POSTERITY is sure to give Django Bates that due place in early 21st century music that the mouldy olde figs grudge. He is so prolific it will look as if he has written most early 21st Century music.

Recent activities include 'More Upsets By Django Bates' (an introduction for American audiences), the solo piano series Autumn Fires and Green Shoots, ongoing commitment to big band Delightful Precipice and 'standards' band Quiet Nights, commissions for classical accordionist James Crabbe ('Man Alone With a Bottle') and the Arte Ensemble of Switzerland (saxophone quartet), new music for a Tennessee Williams play, and tenure as artist-in-residence at New Art Gallery in Walsall.

And who other than Bates would organise a benefit gig (staged at The Vortex in July) for Elton John?

Human Chain was formed in 1979 as a duo with Bates and percussionist Steve Arguelles. It has since evolved into a conventional (I use the word advisedly) vehicle for cooking jazz, with Iain Ballamy on saxophones, Michael Mondesir on electric bass, Martin France on drums and Django on keyboards (and occasional tenor horn).

The present concert - which ends the Metro Jazz season on a high note - features 15 minutes of new music commissioned by South Hill Park Arts Centre. And - unless Django is slowing down - many more minutes of provocative, joyous, groovy, exasperating new music. Oh, and 'grotesk og folsom'. These were the adjectives used by the Scandinavian judges of the Jazzpar Prize, on the night they awarded Bates the most prestigious prize in jazz. The literal translation is 'grotesque and 'fulsome'.

Django Bates & Human Chain are at RNCM on December.

Mike Butler

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