Michael Bates – double bass
Quinsin Nachoff – saxophone
Russ Johnson – trumpet
Jeff Davis – drums

MICHAEL BATES neue CD “CLOCKWISE” auf GREENLEAF MUSIC

“…Simply put, Bates has the ability to make a huge impact on the existing state of modern jazz!“– Glenn Astarita

Die letzte CD von Bassist Michael Bates “Clockwise” erscheint im Herbst im Label Greenleaf Music des Trompeters Dave Douglas. Dave Douglas schreibt dazu: “I whole-heartedly recommend taking special note in Outside Sources! Michael Bates is a fantastic bassist and an engaging composer”.

Das Quartett von Michael Bates Outside Sources ist mehr als eine Versammlung von virtuosen Musikern sondern vielmehr eine durch viele Konzerte zusammengewachsene Einheit die Michael Bates’ Musik ideal darstellt.

Bates‘ growing boldness as a composer earmarks 2008 as a banner year. This emerging innovator plays at the crossroads of structural experiment, contrapuntal rapture, and inarguable charisma and his quartet Outside Sources is more than just an assemblage of virtuoso musicians, it is a road-tested ensemble that showcases Bates‘ musical identity.

Taking equal inspiration from jazz, western classical music and lasting modern acts like the Bad Brains and Ornette Coleman, “Clockwise” offers a peek into an engaging and up-and-coming musical mind and it is a watershed for enthusiasts of cutting-edge composition. This dynamic collection of nine original works blurs the line between composition and improvisation and leaves the listener in a vertiginous space where musical tradition teeters at the knife-edge of a modern zest for experiment.

Michael Bates “serves up melodic modernism and contrapuntal elegance”
–Time Out, New York

Michael grew up in Canada and has been in New York since 2002. He has recorded three cd’s as a leader, over a dozen as a sideman and has composed well over two hundred pieces of music including works for chamber ensembles, string quartets and solo double bass. As a touring artist, he has visited Europe, Asia, the United States and Canada. Michael has received several grants and fellowships from the Canada Council of the Arts and was on faculty for five years at the Banff International Jazz Workshop.

For more info and for press photos, please visit www.outsidesources.org

„Bates demonstrates his rock solid composing skills and enviable technical faculties….Simply put, Bates has the ability to make a huge impact on the existing state of modern jazz!“
– Glenn Astarita

„Outside Sources confirms Michael Bates‘ commitment to exploration“
– Gregory Robb, AAJ

As a composer and musician, Michael Bates “serves up melodic modernism and contrapuntal elegance” (”Time Out, New York”) and his influences range from Shostakovich, Miles Davis and Ornette Coleman to Bad Brains, Wayne Shorter and John Zorn. Known as a both a leader and double bassist in several collectives, he has performed with Quinsin Nachoff, Russ Johnson, Michael Blake, Gerald Cleaver, Dan Weiss, Tyshawn Sorey, Greg Osby, Jeff Davis, Kevin Turcote, Ben Monder, John McNeil, Briggan Krauss, Peter Van Huffel, Scott Dubois, Ohad Talmor, Michael Attias, Michael Sarin and several other creative musicians.

His debut cd “Outside Sources” was called one of the best albums of 2004 by Cadence Magazine editor Bob Rusch. His second album, „A Fine Balance“ (2006) was also exceptionally received and garnered many effusive reviews including several „best of 2006“ designations. Released on the German based record label, Between the Lines, A Fine Balance contains ten compositions that combine exquisite melodies and contrapuntal textures with an organic and interactive approach to playing jazz.

Michael’s latest recording is set for a fall 2008 release and will be available on trumpeter Dave Douglas‘ label Greenleaf. Mr. Douglas notes, “I whole-heartedly recommend taking special note in Outside Sources! Michael Bates is a fantastic bassist and an engaging composer.“. The new cd „Clock-wise“ will feature several more contrapuntal pieces that have been described as “gems that manages to navigate that most difficult and rarely traveled road leading to accessible experimentation….always forward–thinking but also beautiful and within the grasp of even the most casual jazz fan. (Chris Watson, “The View”).

Michael grew up in Canada and often worked at the Vancouver International Jazz Festival. Even though he was exposed to musicians such as Sun Ra, Thomas Chapin, the Clusone Trio and Dave Holland, he began playing music in hardcore and punk rock bands and maintains that being a jazz musician is no different. While the music he writes and performs is rooted in the jazz, classical and creative music traditions, hardcore’s ‘Do It Yourself’ ethos remains an important component of his music. He is well known as a hard worker and motivated performer.

Michael has recorded three cd’s as a leader and over a dozen as a sideman. He has composed well over two hundred pieces of music including works for chamber ensembles, string quartets and solo double bass. As a touring artist, he has visited Europe, Asia, the United States and Canada. Michael has received several grants and fellowships from the Canada Council of the Arts and was on faculty for five years at the Banff International Jazz Workshop. He has studied with the former principal bassist of the Tokyo Symphony, Yoshio Nagashima, at the University of Toronto with Don Thompson and Dave Young and in New York with bassist/composer Mark Helias and Tony Falanga. Michael currently lives in Broklyn, New York with his wife, Celena and small dog, Cosmo.