A resident of Denver since he was 11, he began playing the trumpet seriously in junior high school and studied music at the University of Denver (1981-1985) and the Manhattan School of Music (1986). Miles says that living in Denver has given him an appreciation for a broad array of musical styles that he might not have acquired elsewhere. “Country and Western music, Latin, jazz, and rock are all popular here, so you find yourself trying out a lot of ideas with other musicians and gaining a healthy respect for the music,” he explains.
Ron Miles was widely recognized as a musical director and arranger with the release of Ginger Baker’s Coward of the County (Atlantic 1999). His compositions anchor that record and highlight the varied influences from which Ron draws inspiration. Hailed as an inventive composer and gifted trumpeter on his solo releases, Ron cruised through the 1990s with a series of well-received releases on Gramavision (My Cruel Heart, Woman’s Day) and Capri (Witness, Ron Miles Trio).
In 2002 Ron slowed it down for a quiet, intimate recording with friend and master jazz guitarist Bill Frisell. Heaven again showcases Ron’s talent as an arranger, particularly on Hank Williams’ “Your Cheatin’ Heart” and Bob Dylan’s “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall” (which Ron heard for the first time in the sessions!) According to Bill Frisell, “What is so exciting about Ron is that he really has his own voice. It seems like everything that is going on right now is either very conservative or it rejects everything. Ron has found a way to include everything and not reject things, and still be his own person.” Miles said of his playing with Bill, “I think we share a fondness for striking melody, patience and the importance of individual timbre.”
Tracks
01. Finger Palace
02. Howard Beach
03. Erase Yourself
04. My Cruel Heart
05. Naked
06. Fire Downtown
07. Boy Gone
08. Say It Loud
09. Rachel Has A Secret
10. Hosea & Gomer
RON MILES trumpet
ARTIE MOORE bass
RUDY ROYSTON drums
FARRELL LOWE guitar
TODD AYERS guitar
EDDIE TURNER guitar
FRED HESS tenor saxophone
AL MOORE organ
ERIC MOON piano
KARI MILES flute
JOHN STUBBS sinthesizer, samples
ARNIE SWENSON guitar
DAVE WILLY guitar
All compositions by Ron Miles
Recorded at kerr/Macy Recording Studios, Denver, CO
GRAMMAVISION GCD 79510, 1996