(April 27, 2023) Jason Miles’ middle name could have been “Much In Demand.” That’s because a who’s who of musical luminaries have called on Miles to make contributions to their projects as a keyboardist, producer, or keyboard programmer. That honored roll call includes Miles Davis, Luther Vandross, and Marcus Miller. The list of artists to whom Miles contributed his talents does not end there, but any artist who is entrusted by the legends brings a lot to the game.
When SouTrackers last heard from Miles, he was retelling the story of his legendary career in his autobiography “The Extraordinary Journey of Jason Miles: A Musical Autobiography.” However, Miles has made a career out of letting his music do the talking, and that is what he does on his latest release Miles To Miles Live. This live project finds Jason Miles musically embracing the jazz/rock fusion music that his mentor and friend Miles Davis made from the late 1960s until the end of his life. The stuff on Miles to Miles Live is plugged in, free flowing and funky.
Even Miles’ remake of the modern jazz classic “Flamenco Sketches” from the 1959 groundbreaking album Kind of Blue intersperses Sherrod Barnes’ pensive Harmon muted trumpet playing with Miles’ atmospheric improvisation on the keyboards.
The song featured in this First Listen is the ultra-funky “Street Vibe.” This joint has the feel and sound of the kind of jazz fusion that set the world on fire back in the 1970s when giants like Miles Davis, Headhunters and Return to Forever roamed the earth and showed that jazz music could be relevant and funky. Miles work on the keys brings a bit of blues and a bit of church to the proceedings, while James Genus’s guitar playing is soulful. This is a tune that captures of energy of the street. Check out “Street Vibe” here.
By Howard Dukes
Jason Miles – “Street Vibe”