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Winter 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…

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…

September already? Where did the summer go? I’ve been Running Around with Todd Clouser, Mixing with Axis Mundi, dancing with a Suave Walrus and the Bill Simenson Big Band, staring at the Skyline with Adam Meckler and his Orchestra, going beyond the Mind’s Eye with Jason Squinobal (U of M Morris)and Kevin Washington, listening to…

The Bates Update August 2013 Viva La Musica! I’m a little jet lagged but super excited to be back and playing some pretty amazing shows for you all this month. Why am I jet lagging? Well I was just in France in Bretagne (Britanny) playing at the Liviou (Colors) Festival in this quaint village…

Well I failed this month to get up some promo for my gigs here on my website. However I now have updated the calendar through the end of the year with what is going on. There will of course be more as the schedule fills in. IN the important news category there are several things…

The Bates Update – June Tunes, what a boon! It has been a really busy year so far and I’m very happy about everything that’s happened and I’m looking forward to some great music making this month with a mixture of old and new friends. It is finally the time of year where we…

Bad pun intended…. That’s how I roll! OK – we’ve all been crazy slogging through this so called ‘spring’ but we also know it’s inevitable that the seasons will change around here. The transformative power of change is truly a wonderful thing to watch season after season. Music has transformative powers as well – sometimes…

The Bates Update Last Friday I was playing a gig on a hotel deck in San Jose Del Cabo, Mexico with my friend, guitarist Todd Clouser. John Medeski (from Medeski, Martin and Wood, John Scofield etc) played keyboards and Anton Fier (Lounge Lizards, Feelies, Pere Ubu, Bill Laswell etc) was on drums. We had…

February was fun! After some great music with Bryan Nichols and JT Bates, the debut of my series Magica Improvisado and the Todd Clouser CD release and short tour I’m excited to be back in town to play music for you! March is looking great with some very exciting shows and another tour with Todd.…

“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

Winter is coming, Scorpio Rising

The Bates Update – Full Circle

September Already?

A picture gallery from France

The Bates Update – Red 5 standing by

July – wha happen?

June Tunes! What a boon!

May the Bates be with you!

April showers bring May flowers.

March Performance Update