Scooter Chronicles

Marcus Miller – “Tales”

Tracks:

1. The Blues
2. Tales (Intro)
3. Tales
4. Eric
5. True Geminis
6. Rush Over
7. Running Through My Dreams (Interlude)
8. Ethiopia
9. Strange Fruit (Intro)
10. Strange Fruit
11. Visions
12. Tales (Reprise)
13. Forevermore (Intro)
14. Forevermore
15. Infatuation
16. Come Together

I was introduced to Marcus Miller via WJZZ, the old jazz radio station in Detroit. They played “Rush Over” once on my way home from work. I stopped at Harmony House (which was still in business at the time) and bought the disc before I got home.

For you jazz fans out there that may not know Miller, you have probably heard his work. He has played bass for quite a few artists, and his tone is recognizable. He is a fantastic bass player, a great bass clarinet player (which sounds like a saxophone to those of us less educated in instruments), and a damn good producer, too. He worked with Miles Davis during this last years. But this album is about the bass. It takes the lead on songs, playing the melody. And then there are times he just wails on it. It is an AWESOME album for bass fans!

The album too, is about tales, as in stories. There are a few spoken word intros to songs that are famous jazz artists (Roberta Flack, Joe Sample, Bill Withers, and Miles Davis) telling tales. The first song is rather cool, because it has many one line quotes, recorded many years ago, by even more great jazz and blues artists like Joe Zawinul, Duke Ellington, Lester Young, Billie Holiday, and Charlie Parker. On top of that, it includes bits from Bill Cosby on the Jackson 5 TV show. By the way, the bass playing on that song is WAY COOL, too.

Every song has something great for bass fans, except for “Strange Fruit”, which is essentially solo bass clarinet. Though he also uses the clarinet heavily on “Visions” as well. There is a lot of sax and muted trumpet (I love those!) on many of the songs. And the album closer is a rousing rendition of the Beatles “Come Together” that includes a funny intro from his kids.

There are a few other well known artists that helped Miller out on this album. Those include Kenny Garrett (alto sax), Michael “Patches” Stewart (trumpet), Hiram Bullock (guitar on “Eric”), Joshua Redman (tenor sax on “True Geminis”), and MéShell NdegéOcello (vocals and synth on “Rush Over”).