It’s hard to say anything right now without fear. I’ve run the gamut in my own personal feelings on recent events from total despair to hate to love and back again. Over and over. We keep repeating ourselves by getting trapped in our fears to often. Our viral nature, our behavior patterns, our long tail…

Monday Nov 2 8:30pm  $8  21+ Real Bulls (Dave King, Jt Bates) Enormous Quartet (C Thomson, J Evans, C Bates, J Phillips) Icehouse Tuesday Nov 3 8:30pm  $10 (donation)  All Ages Bill Simenson Orchestra Jazz Central Wednesday Nov 4 Bates | Nichols | Bates @ University of Mn Morris Details here: TRIO Saturday Nov 7…

Here’s the skinny. I’m trimming the fat and keeping my energy more directed right now. This allows me more time to hang with my family, play my bass, compose new music and generally not run around like a crazy person! I see this benefitting so many aspects of my life already and I’m looking forward…

It seems fitting to reference All About That Bass as I just returned from the International Society of Bassists Bi-Annual convention in Ft. Collins, CO. Talk about BASS LOVE! It was a total blast to see, hear, play and hang with so many diverse and stunning practitioners of the bass. If you are not aware of…

Art Blakey, Art Tatum, Art Pepper, Artie Shaw, Art Farmer, Art Davis, Art Taylor, Art Lande, Art Hirahara. ART ART ART. It’s all about that art dang it. What kind of art? Well, in the case of these ‘Arts’ it’s jazz but there’s a lot of other art too. Why do we create art? Why…

I recently had the opportunity to reunite with Pat Moriarty, Ellen Lease and our guest Michael Attias! It was truly a beautiful night of music making and I encourage you to check out Michael. He is a powerful voice on the NYC scene and deserves far wider recognition than he has. Check him out here: www.michaelattias.com…

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…

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…

In a rare moment of continuity I’ll be playing 4 times at the Artists Quarter this week. I’ve played at the AQ at least once a month for the last 5-6 years. This month I’m there 7 nights with 5 different bands. The AQ is my favorite place to make music and I’ve been given…