Butch Miles obit

 

Butch Miles (1944-2023)

 He was not on the list.

Drummer-bandleader Butch Miles (1944-2023) has died. Butch and his drumming were loved and admired all over the world. Butch Miles was best known for his tenure in the Count Basie Orchestra from 1975 to 1979 and then making a ten-year return to the band from 1997 to 2007. In the 1980s and 1990s, Miles also served as the Basie band’s leader. Miles began playing the snare drum at the age of nine and studied music at West Virginia State University. Butch named Buddy Rich, Gene Krupa, and Jo Jones as his favorite drummers. He joined the Iris Bell Trio on tour after getting his college degree. He played the drums for Mel Torme for three and a half years. When Count Basie needed a drummer, both Torme and Buddy Rich suggested Miles to Basie. That was the beginning of his long musical association with “The Count.” Butch Miles extensive career included many recordings as a bandleader including an outstanding 1979 salute to Chick Webb, and playing drums for many musical legends including the

Count Basie Band, Frank Sinatra, Dave Brubeck, Ella Fitzgerald, and many more. The entire Modern Drummer family sends our thoughts and prayers to Butch’s family and friends, the great Butch Miles will be missed.

Discography

As leader

 

    Miles and Miles of Swing... (Famous Door, 1978)

    Lady Be Good with Bucky Pizzarelli (Dreamstreet, 1978)

    Butch's Encore (Famous Door, 1979)

    Butch Miles Salutes Chick Webb (Famous Door, 1980)

    Butch Miles Swings Some Standards (Famous Door, 1981)

    Butch Miles Salutes Gene Krupa (Famous Door, 1982)

    More Miles...More Standards with Jorge Anders (Famous Door, 1985)

    Introducing the Ivory Coast Suite (Dreamstreet, 1986)

    Cookin' (Nagel Heyer, 1995)

    Soulmates with Howard Alden (Nagel Heyer, 2002)

    Straight On Till Morning (Nagel Heyer, 2003)

 

As sideman

 

With Count Basie

 

    Basie Big Band (Pablo, 1975)

    I Told You So (Pablo, 1976)

    Montreux '77 (Pablo, 1977)

    Prime Time (Pablo, 1977)

    On the Road (Pablo, 1980)

    Basie in Europe (LRC, 1985)

    Live in Japan '78 (Pablo, 1985)

    Fun Time (Pablo, 1991)

    The Golden Years (Pablo, 1996)

    Count Plays Duke (Mama, 1998)

    Swing Shift (Mama, 1999)

    Basie Is Back (Eighty-Eight's, 2006)

    Swinging, Singing, Playing (Mack Avenue, 2009)

 

With Phil Bodner

 

    Fine & Dandy (Stash, 1981)

    Highlights in Jazz (Stash, 1985)

    Clarinet Virtuosity (Arbors, 2006)

 

With Dick Hyman

 

    The Kingdom of Swing & the Republic of Oop Bop Sh'Bam (Musicmasters, 1989)

    From the Age of Swing (Reference, 1994)

    Swing Is Here (Reference, 1996)

 

With Flip Phillips

 

    Flipenstein (Progressive, 1981)

    A Real Swinger (Concord Jazz, 1988)

    Flip Philllips Celebrates His 80th Birthday (Arbors, 2003)

 

With Sal Salvador

 

    In Our Own Sweet Way (Stash, 1983)

    Plays the World's Greatest Jazz Standards (Stash, 1984)

    Plays Gerry Mulligan (Stash, 1985)

 

With Bob Wilber

 

    Ode to Bechet (Jazzology, 1982)

    Reflections (Bodeswell, 1983)

    On the Road (Bodeswell, 1992)

    Nostalgia (Arbors, 1996)

    The Hamburg Concert (Nagel Heyer, 1996)

    Memories of You (Black and Blue, 1996)

 

With others

 

    Peter Appleyard, Barbados Heat (Concord Jazz, 1990)

    Peter Appleyard, Barbados Cool (Concord Jazz, 1991)

    Dave Brubeck, Back Home (Concord Jazz, 1979)

    John Bunch, World War II Love Songs (Groove Jams, 1998)

    Joe Bushkin, Play It Again Joe (United Artists, 1977)

    Ray Charles & Count Basie, Ray Sings, Basie Swings (Hear Music/Concord, 2006)

    Rosemary Clooney & Count Basie, At Long Last (Concord Jazz, 1998)

    Dolly Dawn, Memories of You (Dawn, 1981)

    Dany Doriz, This One's for Basie (Black and Blue, 1994)

    Big Joe Duskin, Blues Rendez-Vous (Back to Blues, 1994)

    Duke Ellington, Four Symphonic Works by Duke Ellington (Musical Heritage Society, 1989)

    Ella Fitzgerald, Digital III at Montreux (Pablo, 1980)

    Ella Fitzgerald, A Classy Pair (Pablo, 1982)

    Johnny Frigo, Live from Studio A in New York City (Chesky, 1989)

    Terry Gibbs, Buddy DeFranco, Herb Ellis, Kings of Swing (Contemporary, 1992)

    Terry Gibbs, Buddy DeFranco, Herb Ellis, A Tribute to Benny Goodman (Contemporary, 2001)

    Scott Hamilton, Swinging Young Scott (Famous Door, 1978)

    Peanuts Hucko, Swing That Music (Star Line, 1992)

    Helen Humes, Helen (Muse, 1981)

    Alberta Hunter, The Glory of Alberta Hunter (Columbia, 1982)

    Alberta Hunter, Look for the Silver Lining (Columbia, 1983)

    Milt Jackson & Count Basie, Milt Jackson + Count Basie + the Big Band Vol. 1 (Pablo, 1978)

    Milt Jackson & Count Basie, Milt Jackson + Count Basie + the Big Band Vol. 2 (Pablo, 1978)

    Carmen Leggio, Tarrytown Tenor (Famous Door, 1978)

    Roger Kellaway, Dick Hyman, Piano Players & Significant Others (Musicmasters, 1990)

    George Kelly, Plays the Music of Don Redman (Stash, 1984)

    George Masso, Choice N.Y.C. Bone (Famous Door, 1979)

    George Masso, A Swinging Case of Masso-Ism (Famous Door, 1981)

    Dave McKenna, No Holds Barred (Famous Door, 1979)

    Danny Moss, Weaver of Dreams (Nagel Heyer, 1995)

    Gerry Mulligan, Little Big Horn (Five, 1983)

    Bucky Pizzarelli & John Pizzarelli, Passion Guitars (Groove Jams, 1998)

    Lou Stein, Live at the Dome (Dreamstreet, 1981)

    Maxine Sullivan, Highlights in Jazz (Storyville, 1999)

    Frank Tate, Live in Belfast (Nagel Heyer, 2001)

    Warren Vache, Blues Walk (Dreamstreet, 1978)

    Marlene VerPlanck, Marlene VerPlanck Loves Johnny Mercer (Audiophile, 1978)

    Phil Wilson, Boston-New York Axis: Phil & Vic (Famous Door, 1980)

    Glenn Zottola, Secret Love (Famous Door, 1982)

    Wild Bill Davison, Wild Bill Davison All Stars (Timeless, 1987)

    Tom Saunders' Wild Bill Davison Band & Guests (Nagel Heyer, 1996)

    Wild Bill Davis Super Trio, That's All (Jazz Connaisseur, 1991)