The Marcus Miller Interview: The Man, The Myth, The Legend

A modern master of the electric bass, Marcus Miller has been landing dream gigs for the best part of 40 years. Since his heady introduction to the New York studio scene in the mid-70s, he has worked with a who’s who of R&B and pop superstars including the likes of Luther Vandross, George Benson, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Eric Clapton, Al Jarreau, Paul Simon, Whitney Houston, Jay Z and Chaka Khan. His passion for jazz and instrumental music has also landed him gigs with some of the biggest names in jazz from Herbie Hancock and McCoy Tyner to Wayne Shorter, Dizzy Gillespie and Miles Davis.

As if all these achievements weren’t enough, Marcus has also forged a solid solo career, formed a bass supergroup with Stanley Clarke and Victor Wooten, and made a name for himself as a producer, arranger and multi-instrumentalist. He’s written for film too, including soundtracks for the 1992 Eddie Murphy film ‘Boomerang’, ‘The Great White Hype’ starring Samuel L Jackson and ‘Obsessed’ starring Beyonce Knowles. You have to ask yourself… is there anything Marcus Miller can’t do?

So when he stopped by our little studio in London to talk about Miles Davis, playing bass with Luther Vandross and the fallout from slapping Jaco’s Teen Town, we had to find out more about what makes Marcus a true genius of the bass, and which tracks are a must-listen from his incredible discography.

Born in Brooklyn, New York in 1959, Marcus was raised in Rochdale Village in the Jamaica section of Queens. Inspired by his father who was a church organist, he started out on the clarinet aged 10, before switching to saxophone and finally getting hooked on the bass guitar at 13. His proficiency on the clarinet earned Marcus a place at New York’s prestigious High School of Music and Art and then Queen’s College, while his superhero range on the bass led to his first pro gigs with the likes of Lonnie Liston Smith and Harlem River Drive, where he first became interested in composition.

In 1977 aged just 18, Marcus was hired for his first professional recording session for flutist Bobbi Humphrey. In fact, it was his rhythm section partner in that band, drummer Buddy Williams, who got him an audition for the Saturday Night Live band, where he also met saxophonist David Sanborn. Sanborn invited Marcus to work on his Voyeur album and subsequent tours, which marked the start of a partnership that lasted for some 25 years from 1975 through to 2000, a period that included some of Miller’s earliest production work. He also wrote several songs for Sanborn, including ‘Chicago Song’ and ‘Run for Cover.’

“I was probably 18 or 19 when I wrote Run for Cover. I remember I had just got a 4-track, reel-to-reel tape recorder and that was a big deal back then! I was excited to be able to overdub and make music on my own”

By this time Marcus had become a permanent fixture on the New York session scene, getting calls for jingles as well as session dates for some seriously hard-hitting albums. Having joined Roberta Flack’s band, Marcus got to know a backup singer named Luther Vandross, and so began another significant chapter in his career. The partnership provided R&B with one of its most definitive sounds and gave Marcus another opportunity to flex his muscles as a producer. It was a partnership that sold millions of records, including the classic 1981 hit ‘Never Too Much’.

“My sound is the result of being in New York and just doing session after session after session. It was a real business and you had to get in there, read the chart, and get out!”

By the time legendary trumpeter Miles Davis called, Marcus was still only 22, but in great shape to follow in the footsteps of his cousin, pianist Wynton Kelly, who had appeared on the iconic Kind of Blue back in 1959. Miller was recruited by Davis, and went on to collaborate on albums like Tutu, Amandla and The Man with the Horn.

“Miles was like a musical father to me. I would say my bass style solidified on The Man with the Horn and my composing took giant strides beginning with Tutu.”

Though in constant demand as a sideman, Marcus has also enjoyed a prolific solo career, with several unbelievable recordings to his name including his first instrumental album in 1992 – the Grammy nominated The Sun Don’t Lie. There are many highlights on that album – from his monstrous bass workouts on ‘Panther’ to the slapped version of the infamous Jaco Pastorius tune ‘Teen Town’ all while retaining maximum phatness with his signature Jazz Bass tone.

The Jazz Bass in question was made in 1977 and for many years has remained the key to the Marcus Miller sound. It features a natural finish, ash body, maple neck, stock pickups, a Badass Bass II bridge and a Sadowsky modified onboard preamp. There have been times when Marcus has turned to other basses during his career, including fretless Fodera and Modulus basses, Sadowsky 4- and 5-strings and a 5-string F Bass. His most recent weapon of choice is the result of a signature line with Sire Instruments – namely the Sire V7.

And so there you have it. Whether holding it down in the studio or leading from the front with his own band, Marcus Miller is one of the most heralded bass players on the planet. An unbelievable soloist, a lyrical fretless player, Marcus wrote the rule book when it comes to playing in the pocket and has every technique imaginable under his fingers – but despite his stratospheric technical chops, his overriding legacy is one of laying down the groove and serving the song.