Jazz Articles about Butch Miles

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Butch Miles: Straight on Till Morning

by Dr. Judith Schlesinger
November 19, 2003

Another gem for those who like their swing served straight up. Recorded in Texas at Willie Nelson's studio (!), this is a propulsive, happy session where the group doesn't catch its breath till past halfway with “A Flower is a Lovesome Thing," the only ballad in the bunch. (Even “When You Wish Upon a Star" is taken up-tempo.)

Butch Miles, a fine, slamming drummer in the Rich tradition, has a pedigree that includes two long stints with Basie, ...

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Harry Allen: Love Songs Live!

by Jack Bowers
August 1, 2001

Two words are about all that are needed to sum up the singular talents of swing–based tenor saxophonist Harry Allen — smooth and consistent, each of which aspect of his charismatic persona is abundantly present on this compilation of love songs recorded in concert between 1993 and ’96. I’m not fully conversant with Allen’s influences but Stan Getz had to be one of them (listen, for example, to Jobim’s “Once I Loved”). Others, he says, include Ben Webster, Coleman Hawkins ...

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Harry Allen: Love Songs Live!

by Dave Nathan
January 1, 2001

Nagel Heyer has put together an album of romantic love songs performed by the Coleman Hawkins influenced, Stan Getz, Zoot Sims like tenor horn of Harry Allen. All of the tracks were compiled from previously released recordings of live concerts, mostly in Hamburg where Allen was on the stage with a variety of first rate jazz musicians. Given that virtually every song is played in that slow, ballad tempo, this album could just as well have been titled Music for ...