Charles Bateman

Pianist Charles Bateman is a hard-driving combo player who never seems to run out of stamina, whether he is backing bop maniac Sonny Stitt on the 310th chorus of "Cherokee" or musically polishing off the 50th plate of barbecued ribs ordered up by funky tenor sax player Gene Ammons. The Bateman background is actually more subdued than this later company might suggest. He came up in the mid-to-late '40s playing a form of classic swing with the Edmond Hall band at the Cafe Society Uptown venue in New York City, and was already 25 years old at the time of this first professional credit. This high-profile gig, although perhaps not that demanding musically, led to a series of jobs for the pianist with noted arranger Sy Oliver, bandleader Lucky Millinder, and the aforementioned saxophonists. Veteran drummer Panama Francis took Bateman on a memorable South American tour in 1954. Former Duke Ellington bassist Aaron Bell became a regular playing partner of the pianist between that year and 1956, the duo focusing on gigs in upstate New York. In the late '50s, Bateman was active in New York City, but became more busy as a teacher than a player, publishing a series of sheet music collections pitched at beginning students, such as "Jazzin' About: Choice Easy Piano Classics Arranged by Charles Bateman." He has also performed as a soloist with symphony orchestras, including the Concord Symphony and the Buffallo Philharmonic. In his senior years, Bateman gigged with players such as saxophonist Vince Andrews. On credits, typesetters tend to settle for both "Bateman" and "Batemen" arbitrarily, as if the two vowels were interchangeable. ~ Eugene Chadbourne, All Music Guide