MARCUS MILLER / Cape May Convention Hall / Saturday, Oct 24, 9:00 pm
The Story
After a 50-year career that has produced Grammys and critical accolades from all around the world, bassist-producer-songwriter Marcus Miller has attained legendary status. His influential work with Miles Davis alone on three signature albums — 1986’s Tutu, 1987’s Music from Siesta, and 1989’s Amandla — is enough to have gotten him immediate entry into the Bass Player Hall of Fame. But it’s his work as a producer and player with the likes of Luther Vandross, David Sanborn, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, and as a leader in his own right that has elevated Miller to the lofty status that he now occupies at age 67.
The New York City native came up as a ubiquitous session man who has played bass on over 500 recordings, appearing on albums by pop stars like Aretha Franklin, Michael Jackson, Beyoncé, Chaka Khan, Mariah Carey, Eric Clapton, Elton John, Donald Fagen, Paul Simon and Bill Withers as well as jazz icons like George Benson, Grover Washington Jr., Lenny White, Stanley Turrentine, Bob James, The Crusaders and The Brecker Brothers. He has 15 albums as a leader or co-leader to his credit, beginning with 1983’s Suddenly and including 2001’s Grammy-winning M2, named Best Contemporary Instrumental Album. In addition, he has released 28 soundtrack albums, from 1990’s House Party (featuring Kid ’n Play) and 1992’s Boomerang (featuring Eddie Murphy) to 2000’s Ladies Man (starring Tim Meadows), 2003’s Head of State (with Chris Rock) and 2017’s Marshall (starring Chadwick Boseman).
For the past 15 years, Miller has also hosted The Smooth Jazz Cruise (dubbed “The Greatest Party at Sea”). For his return trip to the Exit Zero Jazz Festival, the bass great will be joined by a crew of talented young players in keyboardist Xavier Gordon, saxophonist Donald Hayes, trumpeter Russell Gunn and drummer Anwar Marshall.
The Sound
A master of the slap bass technique, a Larry Graham invention that he modified and extended throughout his career, Miller is also a fluid and melodic improviser whose horn-like lines have embellished countless original compositions. But expect things to get really funky up in Cape May Convention Hall when Marcus digs in on his signature Sire electric bass.
