Posts by Big Nick
The Bates Update – A gust. Aghast! It’s August.
Well summer is flying by and the music just keeps on coming! Had a super great gig with Steve Kenny, Brandon Wozniak and Babatunde Lea a couple weeks ago. Hope to play more with those guys. Zacc Harris Quartet was stellar at Studio Z last week. I highly recommend the All Originals Series curated by…
Read MoreThe Twin Cities Jazz Festival – special to the Bates Update
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…
Read MoreThe Bates Update – Special Edition
This Bates Update is arriving just in the nick of time to promote some special gigs I have coming up over the next couple of weeks. Before we get to the gig list I wanted let you know that I’m one of four jazz artists commissioned by the Zeitgeist New Music Ensemble to compose a new work for…
Read MoreBates Update – May the Thanks be with YOU!
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…
Read MoreThe Bates Update – Spring Sprang Sprung
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…
Read MoreThe Bates Update March 2014
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…
Read MoreThe Bates Update January 2014
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…
Read MoreThe Bates Update Dec 2013
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…
Read MoreWinter is coming, Scorpio Rising
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…
Read MoreThe Bates Update – Full Circle
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…
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