Norman Louis Bates is an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 jazz

Jazz

Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...

 double-bass player.

Bates is the brother of Bob Bates

Bob Bates (musician)

Bob Bates was an American jazz bassist.Bates was born in Pocatello, Idaho. His mother was an organist; his brother is the bassist Norman Bates. As a youth he played tuba, trumpet, and trombone. He studied classical bass from 1944 to 1948 and played with Sonny Dunham in 1947 and with Jack Fina from...

. He played in Jimmy Dorsey

Jimmy Dorsey

James "Jimmy" Dorsey was a prominent American jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, trumpeter, composer, and big band leader. He was known as "JD"...

's band in 1945-46 and with Raymond Scott

Raymond Scott

Raymond Scott was an American composer, band leader, pianist, engineer, recording studio maverick, and electronic instrument inventor....

 and Carmen Cavallaro

Carmen Cavallaro

Carmen Cavallaro was an American pianist. He established himself as one of the most accomplished and admired light music pianists of his generation.-Music career:...

 shortly thereafter. In 1948 he played in a trio with Dave Brubeck

Dave Brubeck

David Warren "Dave" Brubeck is an American jazz pianist. He has written a number of jazz standards, including "In Your Own Sweet Way" and "The Duke". Brubeck's style ranges from refined to bombastic, reflecting his mother's attempts at classical training and his improvisational skills...

, and in 1949 with Paul Desmond

Paul Desmond

Paul Desmond , born Paul Emil Breitenfeld, was a jazz alto saxophonist and composer born in San Francisco, best known for the work he did in the Dave Brubeck Quartet and for penning that group's greatest hit, "Take Five"...

. He recorded with Jack Sheedy

Jack Sheedy

Jack Sheedy is a former Dublin senior Gaelic football player. He played his club football for Dublin based club Lucan Sarsfields.-Football career:...

's Dixieland Jazz Band in 1950. After spending four years in the Air Force, Bates played with Wally Rose

Wally Rose

Wally Rose was an American jazz and ragtime pianist.Rose was a mainstay of the jazz scene in San Francisco during the 1940s and 1950s. He was the pianist for Lu Watters's group, the Yerba Buena Jazz Band, for its entire existence, from 1939 to 1950...

's Dixieland Band in 1955 and then replaced his brother in Brubeck's quartet, playing on the album Jazz Goes to Junior College among others. He also recorded with Desmond's group again in 1956. In 1957 he left Brubeck, and led a trio in San Francisco.