Home » Jazz Musicians » Barry Miles

Barry Miles

Barry Miles was considered a child prodigy: he began playing drums when he was three, piano at five and joined the Musicians Union when he was nine. Miles played drums professionally from the age of ten, including sitting in with the Woody Herman Orchestra. At age 12, he recorded his first album as a leader on drums, leading a sextet that included pianist Duke Jordan. As a teenager, he studied classical piano and soon switched instruments. Originally a bop-oriented player, Miles leaned towards fusion by the late 1960s, often playing electric piano and synthesizer. He led Barry Miles & Silverlight for several years (his sidemen at various times included Woody Shaw, John Abercrombie and Al DiMeola), worked as Roberta Flack's musical director in the early '80s to the mid-'90s, and became a studio musician in New York. Miles has led albums for the Charlie Parker label (1961), Venture (1966), Poppy (1969-70), Mainstream (1971-72), London (1974-1975), Gryphon (1977), and others. Source: Scott Yanow

Tags

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Fusion Is...

Double-Time Records
1978

buy

Magic Theater

Double-Time Records
1975

buy

Barry Miles And...

Double-Time Records
1974

buy

Scatbird

Double-Time Records
1972

buy

White Heat

Mainstream Records
1971

buy

Miles Of Genius

Double-Time Records
1962

buy

Similar

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.