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Monday, 20 May 2013

Chris Bates and Red 5: Debut Gig and CD Preview at the Icehouse, August 13th

Written by Andrea Canter, Contributing Editor

Saturday, 11 August 2012

Red 5©Andrea Canter

Sideman no more! While bassist Chris Bates continues to keep the pulse for a lot of bands—Atlantis Quartet, Red Planet, A Love Electric, Zacc Harris Quartet, Framework, Volcano Insurance and more, 2012 finds him stepping out in front as bandleader. Earlier this year, his new quintet, Red 5 (with Brandon Wozniak and Chris Thomson on saxes, Zack Lozier on trumpet, JT Bates on drums), held open rehearsals at Jazz Central, leading up to a studio recording session in April. With the official CD release just a month away (at the Artists Quarter September 14-15), Red 5 will holds its public debut gig and preview some of their new music at the Icehouse in south Minneapolis Monday night, August 13 at 11:30 pm, part of the Monday night Jazz Implosion series. The early (9:30 pm) set will feature a drum duel with Dave King and JT Bates.

Chris Bates©Andrea Canter

For this gig, Chris notes that “Brandon, Zack, and JT will all be there, but unfortunately we will be missing our super friend Chris Thomson. Given the nature of all of our busy schedules I expect I'll need subs for all the people in this band (except me). I can think of no one more talented and able to fill in than the marvelous Pete Whitman.”

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, he has played solo concerts using both acoustic and electronic instruments, and appears on over 30 recordings. In 2012, Bates not only debuted Red 5, but a new trio, Good Vibes, with vibes master Dave Hagedorn and drummer Phil Hey.

Zack Lozier©Andrea Canter

“I'm very excited to debut my new band at the Icehouse,” said Bates. “With only the recording sessions and a few rehearsals under our belts, it's time to get this band rolling with live shows.” The “Open Sessions” in February and March gave Chris, and an audience, “an opportunity to hear my music played and then make edits and adjustments… there is something special that happens when a group gels at the beginning. Each tune finds a place within the musicians’ brains as they dissect and familiarize themselves with new material. From there you often see an exponential growth with highly talented players as they digest and elevate the music within a few minutes.”

And “highly talented” just begins to describe the ensemble that performs Monday night at the Icehouse:

Saxman Brandon Wozniak previously lived and worked in New York City, toured with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, and earned his BA from Indiana University under the tutelage of David Baker. Since returning to the Twin Cities six years ago, he has become one of the busiest hornmen in town, performing with the Dave King Trucking Company, Atlantis Quarter, Zacc Harris Quartet, Bryan Nichols Quintet and in various configurations with the likes of Dean Magraw, Peter Schimke, Billy Peterson, Adam Linz, Eric Kamau Gravatt and more. Things are going well when you can get a “sub” like saxophonist Pete Whitman! A graduate of North Texas State, Whitman heads the Woodwinds at McNally Smith, leads his X-Tet, and appears regularly with the JazzMN Orchestra and Laura Caviani ensembles. Trumpeter Zack Lozier plays with a diverse range of bands, from Jazz Brass and Southside Aces to Davina and the Vagagonds to the Adam Meckler Orchestra and Todd Clouser. A graduate of the Milwaukee High School of the Arts, Zack also keeps busy leading his own ensembles, composing, adding vocals, arranging and producing. Drummer JT Bates curates the Jazz Implosion Series in his spare time, in between gigs with Happy Apple, Fat Kid Wednesdays, Bryan Nichols, brother Chris, Adam Linz, Kelly Rossum and more.

The Monday night Jazz Implosion series at the Icehouse gets underway at 9:30 pm with a double drum set featuring Dave King and JT Bates. Red 5 plays the late set at 11:30 pm; cover $5. The Icehouse is located at 2528 Nicollet Avenue in south Minneapolis.

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