13 Facts About Django Bates

Django Bates plays the piano, keyboards and the tenor horn.

Django Bates was born in Beckenham, Kent, England, and attended Sedgehill School.

Django Bates founded Human Chain in 1979 and, in the 1980s, he rose to prominence in a jazz orchestra called Loose Tubes.

Django Bates assembled the Powder Room Collapse Orchestra and created Circus Umbilicus, a musical circus show.

Django Bates has appeared as a sideman or member of Dudu Pukwana's Zila, Tim Whitehead's Borderline, Ken Stubbs's First House, Bill Bruford's Earthworks, Sidsel Endresen, and in the bands of George Russell and George Gruntz.

Django Bates has performed with Michael Brecker, Tim Berne, Christian Jarvi, Vince Mendoza, David Sanborn, Kate Rusby, and Don Alias.

Django Bates was the inaugural artistic director of the music festival FuseLeeds in 2004.

Django Bates used this opportunity to initiate the first orchestral commission for Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead.

Django Bates commissioned sixty composers including Laurie Anderson, Gavin Bryars, Patrick Moore, and John Zorn, to write one bar each.

In 2002, Django Bates was a tutor at the Banff Centre jazz programme alongside Jim Black and Dave Douglas.

In July 2005, Django Bates was appointed Professor of Rhythmic Music at the Rhythmic Music Conservatory in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Django Bates was appointed visiting professor of jazz at the Royal Academy of Music in London in September 2010.

Django Bates was awarded a fellowship by the Leeds College of Music in 1995.