Ron Miles: 09/05/63 – 08/03/2022

There is a sense of shock and terrible sadness at news of the passing of Ron Miles. He was 58 years old. A long-term sufferer of asthma he was also afflicted by the blood disorder polycythemia, yet he created a superlative body of work over the best part of four decades. Miles proved to be a wholly original composer as well as one of the most distinctive trumpeter-cornetists on today’s scene. In recent times he had reached a notable career high by way of albums such as I Am A Man and Rainbow Sign. The latter is one of the essential entries in the Blue Note catalogue of the 2000s. 

Perhaps more importantly Miles was a cornerstone of the jazz scene in Denver, where he grew up after his family relocated from his birthplace of Indianapolis. The fact that he chose a life away from key music industry hubs such as New York (though he did attend the Manhattan School Of Music there) may account for his relatively low profile, though his humility was surely also a factor. That said, Miles’ influence on contemporary trumpeters was great. Nobody summed up the esteem in which he was held and his self-deprecatory nature better than Ambrose Akinmusire. “His CDs were among the few that I would listen to and keep. It’s funny but anytime I did a gig in Denver I’d see Ron in the audience then he’d be gone by the end of the set.”   

Miles’ lustrous tone, crystal clear articulation and inventive way of shaping a phrase, which could be deeply melodic, or teasingly subtle, full of notable pauses and curt asides, were impressive. And his shifts in mood and emotional landscape, an ability to transition from gentle to harsh, introspective to explosive, made the albums he recorded in the ‘80s, ‘90s and millennium – Witness, My Cruel Heart, Heaven, Stone/Blossom, Quiver and Circuit Rider – highly accomplished pieces of work that unveiled a truly modern vocabulary. Miles channeled many traditions within black music, from blues to avant-garde and all points in between, without bending to any sub-genre per se. Furthermore, he was part of excellent collaborations with the groups 3ology and Whirlpool, made immense contributions to the music of Bill Frisell and Wayne Horvitz, and enjoyed enduring creative relationships with Brian Blade and Joshua Redman. It is a cliché to talk of the musician’s musician but Ron Miles really was the player who other players looked to with a deep-seated admiration on which it is impossible to put a price. It is the kind of status that no amount of fame can buy.