Listening to the soothing but thoughtful music of Ron Miles has always left me with a feeling of serenity and contentment. Nowadays, it also brings a little sadness. The cornet soothsayer died of a rare blood disorder in March 2022, still very much a vital artist at the age of only fifty-eight, and a beloved figure from fellow musicians and fans alike. He’s certainly gotten plenty of admiration on these pages over the years.
Miles’ first posthumous release Old Main Chapel (Blue Note) is a welcome addendum to a catalog that will no longer render new Ron Miles recordings. Taped live at the Old Main Chapel in Boulder Colorado in 2011, these performances capture Miles leading a bass-free trio with his old friend Bill Frisell on guitar and the eminent drummer Brian Blades, recorded and mastered without any noticeable flaws. These three would go into a studio the very next day to lay down tracks for what became Miles’ 2012 release Quiver, with the first five tracks (four Miles originals) played appearing on that album. At the Old Main Chapel, these songs were all extended out longer, the extra time spent to revel deeper into the fragile elegance of these tunes.
The opener “Mr. Kevin” exemplifies much of what was uniquely special about Miles: a simple but somewhat elusive strain that blooms like a water-starved flower basking in the rain. His mannered, perfectly equable but sincere horn eventually does reveal the theme, but he makes the journey there just as satisfying.
A quiet virtuosity permeates this album; Miles was never one to flash chops but his world-class companions are similarly staying focused on delivering the songs in their most attractive presentation.
Though Miles lacks the name recognition of his celebrated sidemen, they regarded their comrade as an equal. No one has to say it explicitly, either, it’s obvious in the careful and sensitive support that provide their leader.
Frisell fills out the chords suggested from the cornet and even when Miles sits out for a short spell, the guitarist is still largely staying in an accompaniment role. Blade, too, thrives on subtle bliss, and when given a solo spot — as on the Miles-styled blues, “Rudy-Go-Round” — he doesn’t make a fuss, his Crescent City drums are directly extended from the melody.
The last two songs were composed by Miles but don’t appear on any of prior records, yet it’s hard to find any justification for their scarcity up until now. The folky tone poem “I Will Be Free” could easily pass for a Frisell song and naturally, the guitarist treats it very sympathetically. “New Medium” has a jagged chord sequence married to a strong connection to traditional jazz done as artfully as Thelonious Monk would have.
Old Main Chapel is a fitting epilogue in the rich, under-heralded output from the gently poignant brilliance of Ron Miles. It makes his limited time on Earth appreciated even more.
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