Renowned keyboardist, composer, and producer Jason Miles honors the enduring legacy of Miles Davis with 100 Miles, a deeply personal and sonically adventurous new album commemorating what would have been Davis’s 100th birthday.
More than a traditional tribute project, 100 Miles reflects the profound musical and personal relationship Jason Miles shared with Davis during the final chapter of the jazz icon’s life from 1986 to 1991. As the architect behind much of the groundbreaking sound design and synthesizer programming on landmark Davis recordings including Tutu, Amandla, and Music From Siesta, Miles played a defining role in shaping one of the most daring and misunderstood periods of Davis’s career.
While many jazz tributes revisit familiar territory, 100 Miles stands apart by capturing the spirit of Miles Davis without attempting imitation. Instead, Jason Miles channels the innovative energy, groove, atmosphere, and emotional depth that defined Davis’s later years, creating a collection of original compositions that feel both contemporary and timeless.
The album opens with the dynamic title track “100 Miles,” immediately evoking the cinematic textures and rhythmic pulse associated with the Tutu era. Featuring commanding trumpet work from Randy Brecker and expressive saxophone performances from Ada Rovatti, the track sets the tone for an album filled with rich grooves, layered arrangements, and inspired improvisation.
“The Girl With The Purple Hair,” inspired by Davis’s admiration for Prince, highlights Rovatti’s compelling alto saxophone work, while “Controlled Chaos,” co-composed with Russell Gunn, delivers an elegant fusion of jazz, funk, and electronic textures anchored by Jason Miles’s synth bass grooves.
Other standout moments include the atmospheric “Malibu Midnight Blue,” featuring a beautifully restrained soprano saxophone performance by Jeff Coffin, and the lushly orchestrated “Jeanne Moreau,” a melodic and cinematic composition showcasing the understated sophistication of Miles’s arranging style.
One of the album’s most emotional moments arrives with “Miles to Miles,” a heartfelt solo piano piece written the day after Miles Davis passed away. The album closes with a remastered full-band version recorded in 1994, bringing the project full circle while honoring Davis’s spirit through mood, space, and feeling rather than direct recreation.
Released May 1, 2026, 100 Miles features an extraordinary ensemble of musicians including Jason Miles on keyboards, programming, organ, synth bass, percussion loops, and piano, alongside Randy Brecker, Barry Danielian, Patches Stewart, Ada Rovatti, James Genus, Adam Dorn, Tiago Oliveira, Kat Dyson, Ronnie Drayton, Romero Lubambo, Dean Brown, Bill Washer, Vicky Marques, Leroy Williams Jr., Adrian Harpham, Vinnie Colaiuta, Deodato DaSilva, Gene Lake, Russell Gunn, Jeff Coffin, Jay Rodriguez, and Cyro Baptista.
Rather than looking backward with nostalgia, Jason Miles uses 100 Miles to continue the forward-thinking musical conversation that Miles Davis championed throughout his career — fearless, modern, soulful, and constantly evolving.
No comments:
Post a Comment