Working hard on so many projects right now. The Jason Melek memorial I wrote about last month is moving right along and continues to reward us all with unexpected niceties. Dean Granros’ Tall Tales is recording this week for a new album to be released later this year on Shifting Paradigm Records. Enormous and Framework…

Happy New Year everyone! Gather ‘round for a tale of tragedy, triumph, tribute and revitalization. In this age of social media and transitory relationships we are often feeling more connected and yet perhaps we remain farther apart than ever before. Through my use of social media though, I have managed to reconnect with many of…

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…

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…

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…

This month’s Bates update is a little more loose than some of my others. I usually edit down these newsletters quite heavily in order to bring you the most concise and direct show info. But I liked the way this more conversational approach sounded so I’m leaving it. Let me know if you like it…

  This is a great, but grim, article on the economic state of being an artist: http://www.salon.com/2012/04/22/no_sympathy_for_the_creative_class/ My friend Jeremy Walker is also wrestling with some big questions regarding his path: http://www.mnartists.org/article.do?rid=323537 It got me thinking about what my freelancing life can be like sometimes. The last two months have possibly been the busiest and most…