COMPOSERS: Marcus Miller
LABELS: Blue Note
ALBUM TITLE: Afrodeezia
PERFORMER: Marcus Miller (bass), Alex Han (sax), Lee Hogans (trumpet), Brett Williams (piano), Adam Agati (guitar), Louis Cato (drums) etc
CATALOGUE NO: 472 1441
Marcus Miller burst onto the jazz scene in the mid-1980s as the creative force behind Miles Davis’s classic fusion album Tutu. Of all the many young talents introduced by Davis, Miller turned out to be one of the most prodigious. A multi-instrumentalist who plays the electric bass as a lead instrument, he’s also in demand as a producer and composer. And like his mentor, Miller has successfully crossed over commercially, his smooth jazz sides making him an international star in his own right. Maybe that’s why UNESCO named him Artist For Peace, a travelling role that inspired these ‘multi-kulti’ pieces with their interwoven sounds of Mali, Brazil and the Caribbean.
The music’s unmistakably Miller: the slap and pop bass technique driving maddeningly catchy and seamlessly crafted tunes. Adding to the glossy allure, guest stars such as keyboardist Robert Glasper and horn player Ambrose Akinmusire, plus a host of world musicians, join the core band.
Garry Booth