Marcus Miller music, Marcus Miller news
Monday, March 10, 2008
Bassist Marcus Miller courts R&B audience
LOS ANGELES (Billboard) - A multi-instrumentalist and electric bass virtuoso, Marcus Miller has logged more than 500 credits as a session player, band member, songwriter and producer.
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His work has encompassed rock (Eric Clapton), jazz (Miles Davis), pop (Paul Simon), hip-hop (Jay-Z), new wave (Billy Idol) and opera (tenor Kenn Hicks). He also has scored soundtracks for film ("Boomerang," "This Christmas") and TV ("Everybody Hates Chris").
His biggest claims to fame are his collaborations with the late Luther Vandross, co-writing, co-producing and playing on the signature hits "Never Too Much," "Any Love" and the 1991 Grammy Award-winning "Power of Love/Love Power."
But despite Miller's formidable credits, he's still not -- in the words of Concord product manager Brett Merritt -- "quite the household name he should be." Miller hopes to change that with "Marcus" (March 4), his first release under the 3 Deuces Records/Concord Music Group banner.
Record promotion veteran Lamont Boles, billed on the "Marcus" CD as providing "executive vision and direction," says he was floored when he first dropped by Miller's Los Angeles studio. On the walls he saw plaques for Miller's work on two No. 1 R&B hits: Tom Browne's 1980 "Funkin' for Jamaica (N.Y.)" and E.U.'s "Da'Butt" from the 1988 Spike Lee soundtrack to "School Daze."
"I said, 'You've got the skill level as a jazz musician, but your inner soul is R&B,' " Boles recalls. "Then I asked, 'How come you can't do this within your own project?"'
Thus the seeds were planted for "Marcus," Miller's seventh studio album. To help connect the dots with consumers, the set features current and classic covers (Robin Thicke's "Lost Without U," Nat "King" Cole's "When I Fall in Love") alongside funked-up jazz originals. There are guest appearances by Keb' Mo', Lalah Hathaway, Shihan the Poet and actress Taraji P. Henson on a spoken-word bonus track of Thicke's "Lost."
The lead single, "Free," features Corinne Bailey Rae in a cover of Deniece Williams' 1976 hit.
Aware of the "elevator music" criticism leveled at contemporary instrumentalists who cover past hits, Miller dismisses the notion by citing fusion pioneer Davis.
"Miles used to do songs from Broadway, and people thought then it was corny," he says. "But he played with such heart. And that's the trick: taking material and showing people the possibilities of how far you can take this music. That's the tradition I'm trying to carry on."
Plans are under way for a national tour that will start in April.
In the meantime, Miller is busy coordinating the lineup for the inaugural Playboy Jazz Cruise (January 25-February 1, 2009), which sets sail with him as host. He is also collaborating with fellow bassists Stanley Clarke and Victor Wooten on a new album.
And Miller is interested in working again with R&B singers. "I had to step back after Luther passed," he says. "I just couldn't get into it. But I'm starting to hear voices. These younger singers are really trying to get to that authentic sound again. And I'm getting excited again." ¶ 4:14 AM 0 comments
LOS ANGELES (Billboard) - A multi-instrumentalist and electric bass virtuoso, Marcus Miller has logged more than 500 credits as a session player, band member, songwriter and producer.
ADVERTISEMENT
His work has encompassed rock (Eric Clapton), jazz (Miles Davis), pop (Paul Simon), hip-hop (Jay-Z), new wave (Billy Idol) and opera (tenor Kenn Hicks). He also has scored soundtracks for film ("Boomerang," "This Christmas") and TV ("Everybody Hates Chris").
His biggest claims to fame are his collaborations with the late Luther Vandross, co-writing, co-producing and playing on the signature hits "Never Too Much," "Any Love" and the 1991 Grammy Award-winning "Power of Love/Love Power."
But despite Miller's formidable credits, he's still not -- in the words of Concord product manager Brett Merritt -- "quite the household name he should be." Miller hopes to change that with "Marcus" (March 4), his first release under the 3 Deuces Records/Concord Music Group banner.
Record promotion veteran Lamont Boles, billed on the "Marcus" CD as providing "executive vision and direction," says he was floored when he first dropped by Miller's Los Angeles studio. On the walls he saw plaques for Miller's work on two No. 1 R&B hits: Tom Browne's 1980 "Funkin' for Jamaica (N.Y.)" and E.U.'s "Da'Butt" from the 1988 Spike Lee soundtrack to "School Daze."
"I said, 'You've got the skill level as a jazz musician, but your inner soul is R&B,' " Boles recalls. "Then I asked, 'How come you can't do this within your own project?"'
Thus the seeds were planted for "Marcus," Miller's seventh studio album. To help connect the dots with consumers, the set features current and classic covers (Robin Thicke's "Lost Without U," Nat "King" Cole's "When I Fall in Love") alongside funked-up jazz originals. There are guest appearances by Keb' Mo', Lalah Hathaway, Shihan the Poet and actress Taraji P. Henson on a spoken-word bonus track of Thicke's "Lost."
The lead single, "Free," features Corinne Bailey Rae in a cover of Deniece Williams' 1976 hit.
Aware of the "elevator music" criticism leveled at contemporary instrumentalists who cover past hits, Miller dismisses the notion by citing fusion pioneer Davis.
"Miles used to do songs from Broadway, and people thought then it was corny," he says. "But he played with such heart. And that's the trick: taking material and showing people the possibilities of how far you can take this music. That's the tradition I'm trying to carry on."
Plans are under way for a national tour that will start in April.
In the meantime, Miller is busy coordinating the lineup for the inaugural Playboy Jazz Cruise (January 25-February 1, 2009), which sets sail with him as host. He is also collaborating with fellow bassists Stanley Clarke and Victor Wooten on a new album.
And Miller is interested in working again with R&B singers. "I had to step back after Luther passed," he says. "I just couldn't get into it. But I'm starting to hear voices. These younger singers are really trying to get to that authentic sound again. And I'm getting excited again." ¶ 4:14 AM 0 comments
