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Miles Donahue

Grammy award winning Boston Globe jazz critic Bob Blumenthal says, “Discover a jazz treasure. Miles Donahue is one of the best-kept secrets. Equally adept on trumpet and various saxophones and a composer of grace and originality…”

Miles Donahue’s jazz career did not begin in earnest until age 45. Although in the '60s he performed at many venues with his own group that featured Harvey Swartz, Jerry Bergonzi, Charlie Banacos, Nick Goumas and Jack Diefendorf. One of these concerts in 1972 performed with Charlie Banacos and Jerry Bergonzi became known as the famous Arlington street Church Concert.

In the '80s Miles did two albums for which he wrote all the original material with New York Philharmonic flutist Paige Brook. These two albums were released on Tioch records.

In 1992 Miles first major recording as a jazz leader was released on the Holland label Timeless Records “Double Dribble” featured Kenny Werner piano, Bruce Gertz bass and George Schuller drums. A review of this recording in Saxaphone Journal reads, “Very few musicians today have the diversity and hidden talents Miles Donahue possesses. His phrasing of tenor and trumpet, the harmonic sophistication he plays with and his ability to swing with incredible beauty, all lead to a master musician. This is one of the best CDs I’ve heard in years.

In a Jazziz magazine review of “The Good Listener” released in 1994 on the Italian label “Ram Records” the reviewer says, like Benny Carter and Ira Sullivan, Miles Donahue is a rare example of someone whose strong personality asserts itself without hesitation whether he’s picking up trumpet or saxophone.”

“Simple Pleasures” also on Ram Records was Miles next recording released in 1998. This recording featured Kenny Werner piano, George Garzone saxophone, Mick Goodrick guitar, Billy Hart drums and Bruce Gertz bass.

Miles last release September, 2001 Amerigo Records “In The Pocket” features Fred Hersch piano, Jerry Bergonzi saxophone, Jamey Haddad drums, Kurt Rosenwinkle guitar and Jay Anderson bass.

In an interview in Saxophone Journal Jerry Bergonzi said, “Miles Donahue is one of my favorite cats because he plays so unique and fresh. Plus the thing of trumpet and sax. To this day I’ve never heard anyone play trumpet and tenor so balanced.”

In 2002 Miles did a series of concerts with former Jazz Messenger sidemen Curtis Fuller and Billy Pierce.

Here is what Steve Greenlee (Boston Globe critic) had to say about Miles Donahue’s latest project (a four album set of standards featuring more than 20 different musicians), “Wow, what a massive impressive project.” These albums were released April 2003.

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10
Album Review

Miles Donahue: Just Passing Thru

Read "Just Passing Thru" reviewed by Jack Bowers


Miles Donahue is a versatile musician, a talent that serves him well on Just Passing Thru, an album wherein he not only plays soprano, alto and tenor saxophones, trumpet and keyboards but also wrote all but one of the session's nine selections. This is basically a quintet with guitarist Mike Stern added on the last three tracks, guitarist Sal Difusco and accordionist Joey Barbato on one each. Barbato is an especially welcome addition on the closer, “Ireland," a nod to ...

3
Album Review

Miles Donahue: The Bug

Read "The Bug" reviewed by Jack Bowers


People who have an aversion to bugs (do you know any?) may hesitate to purchase (or even review) an album whose title epitomizes the very thing they abhor. But even though multi-instrumentalist Miles Donahue's new album does nod to that often-despised creature and even includes a song by that name, there is more to it than that; one might even say that Donahue removed the most of the “bugs" from the studio before he and his colleagues started recording.

158
Multiple Reviews

Miles Donahue: Pocket Prolific

Read "Miles Donahue: Pocket Prolific" reviewed by Jerry D'Souza


Multi-instrumentalist Miles Donahue certainly packs it in when it comes to recording. In 2003, he was inspired enough by the classic American songbook to release a set of four albums which he called Standards: Volumes I-IV. This time around he is more circumspect, releasing just two CDs simultaneously.

Donahue is no doubt a man of ideas. He writes with his focus on the mainstream, but he keeps his compositions diverse, a move that makes his work interesting. He adds further ...

172
Album Review

The Miles Donahue Quintet: In The Pocket

Read "In The Pocket" reviewed by Michael P. Gladstone


In contrast with the contemporaneous release Bounce, In the Pocket shows a different side of the saxonphonist, trumpeter and composer Miles Donahue. Donahue has assembled a bigger combo with even more firepower on this session, including tenor player Jerry Bergonzi, pianist Fred Hersch, bassist Jay Anderson and drummer Jamey Haddad. They are joined by guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel on four tracks and bassist Dan Greenspan on two compositions.

On many of the tracks that feature a two-tenor front line, ...

212
Album Review

Miles Donahue: Bounce

Read "Bounce" reviewed by Michael P. Gladstone


The release of two simultaneous albums (Bounce and In the Pocket) gives a rare opportunity to hear this saxophonist/trumpeter and composer in different settings, both showcasing his ability to straight-ahead bebop performances. On half of the tracks on Bounce, Donahue leads a quintet, and on the other half he leads a quartet plus three additional musicians. The well-equipped quartet consists of pianist Joey Calderazzo, bassist John Lockwood and drummer Adam Nussbaum. The other cast features Calderazzo, bassist John Patitucci, and ...

289
Album Review

Pamela Hines: Twilight World

Read "Twilight World" reviewed by Jim Santella


Pianist Pamela Hines puts her quartet through a powerfully driven modern mainstream session on Twilight World, which also includes searing ballads and heartfelt blues. With tenor saxophonist Jerry Bergonzi, she interprets a program of pert originals and other fresh themes.

Marian McPartland's “Twilight World" serves as the album's centerpiece, with its flowing melody and light Latin beat. The pianist provides a strong foundation for Bergonzi's articulate tenor, applying sparkling counterpoint that flows naturally. Her solo interludes give each ...

213
Album Review

Pamela Hines: Twilight World

Read "Twilight World" reviewed by Paul Olson


Massachusetts pianist Pamela Hines has an elegantly swinging style with nimble, precise soloing and a great, autonomous left hand. Too bad there's not more of her on her CD Twilight World. She's got a great-sounding supporting cast in drummer Reed Deiffenbach, fretless electric bassist David Hines, acoustic bassist John Lockwood (these two split the album's nine songs between themselves), and tenor master Jerry Bergonzi. So where's Hines?Bergonzi's a journeyman player who knows his way around a tenor as ...

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1

Recording

A Welcome Guest: On 'Just Passing Thru' Miles Donahue Makes Himself Comfortable

A Welcome Guest: On 'Just Passing Thru' Miles Donahue Makes Himself Comfortable

Source: Mixed Media Promotion

Miles Donahue’s latest album, coming on the heels of The Bug (Whaling City Sound, 2017), Just Passing Thru is large in scope and beautiful in execution. The absurdly talented player, vibrant on both tenor and soprano saxophones, trumpet and keyboard, shows just how broad his musical wingspan is. It certainly helps that he has an amazing crew behind him. Joe Santerre provides power grooves on electric bass as does Larry Finn on drums. They are joined by percussionist Ricardo Monzon, ...

“Miles Donahue is one of my favorite cats because he plays so unique and fresh. Plus the thing of trumpet and sax. To this day I’ve never heard anyone play trumpet and tenor so balanced.”

—Jerry Bergonzi, Saxophone Journal

“Like the late Benny Carter, Donahue plays thoughtful, impassioned and unfrilly saxophones and harbors romantic penchants”

—Fred Bouchard, DOWNBEAT MAGAZINE

Primary Instrument

Saxophone, tenor

Location

Boston

Willing to teach

Intermediate to advanced

Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Just Passing Thru

Whaling City Sound
2021

buy

The Bug

Whaling City Sound
2017

buy

Truckin'

Amerigo Records
2015

buy

In The Pocket / Bounce

Amerigo Records
2007

buy

Bounce

Amerigo Records
2006

buy

In The Pocket

Amerigo Records
2006

buy

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