Django Bates

British multi-instrumentalist Django Bates is well-known for his razor-sharp wit as a player, composer, and arranger. Bates founded the quartet Human Chain in 1979 -- a group that is still together in the 21st century -- and is, along with <a href="spotify:artist:2OfIB3yNJjX3AElLJnz8am">Courtney Pine</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:1DQyFRW4zwO39Bd41HPpnG">Iain Ballamy</a>, one of the architects of the British jazz renaissance which began in earnest in the late '80s. Bates also leads the 19-piece big band Delightful Precipice. Bates' solo work consists of six notable recordings including the stellar Quiet Nights on <a href="spotify:artist:3baP5PZgTo4ebHlFXoWtUk">Tim Berne</a>'s <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Screwgun%22">Screwgun</a> label (for which he won Denmark's prestigious Jazzpar prize), 1993's Summer Fruits on <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22JMT%22">JMT</a>, and 1994's Autumn Fires, also on <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22JMT%22">JMT</a>. In addition to his work as a leader, Bates was prominently featured as a sideman in <a href="spotify:artist:1359ogdBoLfQGxKfUDfWaz">Bill Bruford</a>'s jazz fusion ensemble <a href="spotify:artist:3SGZVWW6QezWCRrREHvEmU">Earthworks</a> from 1986-1994, and in the bands of <a href="spotify:artist:1CkthcIyaPjnbHLcwhbU7c">George Russell</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:11UvVuvsaBfkGXkOAv1U0L">George Gruntz</a>. He has been a session player as well, contributing to the extreme edge of the vanguard on <a href="spotify:artist:3baP5PZgTo4ebHlFXoWtUk">Tim Berne</a>'s Caos Totale and Bloodcount projects, as well as to <a href="spotify:artist:1DQyFRW4zwO39Bd41HPpnG">Ballamy</a>'s solo recordings. In addition to his work in the jazz world, Bates is also a composer, writing Dream Kitchen for percussionist <a href="spotify:artist:6MYiQGy8MIcBps6Ez0IQA8">Evelyn Glennie</a>, Fine Frenzy for the Shobana Jeyasingh Dance Company, and a piano concerto for soloist <a href="spotify:artist:2HYZM045mDNb3l2DdjTK4A">Joanna MacGregor</a> and the RLPO. He also founded the Circus Umbilicus, a true circus-cum-musical project and composed the keyboard concerto entitled 2000 Years Beyond UNDO, which was performed at the millennium Barbican Festival. Though he has recorded infrequently as a leader, in 2017 he released two albums within a month of one another. The first was July's Saluting Sgt. Pepper on <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Edition%22">Edition</a>. Bates arranged, conducted, and played with the Frankurt Radio Big Band performing a modern jazz take on the entire album. In November he released The Study of Touch, his debut release as a leader for <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22ECM%22">ECM</a>, backed by his longtime Beloved trio with Swedish bassist <a href="spotify:artist:2q0DyP2pqqNHI4OiC50IKx">Petter Eldh</a> and Danish drummer Peter Bruun. In addition to these two dates, Bates was also a sideman for <a href="spotify:artist:1aO9NulHwrE9pxHXFfCIoM">Anouar Brahem</a> on Blue Maqams for <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22ECM%22">ECM</a>, alongside bassist <a href="spotify:artist:1bqaQBqbqbEXPxLF0v6AAH">Dave Holland</a> and drummer <a href="spotify:artist:7rDjbKTLlpNYJRWMm7QVxU">Jack DeJohnette</a>. ~ Thom Jurek, Rovi