Marcus Miller
Over the course of one of the most enviable
careers in all of music, Marcus Miller has ascended into a two-time
GRAMMY-winner and the composer/producer of nine critically acclaimed and
genre-defying albums (six studio and three live) as a leader, featuring his
astounding and singular technique as one of the world's most gifted,
forward-thinking and eclectic electric bassists.
As a producer, writer and player, he was the last primary collaborator of jazz
legend Miles Davis, contributing the composition (and CD) Tutu to the canon of
contemporary jazz music. As a co-producer, arranger and player, Marcus was
highly influential in the success of Luther Vandross, co-writing dozens of R&B/pop
million-sellers with the beloved singer, including "Never Too Much," "Any Love,"
"Til My Baby Comes Home," "For You To Love" and the GRAMMY-winning “Power of
Love/Love Power.”
As a multi-instrumentalist, Marcus is highly proficient as a keyboardist,
clarinetist/bass clarinetist and, primarily, as a world-renowned electric
bassist, topping critics' and readers' polls for three decades. His resume is
brimming with over 500 recording credits as a sideman on albums across the
spectrum of musical styles: rock (Donald Fagen and Eric Clapton), jazz (George
Benson, Dizzy Gillespie, Joe Sample, Wayne Shorter and Grover Washington, Jr.),
pop (Roberta Flack, Paul Simon and Mariah Carey), R&B (Aretha Franklin and Chaka
Khan), hip hop (Jay-Z and Snoop Dogg), blues (Z.Z. Hill), new wave (Billy Idol),
smooth jazz (Al Jarreau and Michael Franks) and opera (collaborations with tenor
Kenn Hicks and Kathleen Battle).
In the movie world, Marcus rose from writing the all-time great go-go party jam
"Da Butt" for Spike Lee's School Daze to becoming the go-to score composer of
20+ films, ranging from the Hudlin Brothers’ comedy classic Boomerang and the
family gem This Christmas to the animated children's film The Trumpet of The
Swan, the basketball documentary 1 Love and Chris Rock’s coming of age
television series Everybody Hates Chris.
Today, Marcus’ interests and projects are expanding into even more artistic
endeavors. 2007 found him hosting the North Sea Jazz Cruise, which called for
him to not just bring his band and turn the boat out, but hand-pick the other
musicians who participated, covering all the bases with legends Herbie Hancock,
McCoy Tyner, David Sanborn and Dee Dee Bridgewater, edgy contemporary stars Roy
Hargrove, James Carter, Medeski, Scofield, Martin & Wood, European imports Ulf
Wakenius and Silje Nergaard, and fierce up-and-comer Lionel Loueke. Treating
fans to excellently planned programs (including a Sunday morning “Gospel Hour”
co-hosted with the chameleonic Kirk Whalum) as well as spontaneously thrilling
jam sessions, Marcus also led seminars, interviews with the giants, and
encouraged all the stars to mingle with the cruisers. So awesome was the
experience that Marcus was asked back to host the inaugural Playboy Jazz Cruise
of the Caribbean in 2009. Marcus and David Sanborn will be reunited to host jazz
cruises in 2011 and 2012.
Marcus recently co-produced Dave Koz’s eleventh studio album with John Burk,
Chief Creative Officer at Concord Music Group. He also produced a track with
Herbie Hancock and the internationally celebrated singer/songwriter Juanes,
entitled “La Tierra” on Hancock’s The Imagine Project, the eagerly awaited
follow up to Hancock’s GRAMMY Record of the Year The Joni Letters. Miller’s
career continues to constantly evolve and change, keeping him at the forefront
of jazz. With his most recent live recording, A Night In Monte Carlo, featuring
special guests Roy Hargrove and Raul Midon set for release February 1st, 2011,
Miller's career continues to evolve and change, keeping him at the forefront of
jazz.
