- Genres: Jazz
Biography
The bassist Bob Bates was active on jazz recordings for roughly a decade, beginning in 1946. He is mostly associated with pianist, composer, and bandleader Dave Brubeck, who was exceedingly popular during the '50s, and also undertook the occasional project with Brubeck associates such as smooth alto saxophonist Paul Desmond. Bates is one of relatively few jazz players to come out of Idaho -- the fact that he was one of three brothers who all played bass also indicates that the Bates family probably can claim a majority vote in any gathering of Idaho bassists. Mama Bates, an organist, clearly had a reason to want her sons to play bass. Bob Bates studied tuba, trumpet, and trombone in high school and delved into bass studies as a classical student in both New York City and San Francisco. He had played bass in a variety of non-classical styles in local Boise bands, however.In 1947, Bates began showing up on jazz dates behind brass player Sonny Dunham. For the next few years he was associated with Jack Fina, but made his recording debut in 1959 with Jack Sheedy's Dixieland Band. In the early '50s he held down the bass chair in the Two Beaux & a Peep Trio. From 1953-1955 he was Brubeck's bassist, eventually replaced by Eugene Wright. After leaving what was one of the most popular jazz combos in the world, perhaps Bates simply wasn't interested in setting his sights any lower -- not that a bassist should have anything against anything going lower. Bates was inactive as a jazz player from the mid-'50 onward. ~ Eugene Chadbourne, Rovi
