Chris Bates©Andrea Canter

Sideman no more! While bassist Chris Bates continues to keep the pulse for a lot of area bands—Atlantis Quartet, Red Planet, How Birds Work, Framework, Volcano Insurance and more, 2012 finds him stepping out in front as bandleader.

Chris Bates and his brother, drummer JT, grew up with jazz, sons of trumpeter/bandleader Don Bates. He began bass lessons in 4th grade and progressed to jazz studies at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire before returning to the Twin Cities to study with Anthony Cox. A member of the Motion Poets, Chris was a 1999 McKnight Composer Fellow, and often lends his compositions to the many ensembles that he juggles throughout his busy performance schedule. Over his career, he has played with Mose Allison. Lee Konitz, Joe Lovano, Steven Bernstein, Howard Levy, Michael Attias, Ira Sullivan, Bill Carrothers, Eric Alexander, and Tim Sparks. In addition to his local ensemble work and touring with Todd Clouser’s A Love Electric, Chris has played solo concerts using both acoustic and electronic instruments, and appears on over 30 recordings.

Dave Hagedorn, Good Vibes Trio©Andrea Canter

Chris Bates Quintet, Open Session III (March 25, 4-6 pm at Jazz Central). Recently this new quintet (with Brandon Wozniak and Chris Thomson on saxes, Zack Lozier on trumpet, JT Bates on drums) began rehearsals in preparation for an April recording date, and Chris decided to invite public scrutiny of the artistic process by holding a series of three “Open Sessions” at Jazz Central studios in northeast Minneapolis. Students, musicians, and the general jazz-loving public are invite to observe, ask questions, and witness the evolution of these new compositions. “This Sunday we'll rehearse and then perform ‘The Jape’, ‘Dark Matters’, ‘Mali-apolis’, ‘This Is Tonight’, ‘New Hope’ and ‘Lightly Dusted,’ along with some surprises as well,” notes Bates. “This will be the first time we actually play instead of rehearse, so you could say it's the debut performance of the quintet.”

Reservations at Café Maude (5410 Penn Ave South, Minneapolis) are recommended for March 21; www.cafemaude.com. Open Sessions will be held on March 25th at Jazz Central, 407 Central Av NE (lower level) in Minneapolis, 4-6 pm. There is no cover but a $5 donation is requested. Keep up with Chris Bates at www.doublebates.com

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