About

The accomplishments of drummer Butch Miles continue to attract worldwide attention. Playing with such luminaries as Count Basie, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Jr., Dave Brubeck, Mel Torme, Lena Horne, Joe Williams, Ella Fitzgerald, Woody Herman, Clark Terry, Gerry Mulligan, Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis, Harry “Sweets” Edison, Benny Goodman, Tony Bennett, Rosemary Clooney, Zubin Mehta, Itzak Pearlman, Dick Hyman and others, Butch displays the maturity of his experience with youthful imagination and unending energy.

Butch conducts jazz clinics at universities and high schools, continues to record c.d.s, and plays frequently in small group capacities at jazz parties and festivals around the globe, where he brings together technique, creative finesse and a love of the music that delights audiences.

As the drummer for the world-famous Count Basie Orchestra (1975-1979 and 1997-2007), Butch quickly became renowned for his swinging big band style and techniques. Butch has performed at the Newport Jazz Festival (now the "JVC Jazz Festival") in New York since 1975 and the Grande Parade Du Jazz in Nice, France nine times. He has performed at every major jazz festival in the world including: the Montreal Jazz Festival; North Sea Jazz Festival at the Hague, the Netherlands; the Montreux and Bern Jazz Festivals in Switzerland; the Berlin, Munich, Cologne and Stuttgart Jazz Festivals in Germany along with many tours throughout Europe, Australia, the Far East, the Americas and the Caribbean. Butch has been a featured performer of the West Coast Jazz Party every year since it originated in 1995 (California - West Coast Jazz Party).

In 1976, Butch played a Royal Command Performance for Her Majesty the Queen of England, which was televised throughout all of Europe. Butch Miles has recorded over 100 albums (see Discography) and has been on four (4) Grammy winning albums, along with being nominated numerous times for the European equivalent of the Grammy.

He has appeared on “60 Minutes,” “The Tonight Show” starring Johnny Carson, “The Merv Griffin Show,” “The Dick Cavett Show,” “the Mike Douglas Show” and six times on “the Jerry Lewis Telethon.” Internationally, Butch has made personal appearances on radio and televisions stations throughout the world. He has also appeared in three motion pictures: “The Australian Jazz Fest” filmed while Butch was touring Australia with the Dave Brubeck Quartet, “The Last of the Blue Devils” filmed on location while he was touring with the Count Basie Orchestra and briefly in Woody Allen’s “Crimes and Misdemeanors.” Butch performed on the soundtrack of the 2003 film, The Alamo. He also travels for the Ludwig Drum Company giving clinics and concerts worldwide (Ludwig/Musser). Butch produced a c.d., Straight On Till Morning in June 2003, from Nagel-Heyer Records (Nagel-Heyer Records), Hamburg Germany. Butch was honored by the State of Texas Senate on March 3, 2005 for his accomplishments as a drummer, and is currently a faculty member in jazz studies, Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas.

A graduate of West Virginia State College with a Bachelor of Arts Degree, Butch lives in Austin, Texas with his wife, Linda.

Discography

• Swing Shift Mama Records
• Count Plays Duke* Mama Records
• Essential Dave Brubeck Sony Records
• Dave Brubeck Back Home Concord Records
• Basie Big Band Pablo Records
• Basie in Japan Pablo Records
• Basie at Montreux Pablo Records
• Basie in Europe LRC Ltd. Records
• Bon Basie de Paris MLP Productions
• A Real Swinger (Flip Phillips) Concord Records
• It’s About Time (Basie/Clooney) Concord Records
• A Classy Pair – Ella and Basie Pablo Records
• From the Age of Swing (Dick Hyman) Research Records
• Swing is Here (Dick Hyman) Research Records
• Hot & Blue * & II (Bill Allred) Sunjazz Records
• That’s All (Wild Bill Davis) Jazz Connaisseur
• Weaver of Dreams (Danny Moss) Nagel-Heyer Records
• Live in Belfast Nagel-Heyer Records
• Nostalgia (Bob Wilber) Arbors Records
• Flip Phillips celebrates 80th Birthday Arbors Records
• Live at the Maisonette (Mel Torme) Atlantic Records
• Little Big Horn (Gerry Mulligan) GRP Records
• Miles and Miles of Swing Famous Door Records
• Butch Miles Salutes Gene Krupa Famous Door Records
• Hail To The Chief Famous Door Records
• Butch’s Encore Famous Door Records
• Butch Miles Swings Some Standards Famous Door Records
• Butch Miles Swings Some More Standards Famous Door Records
• Milt Jackson + Count Basie + The Big Band
• (Volumes I and II)
• Pablo Records
• Basie On the Road* Pablo Records
• Basie – The Last Decade Artistry Records
• Introducing the Jazz Express Dreamstreet Records
• Butch and Bucky – Lady Be Good Dreamstreet Records
• Steamin’ Mainstream Dreamstreet Records
• Prime Time* Pablo Records
• Digital III* Pablo Records
• I Told You So Pablo Records
• Love Songs Live (Harry Allen &
• Randy Sandke) Nagel-Heyer Records
• Absolutely (Bill Allred et al) Nagel-Heyer Records

Drumhead Setup

Snare- Modern Vintage on top
Toms- Modern Vintage on top, Classic Clears on bottom
Bass Drum- Modern Vintage with Felt Strip

Artist Quote

The sound and the feel are, simply, what I've been looking for for years and have finally found in Aquarian Modern Vintage heads. The response is excellent, the tone is wonderful, the brush response is beyond expectation. I love them to pieces and don't want to play any other heads from now on. EVER!