Artists :: Jason Miles

Biography

JASON MILES is a producer/artist/arranger/composer and keyboardist based in the New York area. He has crafted music for Miles Davis, Luther Vandross, Marcus Miller, Gato Barbieri, David Sanborn, Whitney Houston, Chaka Khan, The Crusaders, Michael Brecker and many others. He has produced ambitious musical tributes to both Weather Report (Celebrating the Music of Weather Report -Telarc) and Ivan Lins (A Love Affair, The Music of Ivan Lins) from which he won a Grammy for his production of  “She Walks this Earth.”  Sting won a Grammy for Best Male Pop Vocal in 2001 for the recording.  Jason also produced To Grover With Love, the acclaimed and visionary tribute to Grover Washington Jr.  In 2004 he masterminded the Contemporary Jazz Collection Maximum Grooves-Coast To Coast, which earned him his fourth Grammy nomination.   Miles’ production of Gato Barbieri’s last CD, The Shadow of the Cat won the Billboard Latin Jazz Album of the year in 2003 and also received a Latin Grammy nomination. 2005 saw the release of his forward thinking homage to Miles Davis called Miles to Miles, In The Spirit of Miles Davis. 2006 saw the re-imagination of Marvin Gaye’s music with, What’s Going On, The Songs of Marvin Gaye.

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Jason you've worked successfully in the business for many years now. What inspired you to become a musician?
When I was very young I remembered hearing Doo-wop groups in Brooklyn NY. I loved to hear them sing on the street corner and in the school yards. My father also had an early Hi-Fi and played some pretty cool music. I remember him having this album of 12 different versions of Lullaby of Birdland. I was gravitated to music

What would you consider your initial big break?
I look back and I can say working with Miles Davis but I will have to say reconnecting with Michael Brecker in Jan of 1984. He really dug what I was doing with synthesizers and spread the word about me. he was one of my heroes who is terribly missed

Describe any memorable close encounters with a TASCAM product?
I had a Tascam 3340 4 track tape recorder in 1979. I was overdubbing synths on it and making it into 8 tracks. It was however the opportunity to get an 80-8 with Dolby and an 8 track Tascam Board-I was then really in business when I got that in 1980-The possibilities in my house at that moment were amazing.

What musical projects are you currently involved with?
I am putting a lot of time into making our group Global Noize a global musical brand. Music to survive in the future will need to be fresh and innovative. DJ Logic and I have come up with a truly unique global concept for a band-I also continue to do shows supporting the legacy of Grover Washington Jr It wasn't just Grover as a saxophonist,it was the music that helped define the NY scene in the 1970's and early 80's. I am not good and just putting music out there. I want it to mean something.

You've worked with some musical icons over the years, Luther Vandross, Chaka Kahn, Sting  and Miles Davis just to name a few. Explain how did you come to work with Miles?
I was doing synth programming for Marcus Miller since 1985 and a year later he got a call from Tommy LiPuma asking for some material for Miles. We did some demo's and the next thing you know I'm in the studio with Miles. a true life's moment and one that will be with me for the rest of my life.

Where do you see yourself musically 5 years from now?
I hope traveling the world with Global Noize bringing our message on global musical inclusion and that we are all in this world together. Music brings us together. I also want to be producing exciting new artists and also helping legacy and established artists keep their musical voice relevant in the music world. I know how to do that. I hope the business takes a positive spin so one has the ability to make a living in this business.

Click on the album cover above to hear tracks from "A Prayer For The Planet" by Global Noize.