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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZBATES, Django(b 2 October 1960, Beckenham, England) Piano, electronic keyboards, tenor horn, composer. Studied at London College of Music (for two weeks), led a trio '79-81, group Humans '81-4, Human Chain (with Steve Argüelles); Chain's eponymous first album '86 on the Loose Tubes label was a quirky delight, with Dudu Pukwana guesting on one track; second Cashin' In added multi-instrumentalist Stuart Hall, and sent up many styles in jolly fragments. He worked with Tim Whitehead's Borderline (album English People '82 on Spotlite), in Pukwana's Zila, quartet First House with Ken Stubbs (album Eréndira on ECM '84). He was a central figure in Bill Bruford's Earthworks (with Iain Ballamy) and in the UK big band Loose Tubes (with Ballamy, Argüelles, Whitehead and many others. He featured with Norwegian singer Sidsel Endresen's group, worked with saxophonists Ballamy and Steve Williamson, singer Najma and with the big bands of George Gruntz and George Russell. His own projects included Delightful Precipice, an international 18-piece band with a six-piece string section (there was also a Loose Tubes album of that name), while his album Music For The Third Policeman '90 on Ah Um was typically original and laced with humour. Summer Fruits (And Unrest) '92 and the solo piano Autumn Leaves (And Green Shoots) '94 were on JMT. A luminously delicate acoustic pianist, Bates had the rare ability to impose his personality on electronic keyboards, and became a promising composer, writing a piano concerto '94 for Joanna MacGregor. Human Chain performed 'Out There' '95 with the Fifth Floor theatrical company, musicians and actors interacting to portray a relationship with a happy ending. Bates won the Danish Jazzpar Prize '96, the second non-American (after Tony Coe) to do so. A new piece, 'The Catering Trade', was premièred at the Proms '97 by MacGregor and the percussion ensemble Bash. |