Jazz Articles about Marcus Miller

Marcus Miller: The Man of Many Hats

by R.J. DeLuke
April 28, 2008

Pictures of Marcus Miller often show him wearing what is almost a trademark porkpie hat. Truth is, the extraordinary musician wears many hats, some of them simultaneously.He's proven himself a master of the electric bass in any setting from jazz to pop to funk to R&B, always with a rich, soulful sound. He's also a stellar producer and arranger, having been involved in a variety of projects for stars and megastars including Miles Davis, Luther Vandross, Roberta Flack, ...

Marcus Miller: Free

by AAJ Italy Staff
January 30, 2008

Marcus Miller riporta prepotentemente il focus sullo strumento che lo ha fatto diventare famoso alla corte di re Miles Davis. Era il lontano 1981 e il suono del basso elettrico di Marcus era uno degli ingredienti più interessanti che segnarono il ritorno sulle scene del trombettista, dopo cinque anni abbondanti di esilio auto-imposto. Fu un legame che durò nel tempo e progressivamente Marcus Miller diventò una sorta di alter ego di Miles, almeno a livello produttivo, e la loro partnership ...

Miller/Petrucciani/Lagrene/White/Garrett: Dreyfus Night in Paris

by AAJ Staff
January 3, 2004

Nearly a decade after its concert appearance in Paris, this all-star quintet has finally made it onto record. The Dreyfus Night, first convened in Paris in 1993, was in its second reincarnation, and the highlight of five gluttonous hours of music was a star-studded band pulled together by label head Francis Dreyfus. The much-hyped group included three Miles Davis alumni alongside guitarist Bireli Lagrene and pianist Michel Petrucciani.

As one might expect from the fusioneering cast, the performance ...

Miller/Petrucciani/Lagr: Dreyfus Night in Paris

by Eric J. Iannelli
January 2, 2004

Dubbed “a 'Massey Hall' for the modern era"—is 1953 really such ancient history?— Dreyfus Night in Paris is actually a performance that took place nearly ten years ago and is only just seeing its release. The “Massey Hall" assertion is debatable given that the musicians here, though excellent, don't exactly match the calibre of Bird (aka Charlie Chan), Diz, Bud Powell, Mingus and Max Roach, but there can be no doubt that the set is impressive, full of solid playing ...

Marcus Miller: The Ozell Tapes

by C. Michael Bailey
April 8, 2003

Marcus Miller is the Paul Chambers of the electric bass. His recordings possess the same bass- leadership as Mr. PC, reflecting the spirit in the title of one of Chambers’ 1950s Blue Note releases, Bass on Top. Miller mixes a potent brew of originals and modern jazz classics to produce a sumptuously funky meal of what is certainly not smooth jazz. To my conservative ears, Miller simply picked up where he left off with Miles on Tutu. He is most ...

Marcus Miller: M2 (M-Squared)

by Dave Hughes
September 1, 2001

For well over two decades, Marcus Miller has firmly established himself on the jazz/funk recording scene as funk bassist extraordinare and producer for the likes of Miles Davis, David Sanborn, and Chaka Khan. He’s also proficient on a wide variety of instruments, including bass clarinet, keyboards, saxophones, and vibraphone, and is a competent composer to boot. He’s been so in demand as a producer and performer for other people that he has recorded under his own name only sporadically.

All ...

Marcus Miller: M2

by Dave Nathan
June 1, 2001

For his first studio album since 1964, Marcus Miller has laid out a program of nine originals and five jazz standards. Seeking to be the new Rahaan Roland Kirk, Miller plays a large number of instruments. I guess he plays them well because it's difficult to single out any through the electronic sheets of sounds being thrown at the listener. The album is promoted as having equal portions of jazz, funk and soul thus offering something for everyone. The fact ...