The Bates Update – February 2015
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…
The Bates Update – Jan 2015
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
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…
Joel Harrison, Pete Hennig, Chris Bates
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’.…
The Bates Update – Wind Sprint into September
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 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…
Bates 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…
The 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…
The 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…
The 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…
The 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…
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…