Jazz Articles about Chris Bates

About Chris Bates

Album Review

Atlantis Quartet: Live at Berlin

Read "Live at Berlin" reviewed by Glenn Astarita

by Glenn Astarita
November 13, 2025

Naming a debut live album after the venue itself is a bold move, proclaiming the music and space as one. With Live at Berlin, recorded during the opening week of Minneapolis' newest jazz haunt in February 2024, Atlantis Quartet--saxophonist Brandon Wozniak, guitarist Zacc Harris, bassist Chris Bates, and drummer Pete Hennig--does not merely make the case; they etch it in neon. This album captures a band and a room in perfect, combustible alignment. For nearly two decades, this ...

Album Review

Atlantis Quartet: Live at Berlin

Read "Live at Berlin" reviewed by Kyle Simpler

by Kyle Simpler
November 9, 2025

Since arriving on the scene in 2006, the Minneapolis-based Atlantis Quartet has established itself as a vital voice in modern jazz. With five albums already under their belt, the group continues to honor tradition while exploring new sonic territory. Live at Berlin captures their remarkable group chemistry during an engagement at the city's newest jazz venue, Berlin. Atlantis Quartet features four of Minnesota's most exciting jazz musicians: saxophonist Brandon Wozniak, guitarist Zacc Harris, bassist Chris Bates and drummer ...

Album Review

Zacc Harris: Chasing Shadows

Read "Chasing Shadows" reviewed by Troy Dostert

by Troy Dostert
February 6, 2025

Long a fixture in the Minneapolis jazz scene, guitarist Zacc Harris has been at the nexus of a strong group of musicians, many of which are featured on Chasing Shadows, Harris' follow-up to 2021's well-received Small Wonders (Shifting Paradigm Records). Utilizing a quintet format as a vehicle for Harris' fervent melodicism, the results are a highly listenable slice of modern guitar-based jazz, both easy on the ears and skillfully played throughout. Most of the members of Harris' current ...

Album Review

Zacc Harris Group: Small Wonders

Read "Small Wonders" reviewed by Mike Jurkovic

by Mike Jurkovic
October 10, 2021

Accompanied by the hugely conversant John Raymond on trumpet and flugelhorn, saxophonist Brandon Wozniak, Expressionism-steeped pianist Bryan Nichols and the fluid viscosity of rhythm brothers bassist Chris Bates and drummer JT Bates, Zacc Harris—whose tonal voyage could be immediately likened to that of John Scofield (if only Harris didn't harken and manage all his influences so damn well)—creates on Small Wonders a very lucid, warm and easy vibe one cannot help being explicably drawn to. It is a vibe many ...

Album Review

Zacc Harris Group: Small Wonders

Read "Small Wonders" reviewed by Mark Corroto

by Mark Corroto
September 16, 2021

There is a theme of currents to the music of Small Wonders, although it is not stated in the titles. Minneapolis guitarist Zacc Harris pours the music from this album into your ears, metaphorically speaking. At times it is a cascade, in other places just a trickle. Either way, listeners are encouraged to float along, and going with the flow is a natural reaction to this music. Small Wonders is the second release by the Zacc Harris Group, following The ...

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Album Review

Chris Bates / Jay Epstein / Chris Olson: Framework

Read "Framework" reviewed by Matthew Warnock

by Matthew Warnock
June 26, 2009

Framework is a well-written and engaging modern jazz album featuring the Minneapolis based trio of bassist Chris Bates, drummer Jay Epstein and guitarist Chris Olson. The tunes on the album are a collection of original compositions written by the members of the trio as well as two Wayne Shorter tunes and the scarcely performed, but definitely deserving more attention, “Camino de las Tropas" by Carlos Moscardini. Every tune is creatively arranged in a manner that allows each member of the ...