Pete Hennig, Chris Bates

The Bates Update – Wind Sprint into September

The Twin Cities Jazz Festival – special to the Bates Update

Bates Update – May the Thanks be with YOU!

The Bates Update – Spring Sprang Sprung

The Bates Update March 2014

The Bates Update January 2014

The Bates Update Dec 2013

Winter is coming, Scorpio Rising