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RADIO January 26, 2021

Ron Miles, Antônio Neves, Gard Nilssen, Mauro Ottolini & More New Releases

You feel like you need a shot of energy because you've been at home too long, or you dream about traveling around the world but you're stuck in lock-down mode. Or maybe you feel curious about the ways in which jazz can advocate environmental or social causes. Or you're simply curious about new and exciting jazz releases. Click the player above because you've just hit the mother lode of albums which check all the boxes. Happy listening!

ALBUM REVIEW January 5, 2021

Ron Miles: Rainbow Sign

By Paul Rauch

Denver-based cornetist Ron Miles seemed to turn an important creative corner with the release of his last album, I Am a Man (Yellowbird, 2017). With a stellar band in tow, he seemed to have gathered the elements to produce something very original. This was not an easy task, considering the ardent individuality represented by the session's participants. Indeed, guitarist Bill Frisell, pianist Jason Moran, drummer Brian Blade and bassist Thomas Morgan had all made major impressions on the landscape of ...

CATCHING UP WITH December 29, 2020

Ron Miles: Rainbow Sign Of The Times

By Ian Patterson

The title of Ron Miles' Rainbow Sign (Blue Note Records, 2020) carries great personal meaning for the Denver cornetist/composer and educator. The initial influence was The Carter Family song “God Gave Noah the Rainbow Sign," with its line 'No more water but the fire next time," which in turn gave James Baldwin the title for his famous book on racial injustice, The Fire Next Time (Dial Press, 1963). “That's where James Baldwin got that," says Miles. “This kind of sense ...

ALBUM REVIEW December 28, 2020

Ron Miles: Rainbow Sign

By Ian Patterson

The symbolism of the rainbow varies from one culture to the next, and not all interpretations are positive, but the notion of the rainbow as a pathway between this life and the afterlife is perhaps the most pertinent for Ron Miles. Rainbow Sign, the Blue Note debut of the Colorado-based cornetist, was mostly written as his father was passing away in the summer of 2018, so it is no surprise that the music has a reflective, poignant quality. Reunited with ...

ALBUM REVIEW October 27, 2017

Ron Miles: I Am A Man

By Dan Bilawsky

When two workers were killed by a malfunctioning garbage truck in Memphis in 1968, the flames of activism were rightly stoked. Sanitation workers fed up with poor working conditions and abuse of power poured into the streets wielding “I Am A Man" signs, making a principled stand that spoke not only to the situation at hand, but also to a broader struggle connected to the civil rights movement. That incident remains clearly fixed in cornetist Ron Miles' mind, standing out ...

ALBUM REVIEW October 2, 2012

Ron Miles: Quiver

By Mark F. Turner

Some musicians are recognized not only for their abilities but also their vociferous commentaries, holding true the phrase that “the squeaky wheel gets the most attention." Yet there are more subdued voices who let their music do the talking, as is the case for Ron Miles' Quiver, a project led by the Denver-based trumpeter and his talented cohorts, guitarist Bill Frisell and drummer Brian Blade. These gentle masters are highly respected leaders with expansive discographies and projects that have covered ...

INTERVIEW July 18, 2012

Ron Miles: Jazz Gentleman, Part 3

By Florence Wetzel

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3[Editor's Note: In Florence Wetzel's in-depth interview with Ron Miles, the Colorado-based trumpeter covers the rest of his releases, including an exclusive first look at his forthcoming album, Quiver (Enja, 2012), due out later this year.] Chapter Index Laughing Barrel Stone/Blossom Quiver Practicing and Composing Thoughts on Performing Self-Promotion and Careers The Colorado Sound Laughing Barrel AAJ: So next you have another Sterling Circle ...