Description
The follow-up to Pillow’s critically acclaimed 2018 release contains an added section of French Horns to bring different colors to yet more relatively unknown 70’s era Miles’ music. The band features soloists from a who’s who of NYC musicians including tenor saxophonist Jimmy Greene, trombonist Alan Ferber and trumpeters Scott Wendholt, Tim Hagans and Clay Jenkins as well as a stellar rhythm section. As in the previous release, “Electric Miles”, this set of music comes from a particular period in Miles’ oeuvre; 1969-75. Some of these titles were represented merely as bass lines, and Miles would, in live performance, segue from one to the next by musical gestures from his trumpet. The band would follow him this way. His music from 1972 forward became somewhat chaotic, yet focused on energy and intense playing from the band. Players such as Chick Corea, Steve Grossman, Mtume, Jack DeJohnette, Dave Holland, John McLaughlin, Billy Cobham, Billy Hart, Dave Liebman, and many others were the driving force behind this mostly mis-understood music that helped usher in a new direction in jazz.
Charles Pillow: arranger, alto/soprano sax, flute; Alexa Tarrantino: alto/soprano sax flute; Jimmy Greene: tenor sax; Michael Thomas: tenor sax, flute, clarinet; Dave Rieckenberg: bass clarinet, baritone sax
TROMBONES: Michael Davis, Alan Ferber, Nick Grinder, Jeff Nelson
FRENCH HORNS: Kyle Hoyt, Judy Lee, Eric Davis
TRUMPETS: Tony Kadleck, Jim Hynes, Frank Greene, Scott Wendholt, Clay Jenkins, Tim Hagans
SOLOISTS: Scott Wendholt, Tim Hagans, Clay Jenkins
KEYBOARDS: Henry Hey, Mike Holober
GUITAR: Pete McCann
BASS: Ugonna Okegwo, Chuck Bergeron
DRUMS: Jared Schonig
Charles Pillow comes from Baton Rouge, LA. After college at Loyola University, he pursued his Masters Degree in Jazz Studies at the prestigious Eastman School of Music, in Rochester, NY. Since moving to NYC in 1987, he has appeared on over 100 recordings of jazz, pop luminaries such as Frank Sinatra, Mariah Carey, Jay Z, Luther Vandross, Paul Simon, Michael Brecker, Bruce Springsteen, John Scofield, Tom Harrell, Dave Liebman, David Sanborn, to name a few.