Denver’s Ron Miles joins Blue Note label
Denver’s Ron Miles, the well- loved cornetist and educator, is making his debut on the iconic Blue Note label on Oct. 9.
“Rainbow Sign” is a sprawling, magisterial 70 minutes of music that captures numerous complex moods, illuminated by Miles’ lonesome, singular tone. And the band he utilized for the project represents the finest in jazz: guitarist Bill Frisell, pianist Jason Moran, bassist Thomas Morgan and drummer Brian Blade. Like Miles, they’re as capable of conveying subtlety as they are virtuosity.
It’s a brilliant album, one of his most accomplished among multiple releases on nearly as many independent labels over the last 30 years.
“It was pretty surprising,” Miles told me about the Blue Note signing. “We just made the album ( without a label in mind) and
Bill ( Frisell) asked me if he could play it for Don Was ( Blue Note president). A couple of days later, Don asked Bill for my number. It’s not like they were looking to sign some old guy from the middle of the country! Don is a fan of music.”
The music on “Rainbow Sign” often extends beyond the boundaries of straight- ahead jazz and blues structures. Often, the chord changes are reminiscent of those used in rock and pop, including the songs “Queen of the South” and “The Rumor.”
“Songwriting is still pretty mysterious to me,” Miles said. “When there’s something emotional going on in my life, the songs start pouring out.”
The motivating factor behind much of what you’ll hear on the album stems from the passing of Miles’ father, Fay Dooney Miles, in October 2018.
“I was looking back on the journey of dealing with his journey; letting him know how much he was loved by us, and to take care of him in a respectful, loving way. Even when he passed, I was happy to get there on time.”
There’s a sense of empathy projected in this music that’s all too rare, and while Miles is the leader of the date, this truly sounds like a band effort. Frisell takes numerous borderlinetwisted solos throughout, and Moran’s individuality shines through on “Custodian of the New.” It must be frustrating, then, that this group currently can’t tour to support the album.
“We had some plans to get out there and play. I’ve talked to everybody on the regular. I hope we can turn this around in the next year or so,” he said.
For the time being, Miles continues to teach as a musician in residence at Denver’s Metropolitan State University.
“They’re having small combos meet twice a week. It’s pretty spread out,” he said, laughing.
More jazz of note: Trumpeter Josh Reed’s Quartet livestreams from Lafayette’s Muse Performance Space at 7 p. m. on Oct. 4. Suggested donation is $ 20. ... The Dawn Clement Trio plays Denver’s Nocturne in person on Oct. 8. Sets are at 6: 30 and 8: 30. More info and costs at nocturnejazz. com. ... Stafford Hunter’s Funk Jazz Explorations performs live at 7 p. m. at Dazzle on Oct. 10. Tickets $ 10-$ 20. More at dazzledenver. com. ... I’m experiencing as much inperson music as you can these days, so these recordings are therapeutic and recommended: “Scintillating Beauty” by pianist Cat Toren’s Human Kind ( Panoramic); “Seven Storey Mountain VI” by former Denverite and trumpeter Nate Wooley ( Pyroclastic Records); “Palo Alto,” a recently revealed 1968 performance by Thelonious Monk ( Impulse!); and “Giant Steps,” John Coltrane’s 60th anniversary reissue ( Atlantic), which is bursting with outtakes. ( How do they keep finding more Coltrane?)
Bret Saunders ( bret saunders @ kbco. com) can be heard from 5 to 10 a. m. weekdays at KBCO 97.3 FM. Follow him on Twitter: @ Bretontheradio.