MARCUS MILLER EUROPEAN TOUR SUMMER 2025
A giant of electric bass, currently the most charismatic artist of funk-fusion, soul and R&B music, he combines the virtuosity of Stanley Clarke and the feline agility of the legendary Jaco Pastorius. However, he has a clear advantage over all bassists – he is also an excellent composer whose work goes far beyond jazz, an outstanding arranger with an incredible sense of timbre, a multi-instrumentalist and an efficient producer who knows the music market like few others. All this has made him the most sought-after artist for decades, both as the leader of his own formations and as a session musician of the biggest jazz, fusion and pop stars.
He inherited his musical talent from his father, a church organist and choir conductor. Few people know that Miller is the cousin of the outstanding pianist Wynton Kelly, who collaborated with Davis in the 1950s; young Marcus could not even dream that in the future he too would be taken under Miles’ wing.
His road to the top was long, but not necessarily bumpy. He started with a classical education for… clarinet (today he uses only the bass one), only later did he master the piano, soprano saxophone and bass guitar – he is very good at each of these instruments. He began his career by collaborating with jazz flautist Bobbi Humphrey and pianist Lonnie Liston Smith. Over the next 15 years, he worked as a session musician, recording with a galaxy of artists of various “options” – from David Bowie, Michael Jackson, Bryan Ferry, Jean-Michel Jarre, Donald Fagen and Eric Clapton to David Sanborn, Groover Washington, Aretha Franklin and Don Cherry.
The most important period in his career was his cooperation with Davis. It turned out to be beneficial for both parties – Miller became a first-class artist, Miles gained a musician who restored his energy and creativity. They recorded together: “The Man with the Horn” – Davis’ first album, on which he proved that he was great again after years of break – “We Want Miles”, “Star People”, “Siesta” (with film music by Miller). The breakthrough album was “Tutu” (1986). Miller wrote and arranged most of the songs, and was also a co-producer. As an arranger, he reached for the latest achievements in sound technology, creating a sound that was later widely imitated. The artist faced the material of this album again in 2010, creating its live version, “Tutu Revisited”, with Christian Scott on trumpet. After the breakup, Miles led his own groups, fulfilled himself as a singer, collaborated with Wayne Shorter, The Crusaders, Luther Vandross, and wrote film music.