Bassist Michael Bates composes music ranging from contrapuntal improvisation to gorgeous ballads with bows to Shostakovich, Miles Davis and a host of creative influences.
Before turning to composition, the native of Canada spent six or seven years studying the string bass with key artists, among them Yoshio Nagashima, former principal bassist of the Tokyo Symphony. In addition to performing with various ensembles and assembling his own band, he was on the faculty at the Banff International Jazz workshop five years.
Cadence Magazine hailed his debut CD, “Outside Sources,” as one of the best of 2004. It was followed by “A Fine Balance” to rave reviews. Now Bates has trumped them with “Clockwise.”
The Twins Jazz audience will be among the first to savor the exciting music performed by Bates and his band: trumpeter Russ Johnson, Quinsin Nachoff on saxophone/clarinet and Jeff Davis on drums.
The nine compositions reflect his affinity for classical music, especially the Russian school, his love of beautiful melodies and the lingering tastes of the 14-year-old boy who first performed in hard rock bands.
“My over-arching philosophy is to challenge conventional boundaries without alienating the audience,” he says. “Our music is very accessible. Everyone in the band has great musical minds. Each is a composer with a solid jazz background, so they have leeway to improvise and be free-wheeling, yet contextual. They know I’m influenced by literary sources that bring up an emotion, so their playing reflects that.
“One piece might be high energy and interactive and the next may be a beautiful ballad. At a recent festival in Europe, I saw a woman in the audience openly weeping after we shifted from a set of wild and crazy stuff to a song with a gorgeous melody. She later told me its beauty touched her deeply.”
The stories behind his music are as complex and intricate as “Machinery,” as amusing as “Fellini,” as soulful as “Lighthousekeeping” and as dramatic as “Rideau Medals.” The latter is based on the Canadian award given his mother and aunt for saving a young woman from being gunned down by her ex-husband.
“Perhaps the most difficult to write was ‘Fellini,’” Bates says. “His films intrigue me, so I wanted to express them in a crazy waltz that’s a little dark and sinister but sometimes funny. It acknowledges his use of alternate realities by juxtaposing 6/8 against 3/4 time.
Because everyone in the band is so strong, we’re able to create interesting contexts and character.
“I hope jazz fans widen their scope by embracing new music and realizing it’s not freaky and scary. I want them to go away eager to check out Shostakovich, Fellini and anything else our music suggests.”
(If you go: Bassist/composer Michael Bates and his band, Outside Sources, introduce “Clockwise,” their latest release at 8 and 10 p.m. Sept. 14; Twins Jazz; 1344 U St. NW; $10 at www.twinsjazz.com; 202-234-0072)
