Review by Keith "MuzikMan" Hannaleck
4 stars out of 4
When you think of great jazz fusion bass players names like Jaco Pastorious
come to mind, in fact if you do a search using Google for jazz fusion
bass players his name is the first to come up. I think there is another
name that should be in the same league as Jaco, his name is Marcus
Miller. I really cannot think of any active bass player that is better
right now. Miller has it nailed down for eclectic bass playing, period.
He is veteran studio man and has been on countless recordings. His
website discography list an astounding number of titles (500 and counting)
that has him credited for performing on. I do not think there are
many recording artist, if any, that could even come close to that
breadth and scope of work.
Miller has a few solo albums of his own, and the latest and his best
work is this two-disc set The Ozell Tapes/The Official Bootleg-Marcus
Miller Live. In the span of two CDs, Miller takes you through
lively and funky covers (I Loves You Porgy and People Make the World
Go 'Round), his personal tributes to the inspirational and legendary
music of Miles Davis (So What) and John Coltrane (Lonnie's Lament),
plus his own brand of original grooves (Scoop, Panther, and more).
He does a wild version of the Talking Heads classic fusion-funk-rock
track Burning Down The House. The tour de force of the entire set
is Miles/Marcus Medley: Hannibal/Amandla/Tutu. It is the embodiment
of jazz-fusion and it runs for over 19 minutes, leaving no doubt who
the man is when it comes to playing more than one instrument and doing
it with flair, excitement, taste, and with some kind of unexplainable
spiritual synchronization with the ghost of all the greats he pays tribute to.
Miller is not only a producer; he is a polished and perceptive studio
genius that also plays many different instruments besides the bass
including the bass clarinet, soprano saxophone and keyboards. Who
in their right mind would not want this man in the studio to assist
in recording an album? He has everything going for him and unmatched
experienced crafting genres of music such as fusion, soul, smooth,
crossover and progressive jazz. That is about nearly every sub-genre
there is in jazz! Marcus is one incredible talent on display in a
live setting. I loved the M2 album in 2001 but I never imagined
that he was this versatile, multi-talented, and crossover adept as
what I heard on these two wonderful discs, wow! Usually expressions
like Kick Ass are reserved for rock albums, I am making an exception
to the rule right here, this live CD set kicks ass!
Graceful like a bird and powerful like a panther, this is Marcus Miller
and this is his music. If you do not check out the brilliance of this
mans artistry, you will surely be missing one of the greatest performers
that have ever walked on this planet in our time.
CD 1
1. Intro performed by Epting, Big Doug - 1:07
2. Power - 6:03
3. So What - 8:54
4. Lonnie's Lament - 10:52
5. Cousin John - 10:41
6. Scoop - 12:27
7. I Loves You Porgy - 9:27
8. Panther - 11:21
CD 2
1. 3 Deuces - 6:23
2. Your Amazing Grace - 10:42
3. Nikki's Groove - 5:09
4. When Your Life Was Low - 8:08
5. Burning Down the House - 6:33
6. People Make the World Go 'Round - 11:07
7. Killing Me Softly - 6:43
8. Miles/Marcus Medley: Hannibal/Amandla/Tutu - 19:11
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