Renaissance

Marcus Miller | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 7, 2012)
• Original Release Date: 2012
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Concord Jazz
• ASIN: B008BGNKIO
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (58 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,893 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #85 in Music > Jazz

Editorial Reviews

A generation is roughly defined as a period of about 30 years. 30 years ago in the early 80s - America was rolling with Ronald Reagan at the wheel and his conservative back to family values tenets. A similar traditionalism was also being adopted by several prominent up-and-coming jazz musicians. While most of the then-young flock was looking back, Marcus Miller was looking ahead. By the middle of that decade in 1986, Marcus - the musician, composer and producer - was at the helm of one of the most impactful modern jazz masterpieces of the era with some futuristic roots music he composed for the legendary Miles Davis entitled Tutu.

Now with Renaissance in 2012, Marcus Miller surveys the landscape of not just music but society as a whole. In the same profound way that anointed gospel-soul singer Sam Cooke prophesized 50 years before in 1963, Miller feels that a change is gonna come. And just as with Tutu, he is ahead of the storm with Renaissance, fortified by a team of hungry young players that includes trumpeters Sean Jones and Maurice Brown, alto saxophonist Alex Han, drummer Louis Cato, guitarists Adam Agati and Adam Rogers, and keyboardist Kris Bowers along with veteran keys wizards Federico Gonzalez Peña and Bobby Sparks, Miller is creating the soundtrack for this musical, cultural and spiritual revolution.

I feel like a page is turning, Miller muses. The last of our heroes are checking out and we are truly entering a new era. Politically, things have polarized and are coming to a head. Musically, we ve got all these cool ways to play and share music - MP3 files, internet radio and satellite radio - but the music is not as revolutionary as the media. It s time for a rebirth.

Renaissance finds Miller offering up an especially emotive 13-song collection that includes eight richly inspired original compositions that swing from a tip of the porkpie to the CTI Records sound of the `70s ( CEE-TEE-EYE ) to an introspective and ultimately hope-filled rumination about the island off the coast of Dakar in Africa known as Gorée (Go-ray). Renaissance also includes five cover songs that canvas works by soul-jazz culture band WAR, new wave-soul starlet Janelle Monáe, New York jazz dignitary Weldon Irvine, Brazilian musical ambassador Ivan Lins and Christian composer Luther Mano Hanes. Though the CD primarily features Miller s smokin new band, it also features special guest vocalists Dr. John, Rubén Blades and Gretchen Parlato.

Renaissance is a word that resonates on a lot of different levels for me, Miller explains. It s about getting back to the essential aspects of art. I m focusing less on production and more on composition, so this is a very clear album for me. People have often called me a Renaissance Man. I always understood that to mean someone who s got their creative hands in a lot of different things but not on a surface level. Like Leonardo da Vinci: he wasn t just dabbling in things, he was going deep. I would really like to be that kind of guy. Over the past three decades of my career, I ve been blessed to produce a wide variety of music that means something to people. I didn t just do some clichés in different genres, like a guy who says he can speak 20 languages but all he s saying is how are you and can I get something to eat. The real challenge is can you communicate something of substance to the people through these languages that you speak?

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars His Best Since his Grammy Winning M2 August 7, 2012

By Jonathan Guarriello

Format:Audio CD

Here we have the new album by master electric bassist & multi instrumentalist Marcus Miller. I'v been a fan of Marcus since his album Tales & in my opinion this album is his best work yet even topping the awesome grammy winning M2. The music follows Marcus's regular formula which is to mix originals & hip cover material usually from the past with instrumental & vocal tunes. Marcus follows that formula to the letter getting one of my favorite female vocalists Gretchen Parlato to guest along side Rueben Blades on track 5 Ivan Lins "Brazilian Wedding Song". Dr. John does a grooving version of Janelle Monae's hit "Tightrope"on track 12. The rest of the music is made up of instrumentals written by Miller with some very cool covers given Miller's signature urban jazz funk treatment.

The musicians are some of music's finest with a big portion of the music handled by Marcus's road band with Louis Cato on drums, Kris Bowers on piano & Fender Rhodes, Adam Agati on electric guitar, Alex Han on alto sax & Maurice Brown on trumpet.

There are also guest appearances by Adam Rogers on acoustic & electric guitar on five tracks who's one of NYC's best jazz guitarists. Trumpeter Sean Jones appears on four tracks including track 9 Wendel Irwing's Mr. Clean made famous by trumpeter Freddie Hubbard.

Here's a few musical moments that are personal high points. The album opens with another potential bass anthem "Detroit" like "Power" was to M2. "Detroit" is a driving funk jazz piece with a tight bass & electric guitar unison line opening the tune with tight punches from the alto sax of Alex Han & the trumpet of Maurice Brown. I was especially impressed with the guitar playing of Adam Agati who I personally have never heard of until now. Track 4 is an enjoyable arrangement of War's hit "Slippin Into Darkness" which features killer solos by Adam Rogers & Sean Jones, also present are Alex Han on alto & Maurice Brown on trumpet.

As I mentioned earlier Miller recasts Wendel Irwing's Mr. Clean on track 9 with the expanded band of Rogers & Jones joining Miller's road band, it's given an up beat almost go go beat treatment, halfway thru the tune Miller breaks it down with one of his heroic slap bass solos. Marcus is without question one of the bass worlds most original solo voices right along side Victor Wooten & Stanley Clarke. Track 10 "Cee Tee Eye" is a hard hitting fusion jam saluting the legendary record label of Creed Taylor. Track 11 "Goree or (Go Ray) is probably my favorite tune, it features Marcus on bass clarinet & acoustic bass blowing a moody ballad that starts slow at first but by the time the bridge happens the dynamic has picked up with Louis Cato providing very cool grooves with brushes or maybe lighting rods. Marcus closes the album with a beautiful all bass version of the Berry Gordie penned tune "I'll Be There" first made famous by a young Michael Jackson, it's a nice simple but very beautiful way to finish a great album.

I'll close this review by saying if your already a fan of Marcus's past efforts then have no fear & get this album. If you liked Marcus's earlier stuff like Tales & Live & More but haven't checked out any of his more recent work then do yourself a favor & re-acquaint yourself with Miller's Renaissance you won't be disappointed.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Masterpiece September 6, 2012

By Carol A. Cunningham, M.D.

Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase

I have followed the career of Marcus Miller since his early days when he collaborated with David Sanborn, and he is one of the most talented bassist on the planet. This CD is, by far, THE BEST work he has every created and serves as proof that the sky is certainly not the limit for Marcus Miller! Like a fine wine, he just gets better and better.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Uninspired songwriting drags this one down March 1, 2013

By DoctorD

Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase

I bought this album about three months ago based on all the 5-star recommendations here. Since then I've given it plenty of chances, but it is simply not one of those albums that I can't stop listening to - a prerequisite for a 5-star rating in my book. I find myself turning it off instead.

Miller is a obviously a predigious talent and Alex Tan deserves more renown for his clever and original soloing. But Miller is a better bass player than a composer. The charts here don't hold my interest. It's no accident the most engaging track is Janelle Monae's "Tightrope". Too many of the other pieces here are simply boring and repetitive. The kind that sound great on the preview, but wear out their welcome over 4 minutes.

Maybe Miller's style is just not something I'm into, but I bet in 3 years a lot of the 5-star reviewers will be wondering why they thought this album was so great.