The SM County Times has a great write-up about the SF Symphony's current "Beethoven and Bates Festival" highlighting a piece by B'gamer Mason Bates. I don't know Mr. Bates, but I like what I read about his composition and performance with the symphony. The article's author, Richard Scheinin, notes
I'm just guessing that some sort of Isaac Hayes fanaticism lurks behind Bates's piece, which the orchestra commissioned and premiered in 2009. Bates (who is 36, lives in Burlingame and shuttles to the Midwest as a composer-in-residence with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra) has made a name as the man with two careers. Also a club DJ, he isn't shy about describing his influences as a composer. They run, he has said, from Berlioz to John Adams and Swedish texturalists, from Pink Floyd to Radiohead, and from jazz keyboardist John Medeski to "micro house" techno minimalism.
That about covers the waterfront in terms of influences! I don't envy him the B'game to Chicago commute tho!
Update: Jan. 17th I had a great time at the SF Symphony last night. I got there early enough to hear the pre-concert talk by Mason Bates that really helped me grasp the innovations with natural and man-made pre-recorded sounds that he incorporated into the piece Liquid Interface. My front row seat gave me a spectacular view of MTT fiddling with his conductor's monitor for the pre-recorded part. You could really tell this was a guy accustomed to dealing only with live performers. The Playbill indicates that when they have the third and last Bates piece recorded a CD will be released. Here's a cameraphone photo of Mason taking a bow at the end.
Nice to see yet another musician in our midst! You'd be surprised how deep the creative talent pool goes in Burlingame...just ask you know who! ;-)
Posted by: Bruce Dickinson | January 11, 2014 at 07:25 PM
BD, I just bought a front-row ticket for the Thursday night production. I'll give you a ride if you like!
Posted by: Joe | January 11, 2014 at 11:53 PM
My daughter just saw him in S.F., said it was pretty interesting music.
Posted by: jennifer | January 12, 2014 at 01:09 PM
Here's a bit more information from the Playbill. Bates's first piece they recorded was called The B-sides and the third will be Alternative Energy.
Liquid Interface started with a recording of an piece of a glacier calving off of the main ice. It was something to hear in Davies hall.
He also performs in less auspicious venues as DJ Masonic, so perhaps we will see him in the Vinyl Room spinning for the hometown crowd!
Posted by: Joe | January 17, 2014 at 05:49 PM
I didn't know where to put this, and the thread seemed appropriate! Big congratulations to Burlingame's own Adam Klein, winner of Survivor. After a very tough year or so for the family, this is a bittersweet victory.
http://www.smdailyjournal.com/articles/lnews/2016-12-16/burlingame-native-wins-survivor-adam-klein-earns-1-million-for-defeating-19-others-on-popular-reality-tv-show/1776425172915.html
Posted by: Jennifer | December 16, 2016 at 11:32 AM
Thanks, Jen. This spot will work fine for now and we will follow Adam's fine efforts at fighting cancer going forward.
Posted by: Joe | December 17, 2016 at 12:03 PM
The Chicago Symphony Orchestra is known to be perhaps the #1 symphony in the world...thus making the commute worthwhile.
Yeah, more arts and entertainment posts please.
Stu Allen and The Mars Hotel at Club Fox was really good...
Posted by: A&E | December 18, 2016 at 06:05 PM