Stellar Fusion Era 11-Piece Band Features Miles Davis Alumni, Led By Vince Wilburn, Jr.

“With Davis nephew Vince Wilburn, Jr. laying down the drum slosh and former Miles percussionists Badal Roy, Mino Cinelu and Munyungo Jackson jolting the appreciative audience’s spines, the Miles Electric Band quickly pumped up a party vibe.” – LA Times

“An engrossing set of music whose only deficiency was that it ended too soon.” – Orange County Register

WHO: MILES ELECTRIC BAND

WHAT: Miles Electric Band features stellar fusion-era Miles Davis alumni, a rocking 11-piece improvising band that specializes in Davis’ wired-up and funky music circa late 1960s to ‘80s. Led by the iconic musician’s nephew, producer/drummer Vince Wilburn, Jr., the band features many of the commanding musicians Davis tapped for his various jazz-rock ensembles, among them bassist Darryl Jones – who later played with Sting and currently performs with the Rolling Stones – pianist John Beasley, keyboardist Robert Irving III, percussionist Mino Cinelu, Indian tabla master Debasish Chaudhuri and P-Funk guitarist Blackbyrd McKnight.

Additionally the band includes saxophone ace Antoine Roney, DJ Logic on turntables, and the splendid Trinidad-born, Juilliard-educated trumpeter Etienne Charles, playing Davis’ parts, his way, on pieces from Jack Johnson, In a Silent Way and other classics. “A daring improviser, Charles also delivers with heart-wrenching lyricism,” wrote Jazz Times about the trumpeter, who, in the words of The New York Times, has “an almost classical sense of thematic organization.”

Mix maestro Jeremy Ellis is a special featured guest, bringing his unique, infectious live electronic music mix to Miles Electric Band.

Variety says: “Miles Electric Band leaped with a startling splash into the thick of the electric years, starting with the theme from “Jack Johnson” and working backwards through a swashbuckling “Spanish Key” to “In A Silent Way/It’s About That Time,” “Nefertiti” and finally forward to “Jean Pierre.” This was a Miles Davis sound that no one ever heard in concert at the time, an 11-member band that combined most of the complex, ever-changing goulash of ingredients from roughly 1968 to 1975 — including, astonishingly, the still-underestimated Indian influence as handled by tabla player Badal Roy. Trumpeter Nicholas Payton blasted merrily with “Bitches Brew” bravado, keyboardists John Beasley and Robert Irving III and DJ Logic (turntables) unleashed wild effects from their devices. Everyone rocked and socked, and it wasn’t nostalgic in the least.”

WHEN: SATURDAY, AUGUST 23, 2014

7:30 p.m.

Advance & onsite interview availability

WHERE: SF JAZZ CENTER

201 Franklin Street

San Francisco, CA 94102

For tickets and information, 866-920-5299, www.sfjazz.org

COMMENTS: Miles Davis is one of the most innovative, influential and respected figures in the history of music. He is credited with changing the course of music four-to-five times and has been at the forefront of jazz for decades, setting trends and exploring musical styles from bebop through cool jazz, fusion and funk. His landmark album Kind Of Blue remains the most significant and greatest selling jazz album of all-time. Congress unanimously honored Kind Of Blue by the passing of H. Con. Res. 894, reaffirming the work as a national treasure.

Davis was also honored by the U.S. Postal Service and France’s La Poste with a best-selling Forever Stamp, together with Edith Piaf.