ONE OF THE WATERSHED EVENTS OF THE 1980s WAS THE RETURN OF MILES DAVIS AFTER A PROLONGED HIATUS. ONE OF THE PEOPLE WHO WAS PRESENT DURING THIS HISTORIC EVENT WAS HIS NEPHEW, DRUMMER AND PRODUCER VINCE WILBURN JUNIOR.
WHILE TAKING AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE SESSIONS SUCH AS MAN WITH A HORN, AND TOURED WITH HIM FOR THE YOU’RE UNDER ARREST ALBUM WILBURN HAS ALSO TAKEN UP THE TASK OF KEEPING THIS PERIOD OF DAVIS’ CAREER ALIVE. HE HAS REUNITED MEMBERS OF THE ORIGINAL BAND WITH ARTISTS WHO WEREN’T EVEN ALIVE AT THE TIME, KEEPING THE MUSIC FRESH FOR TODAY’S EARS.
WILBURN, ON THE CUSP OF PERFORMING THIS BAND AROUND THE STATES, WAS GRACIOUS ENOUGH TO TAKE SOME TIME OUT TO PUT THIS ERA OF DAVIS’ MUSIC INTO PERSPECTIVE.
WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST EXPOSURE TO MILES DAVIS? WAS IT AS AN UNCLE, OR AS A MUSICIAN?
As I was growing up in Chicago, when he would come here, we would come to his concert, either at a club or matinee. I would stand to the side of the stage in the wings; I didn’t want to witness it in the audience, because I was fascinated by that visual of seeing Uncle Miles on the stage, seeing the drummers play. I felt closer to the music that way.
When another soloist was performing he’d come over and thump me on the side of the head, put his arms around me or something during the concert. It was something I never forget.
I can’t remember the first time I saw him. He was always Uncle Miles. When I got into the magnitude of what he was musically, it didn’t dawn on me until I was older. As a kid you don’t know.
I loved him like any of my family members.
Back in those days, at the airport you could walk up to the arrivals gate. They didn’t have metal detectors. Walking from the gate to the baggage claim and then to the car, he’d get stopped and people would shake his hand, so I figured it out after awhile.
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“If you notice, all of the guys who played with Miles, that’s one of the lessons that they learned. Do something different. None of them stayed the same, never”
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WHAT MUSIC OF HIS WERE YOU FIRST EXPOSED TO?
Kind of Blue. Sketches of Spain. All of those quintet records. In a Silent Way. Then there was the Herbie, Wayne, Ron and Tony era. There was a club in Chicago called The Plugged Nickel. I’d sit there at the matinee shows for those. Then he came back with (bassist) Michael Henderson, (guitarists) Reggie Lucas , Pete Cosey and those guys in 1974 at The Auditorium. Now, THAT concert, with that rock and funky bass line, changed my life. Every time he came to Chicago changed my life, but this one stood out because it was really rock heavy.
DID YOU EVER PICK HIS BRAIN?
All the time.
WHAT WAS HIS BEST MUSICAL ADVICE?
Chords. I’d say, “Uncle Miles, could you please play some chords for me?” and he’d sit at the piano and play some. I’d ask him “What chord is that? What chord is that?”
HOW ABOUT LIFE ADVICE?
Save your money. He was very serious about saving and investing your money. He didn’t say what to invest it in, but he’d tell me to have an accountant, but to watch that accountant.
ANYTHING HIS FANS MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT HIM?
He was an excellent chef, and had a great sense of humor.
He was always happy to see guys that he knew from the past, like Kenny Clarke, Max Roach or Clarke Terry. He was happy to see his old friends.
YOU WERE INVOLVED IN THE STUDIO AND AS DRUMMER FOR HIS FAMOUS 80s “COMEBACK.” DID YOU APPROACH HIM OR DID HE COME TO YOU?
We had a band in Chicago; we’d rehearse every day in my mom and dad’s basement. He would call and have my mom put the phone down. He’d then listen to us rehearse and then critique us. We’d then get individually get on the phone and he’d say “Try this; do this.”
One day he called, and he’d listen for like 45 minutes or an hour. After one of his critiques, he asked me “Do you guys want to make a record?”(1981’s) The Man With a Horn.
BILL EVANS IS ALSO ON THAT ALBUM
He found Bill through Dave Liebman. So, it was myself, Randy Hall, Robert Irving III and Felton Crews. Somehow he got in touch with Barry Finnerty through Bob Thiele or Liebman.
Randy, Bobby and I met at his Brownstone at 312 West 77th Street to work out the music. We had 12-13 songs and recorded them; “The Man With the Horn” and “Shout” were picked for that album.
WERE YOU SURPRISED THAT HE WAS MAKING A COMEBACK?
Sometimes people say “You were the reason that he came back.” When he was ready to comeback, play and say something, he came back.
I’d come up during summers and encourage him to play, and just want to be around him. But it was totally up to him and was totally his call.
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“”He heard music inside the music. He heard lines from a song that he would compose for another track.”
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WHAT WAS HIS ATTITUDE LIKE THOSE FIRST DAYS IN THE STUDIO? WAS HE NERVOUS OR PUMPED UP?
He was like a prizefighter.
Did you ever see the movie Cat Ballou? When Lee Marvin has his guy get his valise, and has him put on his vest and his big belt, etc? It was kind of like that; when he was ready he did it. He stopped drinking, stopped doing the drugs; he started going to the gym and drinking Perrier.
DID YOU ALSO GO ON THAT FIRST TOUR WITH HIM?
I toured with him in ’84, right after You’re Under Arrest.That was the band with Bob Berg, Darryl Jones, Bobby Irving, Steve Thornton. I used to call Bob Berg “Iceberg”; we were close.
YOU ALSO CO-PRODUCED YOU’RE UNDER ARREST. WHO INSTRUCTS WHO WHEN IT’S MILES DAVIS YOU’RE WORKING WITH?
I don’t give him any instructions. What it is, is just assisting. “Directions in Music by Miles Davis,” you can see that on all of the album covers. That’s what it was. He would have Bobby and me just to bounce ideas off of. After every recording he would go home early and we would bring the tapes over to his house.
Teo (Macero) would then do the editing. I called Teo “The Human Pro Tools Machine.” It was a labor of love, under the tutelage and direction of Miles Davis. Those were just titles; we never “produced” Miles Davis.
FOR ALBUMS LIKE THOSE AS WELL AS DECOY AND AURA, HOW MUCH REHEARSAL WENT INTO THESE SESSIONS?
He heard music inside the music. He heard lines from a song that he would compose for another track.
Miles was someone who was always listening. He was always listening to tapes; he’s the first one up in the morning and the last one to go to sleep at night. What you had to do and be was ready for anything; any kind of rhythm, any kind of change in the music because it was under his tutelage and direction. He dictated where the music went, where the albums went, the concerts…it was always changing.
We would come up to his suite after every concert and he’d tell us what to try the next night. He’d play it for us. They’d give him the board tapes after the show and he’d listen to it all the way to the airport. This went on his whole career. That’s very impressive.
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“He’d say, “Play this; don’t do that; try this.” He was fine tuning all the time, and it was positive. He’d never try to berate us or talk down. He was always looking for the betterment of the music, pushing the music forward.”
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DID HE GIVE INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE EACH SHOW?
Yeah, he’d say, “Play this; don’t do that; try this.” He was fine tuning all the time, and it was positive. He’d never try to berate us or talk down. He was always looking for the betterment of the music, pushing the music forward.
YOU WORKED ON THE AURA ALBUM, WHICH WAS A STEP INTO DIFFERENT TERRITORY
That was with (Dutch trumpet player) Palle Mikkelborg. We flew to Europe to do that in a Concord. It was my first time in a Concord and it was great. It was colors, and Uncle Miles was into the synth-electronic drums. At the studio he ordered them and said “I want you to play along with the acoustic drums and add these colors.” But it was still always his sound and what he heard in his head.
WHAT DO YOU THINK WAS SO IMPORTANT ABOUT HIS 80s COMEBACK?
When he first came back, it was with Man With A Horn and I got in later. It was important for him to play, because that was his livelihood and his lifeline. We were honored to just be a part of that growth. Every time he played was like the first time he ever played. He had that type of zest, and that rubbed off on all of us.
When it’s about the music, don’t B.S. the music. Never.
DURING THAT PERIOD OF HIS CAREER, WHO WAS HIS GO-TO GUY FOR INSPIRATION?
Himself (laughs)
A lot of people don’t know that he still bounced a lot of ideas with Gil (Evans). When we were recording The Man With The Horn, Gil would come into the studio on West 30th, and he’d just chill. We didn’t even know he was there, and then Miles would go over and talk to him and bounce ideas off Gil. Gil was his go-to guy.
YOU’VE PUT TOGETHER A “MILES ELECTRIC BAND” WHICH HAS PLAYED AT THE HOLLYWOOD BOWL AND PLAYBOY JAZZ FESTIVAL. WHAT’S THE IMPETUS AND MOTIVATION FOR THIS PROJECT?
The motivation is to play this music and interpret it the way that the guys who played with Miles, but not to copy it. We hold in the highest esteem Chick, Herbie, Wayne, Ron, Tony, Lenny and Don Alias; all the guys who’ve ever done it.
But, it’s our interpretation and our love for this music and this electric period. That’s why we mix it up with the alumni and some young cats who’ve never even played with Miles.
DJ Hapa, who’s in his 30s (playing turntables) or Debasish Chaudhury who plays table all have a love and respect for Miles. Then with me and Bobby Irving, and though Darryl is now with the Stones, we are have Mono Neon, was Prince’s last bassist. He adds another spice to the gumbo.
Then you have Darryl Munyngo and Blackbird (Dwayne Mcknight), and these guys played with Miles, then you have Greg Spero who didn’t. To hear the cats who played with Miles together with the cats who didn’t makes the music pretty interesting.
And then we’ve featured different trumpeters. Christian Scott did it and now we have Jeremy Pelt. We’ve also had Etienne Charles, Nick Payton, Wallace Roney and Sean Jones; it gets exciting to see and hear where we can take it.
We just got back from San Francisco; it’s our third year there. They told us that they can hear the elevation of the music and the musicians. That’s what we want to do ; we don’t want to be complacent. We want the music to advance and keep reaching.
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“it gets exciting to see and hear where we can take it.”
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WITH THAT IN MIND, WHAT’S YOUR OPINION OF BANDS THAT TRY TO RECREATE, EVEN SOME TIMES NOTE FOR NOTE, THE MUSIC OF YOUR UNCLE, SUCH AS KIND OF BLUE?
I’ve heard it, and I don’t want really want to comment. But if that’s what they choose to do, it’s cool for them, but I wouldn’t do it.
I’m into exploring and trying to reach something different, because that’s what my uncle taught us.
You always want to have a blank canvas in front of you and add a new color of paint. You don’t want to paint tomorrow what you painted yesterday. Explore; do something different. That’s what he taught us.
If you notice, all of the guys who played with Miles, that’s one of the lessons that they learned. Do something different. None of them stayed the same, never.
And when we’d bring in another guy into the band who never played with Miles, you can hear his contribution to the music, and it makes it exciting. That’s how we get off on each other and go “Wow!”
Mono Neon, this kid is 30. He’s not being Marcus Miller or Darryl Jones. He’s being Mono Neon and doing his own interpretation in order to contribute to the music.
BESIDES YOUR OWN BAND, YOU’VE BEEN OVERSEEING THE WONDEFUL “BOOTLEG” SERIES OF MILES DAVIS RECORDINGS.
Not just myself. It’s a contribution with Steve Berkowitz, Legacy and my cousin Erin Davis. We’re not trying to saturate the fans. We’re excited when we go into the vaults to hear it, and we want the fans to “get it”. So, it’s very meticulously calculated and thought out, all the way down to the art work and album packaging. It’s fun to go into the vaults, roll up our sleeves and get into this great, great music.
DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE ONE?
Everything that my uncle records. I loved the outtakes of The Quintet. Teo HATED it and got on my case about it. He said “You can’t let out the secret sauce.” He gave me and Erin, Miles’ son, the Bronx cheer.
But there are fans that want the secret out, and it’s great information. And there’s tons more stuff.
WHAT MOTIVATES YOU LIFEWISE?
I stay healthy, work out, eat right and I don’t drink alcohol. It’s like all the things my uncle shared with me when I was young are all coming around and back to me, and I’m acting on it. Take care of your body, invest your money, don’t cheat the music; make the music first.
It’s a sacrifice, but it’s what I was born to do.
I TOOK A 22 YEAR OLD MUSICIAN TO THE HOLLYWOOD BOWL FOR A MILES DAVIS TRIBUTE. THERE WAS A BAND THAT PLAYED THE KIND OF BLUE ALBUM, OPENING FOR WILBURN’S “ELECTRIC MILES” BAND. MY FRIEND THOUGHT THE ‘CLASSIC’ MILES BAND WISE ‘NICE, BUT DATED,’ WHILE SHOWING ENTHUSIASM FOR THE MORE MODERN INCARNATION. DAVIS STILL SPEAKS TO GENERATIONS!
CHECK OUT THIS BAND IF THEY COME YOUR WAY, AND ALWAYS KEEP AN EAR OPEN FOR THE WONDERFUL BOOTLEG SERIES.