Marcus Miller
Encyclopedia
Marcus Miller is an American
jazz
composer
, producer
, and multi-instrumentalist
. Miller is best known as a bass
ist, working with trumpeter Miles Davis
, singer Luther Vandross
, and saxophonist David Sanborn
, as well as maintaining a prolific solo career. Miller is classically trained as a clarinet
ist and also plays keyboards
, saxophone
and guitar
.
. By 13, Marcus was proficient on clarinet, piano and bass guitar, and already writing songs. Two years later he was working regularly in New York City, eventually playing bass and writing music for jazz flautist Bobbi Humphrey and keyboardist Lonnie Liston Smith. Miller soon became a first call session musician, gracing well over 500 albums, a short list of which includes Michael Jackson, Herbie Hancock, Mariah Carey, Wayne Shorter, McCoy Tyner, Frank Sinatra, Dr. John, Aretha Franklin, Elton John, Grover Washington Jr., Donald Fagen, Bill Withers, Chaka Khan, LL Cool J, Me'shell Ndegé Ocello and Flavio Sala.
Miller spent approximately 15 years performing as a sideman
or session musician
, observing how band leaders operated. During that time he also did a lot of arranging and producing. He was a member of the Saturday Night Live
band 1978-1979. He wrote the intro to Aretha Franklin's 'I Wanna Make It Up To You'. He has played bass on over 500 recordings including those of Luther Vandross
, Grover Washington Jr., Roberta Flack
, Carly Simon
, McCoy Tyner
, Bryan Ferry
and Billy Idol
. He won the "Most Valuable Player" award, (awarded by NARAS to recognize studio musicians) three years in a row and was subsequently awarded "player emeritus" status and retired from eligibility. In the nineties, Miller began to make his own records, putting a band together to take advantage of touring opportunities.
Miller's proficiency on his main instrument, the bass guitar, is generally well-regarded. Not only has Miller been involved in the continuing development of the technique known as "slapping
", particularly his "thumb" technique, but his fretless bass technique has also served as an inspiration to many, and he has taken the fretless bass into musical contexts and genres previously unexplored. The influences of some of the previous generation of electric bass players, such as Larry Graham
, Stanley Clarke
, and Jaco Pastorius
, are audible in Miller's playing. Early in his career, Miller was accused of being simply imitative of Pastorius, but has since more fully integrated the latter's methodology into his own sound.
Miller has an extensive discography, and tours frequently and widely in Europe
and Japan
.
Between 1988 and 1990 he appeared in the first season and again toward the end as both the musical director and also as the house band bass player in the Sunday Night Band during the two seasons of the acclaimed music performance program Sunday Night
on NBC
late-night television.
As a composer, Miller wrote "Tutu" for Miles Davis, a piece that defined Davis's career in the late 1980s, and was the title track of Davis's album Tutu
, upon which Miller wrote all the songs with only two exceptions, and one of those was co-written with Davis. He also composed "Chicago Song" for David Sanborn
and co-wrote "'Til My Baby Comes Home", "It's Over Now", "For You to Love", and "Power of Love
" for Luther Vandross
. Miller also wrote "Da Butt", which was featured in Spike Lee
's School Daze
.
s as a producer for Miles Davis, Luther Vandross, David Sanborn, Bob James
, Chaka Khan
and Wayne Shorter
. He won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Song
in 1992, for Luther Vandross' "Power of Love
" and in 2001 he won for Best Contemporary Jazz Album
for his fourth solo instrumental album, M2.
Miller currently has his own band
. In 1997 he played bass and bass clarinet in a band called Legends, featuring Eric Clapton
(guitars and vocals), Joe Sample
(piano), David Sanborn (alto sax) and Steve Gadd
(drums). It was an 11-date tour of major jazz festivals in Europe.
In addition to his recording and performance career, Miller has established a parallel career as a film score
composer. He has written numerous scores for films featuring Eddie Murphy
, L.L. Cool J, Chris Rock
, Matthew Perry
, Samuel L. Jackson
and others. He composed the musical score for the Chris Rock-created sit-com
, Everybody Hates Chris
, now in syndication on Nick-At Nite.
in four- (made in Japan) and five-string (made in U.S) versions. He uses EBS amplifiers as well as some effects pedals.
Luther Vandross period
Grover Washington jr period
David Sanborn period (1975–2000)
Miles Davis period (1980–1990)
The Jamaica Boys period (1986–1990)
Film scores
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, and multi-instrumentalist
Multi-instrumentalist
A multi-instrumentalist is a musician who plays a number of different instruments.The Bachelor of Music degree usually requires a second instrument to be learned , but people who double on another instrument are not usually seen as multi-instrumentalists.-Classical music:Music written for Symphony...
. Miller is best known as a bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
ist, working with trumpeter Miles Davis
Miles Davis
Miles Dewey Davis III was an American jazz musician, trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. Widely considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Miles Davis was, with his musical groups, at the forefront of several major developments in jazz music, including bebop, cool jazz,...
, singer Luther Vandross
Luther Vandross
Luther Ronzoni Vandross was an American singer-songwriter and record producer. During his career, Vandross sold over twenty-five million albums and won eight Grammy Awards including Best Male R&B Vocal Performance four times...
, and saxophonist David Sanborn
David Sanborn
David Sanborn is an American alto saxophonist. Though Sanborn has worked in many genres, his solo recordings typically blend jazz with instrumental pop and R&B. He released his first solo album Taking Off in 1975, but has been playing the saxophone since before he was in high school...
, as well as maintaining a prolific solo career. Miller is classically trained as a clarinet
Clarinet
The clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
ist and also plays keyboards
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
and guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
.
Early life
Miller was born in 1959 and raised in a musical family that includes his father, William Miller (a church organist and choir director) and jazz pianist Wynton KellyWynton Kelly
Wynton Kelly was a Jamaican-born jazz pianist, who spent his career in the United States. He is perhaps best known for working with trumpeter Miles Davis from 1959-1962.-Biography:...
. By 13, Marcus was proficient on clarinet, piano and bass guitar, and already writing songs. Two years later he was working regularly in New York City, eventually playing bass and writing music for jazz flautist Bobbi Humphrey and keyboardist Lonnie Liston Smith. Miller soon became a first call session musician, gracing well over 500 albums, a short list of which includes Michael Jackson, Herbie Hancock, Mariah Carey, Wayne Shorter, McCoy Tyner, Frank Sinatra, Dr. John, Aretha Franklin, Elton John, Grover Washington Jr., Donald Fagen, Bill Withers, Chaka Khan, LL Cool J, Me'shell Ndegé Ocello and Flavio Sala.
Professional career
Sideman
A sideman is a professional musician who is hired to perform or record with a group of which he or she is not a regular member. They often tour with solo acts as well as bands and jazz ensembles. Sidemen are generally required to be adaptable to many different styles of music, and so able to fit...
or session musician
Session musician
Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...
, observing how band leaders operated. During that time he also did a lot of arranging and producing. He was a member of the Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
band 1978-1979. He wrote the intro to Aretha Franklin's 'I Wanna Make It Up To You'. He has played bass on over 500 recordings including those of Luther Vandross
Luther Vandross
Luther Ronzoni Vandross was an American singer-songwriter and record producer. During his career, Vandross sold over twenty-five million albums and won eight Grammy Awards including Best Male R&B Vocal Performance four times...
, Grover Washington Jr., Roberta Flack
Roberta Flack
Roberta Flack is an American singer, songwriter, and musician who is notable for jazz, soul, R&B, and folk music...
, Carly Simon
Carly Simon
Carly Elisabeth Simon is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and children's author. She rose to fame in the 1970s with a string of hit records, and has since been the recipient of two Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, and a Golden Globe Award for her work...
, McCoy Tyner
McCoy Tyner
McCoy Tyner is a jazz pianist from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, known for his work with the John Coltrane Quartet and a long solo career.-Early life:...
, Bryan Ferry
Bryan Ferry
Bryan Ferry, CBE is an English singer, musician, and songwriter. Ferry came to public prominence in the early 1970s as lead vocalist and principal songwriter with the band Roxy Music, who enjoyed a highly successful career with three number one albums and ten singles entering the top ten charts in...
and Billy Idol
Billy Idol
William Michael Albert Broad , better known by his stage name Billy Idol, is an English rock musician. A member of the Bromley Contingent of Sex Pistols fans, Idol first achieved fame in the punk rock era as a member of the band Generation X...
. He won the "Most Valuable Player" award, (awarded by NARAS to recognize studio musicians) three years in a row and was subsequently awarded "player emeritus" status and retired from eligibility. In the nineties, Miller began to make his own records, putting a band together to take advantage of touring opportunities.
Miller's proficiency on his main instrument, the bass guitar, is generally well-regarded. Not only has Miller been involved in the continuing development of the technique known as "slapping
Slapping
In music, the term slapping is often used to refer to two different playing techniques used on the double bass and on the bass guitar.-Double bass:...
", particularly his "thumb" technique, but his fretless bass technique has also served as an inspiration to many, and he has taken the fretless bass into musical contexts and genres previously unexplored. The influences of some of the previous generation of electric bass players, such as Larry Graham
Larry Graham
Larry Graham, Jr. is an African American bass guitar player, both with the popular and influential psychedelic soul/funk band Sly & the Family Stone, and as the founder and frontman of Graham Central Station...
, Stanley Clarke
Stanley Clarke
Stanley Clarke is an American jazz musician and composer known for his innovative and influential work on double bass and electric bass guitar as well as for his numerous film and television scores...
, and Jaco Pastorius
Jaco Pastorius
John Francis Anthony Pastorius III , known as Jaco Pastorius, was an American jazz musician and composer widely acknowledged as a virtuoso electric bass player....
, are audible in Miller's playing. Early in his career, Miller was accused of being simply imitative of Pastorius, but has since more fully integrated the latter's methodology into his own sound.
Miller has an extensive discography, and tours frequently and widely in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
Between 1988 and 1990 he appeared in the first season and again toward the end as both the musical director and also as the house band bass player in the Sunday Night Band during the two seasons of the acclaimed music performance program Sunday Night
Sunday Night
Sunday Night, later named Michelob Presents Night Music, was a late-night television show which aired for two seasons between 1988 and 1990. The show featured performers in a wide variety of musical genres but was particularly known as a showcase for jazz and electric music. It was hosted by Jools...
on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
late-night television.
As a composer, Miller wrote "Tutu" for Miles Davis, a piece that defined Davis's career in the late 1980s, and was the title track of Davis's album Tutu
Tutu (album)
Tutu is an album released in 1986 by trumpeter Miles Davis on Warner Bros. Records.Originally planned as a collaboration with pop singer/songwriter Prince, Davis ultimately worked with bassist/multi-instrumentalist Marcus Miller...
, upon which Miller wrote all the songs with only two exceptions, and one of those was co-written with Davis. He also composed "Chicago Song" for David Sanborn
David Sanborn
David Sanborn is an American alto saxophonist. Though Sanborn has worked in many genres, his solo recordings typically blend jazz with instrumental pop and R&B. He released his first solo album Taking Off in 1975, but has been playing the saxophone since before he was in high school...
and co-wrote "'Til My Baby Comes Home", "It's Over Now", "For You to Love", and "Power of Love
Power of Love/Love Power
Power of Love/Love Power is the title of a number-one R&B hit by Luther Vandross released on April 9, 1991 as the lead single from his 1991 breakthrough album...
" for Luther Vandross
Luther Vandross
Luther Ronzoni Vandross was an American singer-songwriter and record producer. During his career, Vandross sold over twenty-five million albums and won eight Grammy Awards including Best Male R&B Vocal Performance four times...
. Miller also wrote "Da Butt", which was featured in Spike Lee
Spike Lee
Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee is an American film director, producer, writer, and actor. His production company, 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks, has produced over 35 films since 1983....
's School Daze
School Daze
School Daze is a 1988 American musical-drama film, written and directed by Spike Lee, and starring Laurence Fishburne, Giancarlo Esposito, and Tisha Campbell-Martin...
.
Personal life
Miller has a wife and four children: two daughters and two sons, one of whom, Jon, recently graduated from Columbia University and now works for radio and television host Glenn Beck.Grammy Awards
Miller has won numerous Grammy AwardGrammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
s as a producer for Miles Davis, Luther Vandross, David Sanborn, Bob James
Bob James (musician)
Robert McElhiney James is a jazz keyboardist, arranger and producer.-Biography:During the 1970s, Bob James played a major role in establishing the smooth jazz genre. "Angela", the instrumental theme from the sitcom Taxi, is probably Bob James' most well-known work to date...
, Chaka Khan
Chaka Khan
Chaka Khan , frequently known as the Queen of Funk, is a 10-time Grammy Award winning American singer-songwriter who gained fame in the 1970s as the frontwoman and focal point of the funk band Rufus. While still a member of the group in 1978, Khan embarked on a successful solo career...
and Wayne Shorter
Wayne Shorter
Wayne Shorter is an American jazz saxophonist and composer.He is generally acknowledged to be jazz's greatest living composer, and many of his compositions have become standards...
. He won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Song
Grammy Award for Best R&B Song
The Grammy Award for Best R&B Song has been awarded since 1959. From 1969 to 2000 it was known as the Grammy Award for Best Rhythm & Blues Song, from 1962 to 1968 it was known as Best Rhythm & Blues Recording, and from 1959-1961 as Best Rhythm & Blues Performance...
in 1992, for Luther Vandross' "Power of Love
Power of Love/Love Power
Power of Love/Love Power is the title of a number-one R&B hit by Luther Vandross released on April 9, 1991 as the lead single from his 1991 breakthrough album...
" and in 2001 he won for Best Contemporary Jazz Album
Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Album
The Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Album was an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for works containing quality contemporary jazz performances...
for his fourth solo instrumental album, M2.
Miller currently has his own band
Bandleader
A bandleader is the leader of a band of musicians. The term is most commonly, though not exclusively, used with a group that plays popular music as a small combo or a big band, such as one which plays jazz, blues, rhythm and blues or rock and roll music....
. In 1997 he played bass and bass clarinet in a band called Legends, featuring Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton
Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...
(guitars and vocals), Joe Sample
Joe Sample
Joseph Leslie "Joe" Sample is an American pianist, keyboard player and composer.He is one of the founding members of the Jazz Crusaders, the band which became simply The Crusaders in 1971, and remained a part of the group until its final album in 1991 .- Biography :Sample began playing the piano...
(piano), David Sanborn (alto sax) and Steve Gadd
Steve Gadd
Steve Gadd is an American session and studio drummer, notable for his work with popular musicians from a wide range of genres.-Biography:...
(drums). It was an 11-date tour of major jazz festivals in Europe.
In addition to his recording and performance career, Miller has established a parallel career as a film score
Film score
A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film, forming part of the film's soundtrack, which also usually includes dialogue and sound effects...
composer. He has written numerous scores for films featuring Eddie Murphy
Eddie Murphy
Edward Regan "Eddie" Murphy is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, singer, director, and musician....
, L.L. Cool J, Chris Rock
Chris Rock
Christopher Julius "Chris" Rock III is an American comedian, actor, screenwriter, television producer, film producer and director. He was voted in the US as the 5th greatest stand-up comedian of all time by Comedy Central...
, Matthew Perry
Matthew Perry
Matthew Perry is Canadian-American television and film actor.Matthew Perry or Matt Perry may also refer to:*Matthew C. Perry , American naval officer who forcibly opened Japan to trade with the West...
, Samuel L. Jackson
Samuel L. Jackson
Samuel Leroy Jackson is an American film and television actor and film producer. After becoming involved with the Civil Rights Movement, he moved on to acting in theater at Morehouse College, and then films. He had several small roles such as in the film Goodfellas before meeting his mentor,...
and others. He composed the musical score for the Chris Rock-created sit-com
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
, Everybody Hates Chris
Everybody Hates Chris
Everybody Hates Chris is an African American television period sitcom inspired by the teenage experiences of comedian Chris Rock , while growing up in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York . The show is set from 1982 to 1987; however, Rock himself was a teenager during years...
, now in syndication on Nick-At Nite.
Instruments and gear
He plays a 1977 Fender Jazz Bass that was modified by Roger Sadowsky with the addition of a Bartolini preamp so he could control his sound in the studio. Fender currently produces a Marcus Miller signature Fender Jazz BassMarcus Miller signature Fender Jazz Bass
- The Marcus Miller Jazz Bass :The Marcus Miller Jazz Bass is Marcus Miller's signature bass, produced by Fender. Introduced in 1998, it is available in both 4 and 5 string versions . This bass builds on the typical Fender Jazz sound by adding a 2 band active EQ to the bass, allowing the "scooped...
in four- (made in Japan) and five-string (made in U.S) versions. He uses EBS amplifiers as well as some effects pedals.
Discography
Solo period (1982–present)- 1983: SuddenlySuddenly (Marcus Miller album)Suddenly is an album by Marcus Miller. The jazz rock album was released in 1983.The album was re-released in 1999.-Track listing:All tracks composed by Marcus Miller; except where indicated#"Lovin' You"#"Much Too Much"...
- 1984: Marcus MillerMarcus Miller (album)Marcus Miller is a Marcus Miller album released in the summer of 1984.-Track listing:All tracks composed by Marcus Miller#"Unforgettable"#"Is There Anything I Can Do"#"Superspy"#"Juice"#"I Could Give You More"#"Perfect Guy"...
- 1993: The Sun Don't LieThe Sun Don't LieThe Sun Don't Lie is an album by Marcus Miller, released in 1993, belonging to the jazz rock genre. The album was dedicated to Miles Davis.-Track listing:All tracks composed by Marcus Miller; except where indicated# "Panther" – 6:02...
- 1995: TalesTales (album)Tales is a 1995 studio album of Marcus Miller.-Track listing:All tracks composed by Marcus Miller; except where indicated# "The Blues" – 5:35# "Tales " – 0:12# "Tales" – 5:42...
- 1998: Live & MoreLive & More (Marcus Miller album)-Track listing:All tracks composed by Marcus Miller; except where indicated.#"Intro" - 2:26#"Panther" - 9:06#"Tutu" - 10:59#"Funny " - 12:42 #"Strange Fruit" - 3:56...
- 2000: Best of '82-'96
- 2001: M²M² (album)M2 is a 2001 album by Marcus Miller, and the winner of the 2002 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Album.-Track listing:All tracks composed by Marcus Miller; except where indicated# "Power" – 4:37# "Lonnie's Lament" – 5:39...
(2002 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Jazz AlbumGrammy Award for Best Contemporary Jazz AlbumThe Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Album was an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for works containing quality contemporary jazz performances...
) - 2002: The Ozell Tapes - Live 2001
- 2005: Silver RainSilver RainSilver Rain is an album by bassist Marcus Miller. It was released in 2005.-Track listing:# "Intro Duction" – 0:30# "Bruce Lee" – 5:23# "La Villette" – 5:54# "Behind The Smile" – 6:24# "Frankenstein" – 6:33# "Moonlight Sonata" – 7:38...
- 2007: FreeFree (Marcus Miller album)Free is an album by Jazz bassist Marcus Miller. It was released in 2007.The album's title track is a cover of the 1977 Deniece Williams song. UK soul singer Corinne Bailey Rae provided lead vocals. "Higher Ground" is a song originally by Stevie Wonder, and "What Is Hip" was originally performed...
- 2008: MarcusMarcus (album)Marcus is an album by Jazz bassist Marcus Miller. It was released in 2008.This is the US version of Marcus' previously released album Free...
- 2008: ThunderThunder (SMV album)Thunder is the debut album from bass supergroup SMV. The album was released on August 12, 2008.-Track listing:# "Maestros de Las Frecuencias Bajas" – 2:52# "Thunder" – 6:37...
(as SMVSMV (band)SMV is a bass supergroup formed in 2008. The group's name comes from the first initials of each of its members, Stanley Clarke, Marcus Miller, and Victor Wooten...
, with Stanley ClarkeStanley ClarkeStanley Clarke is an American jazz musician and composer known for his innovative and influential work on double bass and electric bass guitar as well as for his numerous film and television scores...
and Victor WootenVictor WootenVictor Lemonte Wooten is an American bass player, composer, author, and producer, and has been the recipient of five Grammy Awards....
) - 2010: A Night in Monte Carlo - Live 2009
- 2011: Tutu Revisited - Live 2010
Luther Vandross period
- 1983: "Busy Body"
- 1985: "The Night I Fell In Love"
- 1985: "'Til My Baby Comes Home"
- 1985: "It's Over Now"
- 1986: "I Really Didn't Mean It"
- 1986: "Never Too Much"
- 1986: "She Won't Talk To Me"
- 1986: "Give Me the Reason"
- 1987: "Stop to Love"
- 1987: "See Me"
- 1988: "Luther In Love - Megamix"
- 1988: "Any Love"
- 1989: "The Best of Love"
- 1989: "Come Back"
- 1991: "The Rush"
- 1991: "Power of Love / Love Power (Uno Clio & Colin and Carl Remix)"
- 1991: "Power of Love / Love Power"
- 1991: "Power of Love"
- 1993: "Never Let Me Go"
- 1993: "Heaven Knows"
- 1995: "This Is Christmas"
- 1995: "Power of Love / Love Power (The Frankie Knuckles Mixes)"
- 1996: "Your Secret Love"
- 1996: "I Can Make It Better"
- 1998: "I Know"
- 2001: "Luther Vandross"
- 2003: "Dance With My Father"
- 2007: "Love, Luther"
Grover Washington jr period
- 1984: Inside Moves
David Sanborn period (1975–2000)
- 1977: Lovesongs
- 1980: Hideaway
- 1981: VoyeurVoyeur (David Sanborn album)Voyeur is an album by American saxophonist David Sanborn that was released on the Warner Bros. label in 1981.This recording won the first of seven Grammy Awards that have been achieved by the saxophonist to date. The Allmusic review by Scott Yanow awards the album 4 stars and states: "This 1980...
- 1981: As We Speak
- 1982: Backstreet
- 1984: Straight to the Heart
- 1987: Change of Heart
- 1988: Close-Up
- 1991: Another Hand
- 1992: Upfront
- 1994: Hearsay
- 1995: Pearls
- 1996: Songs from the Night Before
- 1999: Inside
Miles Davis period (1980–1990)
- 1981: The Man with the HornThe Man with the HornThe Man with the Horn is an album released by Miles Davis in 1981, featuring drummer Al Foster, saxophonist Bill Evans, guitarists Mike Stern and Barry Finnerty, and others. It was Davis's first new release since 1975, following a six-year reclusive retirement.Rock-oriented in nature, the music...
- 1982: We Want MilesWe Want MilesWe Want Miles is double album recorded by jazz trumpeter Miles Davis in 1981, produced by Teo Macero and released by Columbia Records in 1982. The album features one of the first live appearances by Davis in more than five years, at the Boston Club “KIX”, on June 27, 1981. Other tracks are recorded...
- 1983: Star PeopleStar PeopleStar People is a 1983 album recorded by Miles Davis and issued by Columbia Records. To date, Columbia has not issued Star People on CD in North America, although it is available there as part of the box set Miles Davis: The Complete Columbia Album Collection; CBS/Sony have issued the album on CD in...
- 1986: TutuTutu (album)Tutu is an album released in 1986 by trumpeter Miles Davis on Warner Bros. Records.Originally planned as a collaboration with pop singer/songwriter Prince, Davis ultimately worked with bassist/multi-instrumentalist Marcus Miller...
- 1987: Music From SiestaMusic from SiestaMusic from Siesta is an album released in 1987 by Miles Davis and Marcus Miller. It is the soundtrack of the 1987 film Siesta, directed by Mary Lambert.-Track listing:...
- 1989: AmandlaAmandla (album)Amandla is an album by jazz musician Miles Davis, released in 1989. It is the third collaboration between Miles Davis and producer/bassist Marcus Miller, after Tutu and Music From Siesta , and their final album together. The album mixes elements of the genres go-go, zouk, funk and swing jazz,...
- 2002: The Complete Miles Davis at MontreuxThe Complete Miles Davis at MontreuxThe Complete Miles Davis at Montreux is a 2002 box set of 20 CDs comprising 11 appearances by Miles Davis at the Montreux Jazz Festival between 1973 and 1991.-Track listing:Disc 1...
The Jamaica Boys period (1986–1990)
- 1987: The Jamaica Boys
- 1989: The Jamaica Boys II: J. Boys
Film scores
- 1990: "House PartyHouse Party (film)House Party is a 1990 American comedy film released by New Line Cinema. It stars Kid and Play of the popular hip hop duo Kid 'n Play, and also stars Paul Anthony, Bow-Legged Lou, and B-Fine from Full Force, and Robin Harris . The film also starred Martin Lawrence, Tisha Campbell, A.J...
" (featuring Kid & Play) - 1992: "Boomerang" (featuring Eddie Murphy)
- 1994: "Above the RimAbove the RimAbove the Rim is a 1994 drama directed by Jeff Pollack. The screenplay was written by Pollack and journalist-turned-screenwriter Barry Michael Cooper , from a story by Pollack and Benny Medina....
" (featuring Tupac Shakur) - 1994: "A Low Down Dirty Shame" (featuring Keenan Ivory Wayans)
- 1996: "The Great White HypeThe Great White HypeThe Great White Hype is a 1996 film directed by Reginald Hudlin. It stars Samuel L. Jackson, Peter Berg, Damon Wayans, Jeff Goldblum, Jon Lovitz, Cheech Marin, John Rhys-Davies, Salli Richardson and Jamie Foxx....
" (featuring Samuel L. Jackson) - 1997: "The Sixth ManThe Sixth ManThe 6th Man is a supernatural sports comedy starring Marlon Wayans and Kadeem Hardison. The film was directed by Randall Miller. The film features real NCAA schools, although the rosters are fictitious...
" (featuring Marlon Wayans) - 1999: "An American Love Story"
- 2000: "The Ladies ManThe Ladies Man (2000 film)The Ladies Man is a 2000 American comedy film that stars actor, comedian and former Saturday Night Live cast member Tim Meadows. It was directed by Reginald Hudlin. The movie focuses on the exploits of radio host and sex therapy expert Leon Phelps....
" (featuring Tim Meadows) - 2001: "The Trumpet of the SwanThe Trumpet of the Swan (film)The Trumpet of the Swan is a 2001 animated film produced by RichCrest Animation Studios, directed by Richard Rich, and distributed by TriStar Pictures, being TriStar's first animated film since 1988's Pound Puppies and the Legend of Big Paw.-Plot:...
" (featuring Reese Witherspoon) - 2001: "The Brothers" (featuring Morris Chestnut)
- 2001: "Two Can Play That GameTwo Can Play That GameTwo Can Play That Game is a 2001 romantic comedy film written and directed by Mark Brown. The film stars Vivica A. Fox, Morris Chestnut, and Anthony Anderson.-Plot:...
" (featuring Vivaca Fox) - 2002: "Serving SaraServing SaraServing Sara is a 2002 romantic comedy film which stars Matthew Perry, Elizabeth Hurley and Bruce Campbell. Joe Tyler is a process server who is given the assignment to serve Sara Moore with divorce papers.-Plot:...
" (featuring Matthew Perry) - 2003: "Deliver Us from EvaDeliver Us from EvaDeliver Us from Eva is a 2003 American feature film starring LL Cool J and Gabrielle Union, revolving around LL's character Ray being paid to date a troublesome young lady named Eva . To some extent, it is a modern, urban update of William Shakespeare's play, The Taming of the Shrew...
" (featuring L.L. Cool J) - 2003: "Head of StateHead of State (film)Head of State is a 2003 comedy film directed, written by, and starring Chris Rock and also co-starring Bernie Mac. The film's title refers to that function of the President of the United States, the other two functions being head of government and commander in chief.-Plot:Mays Gilliam is an...
" (featuring Chris Rock) - 2004: "Breakin' All the RulesBreakin' All the RulesBreakin' All the Rules is a 2004 American comedy film. It was directed and written by Daniel Taplitz.-Plot:Quincy Watson is unceremoniously dumped by his fiancée, and pens a "how to" book on breaking up and becomes a best-selling author on the subject. Not wanting his male friends to suffer the...
" (featuring Jamie Foxx) - 2005: "King's RansomKing's RansomKing's Ransom is a 2005 comedy film, directed by Jeffrey W. Byrd and written by Wayne Conley, who was a writer for Kenan & Kel.-Plot:Malcolm King is a wealthy, selfish, obnoxious businessman who is about to divorce his wife Renee...
" (featuring Anthony Anderson) - 2006: "Save the Last Dance 2Save the Last Dance 2Save the Last Dance 2 is a direct-to-video sequel to 2001's theatrical feature Save the Last Dance. It was released to DVD on October 10, 2006 by Paramount Home Entertainment and MTV...
" (featuring Izabella Miko) - 2007: "I Think I Love My WifeI Think I Love My WifeI Think I Love My Wife is a romantic comedy-drama 2007 film directed by and starring Chris Rock and Kerry Washington. Rock co-wrote and produced the film...
" (featuring Chris Rock) - 2007: "This ChristmasThis Christmas (film)This Christmas is a 2007 Christmas comedy-drama film produced by and distributed by Screen Gems. Written, produced and directed by Preston A. Whitmore II, it is a Christmastime story that centers around the Whitfield family, whose eldest son has come home for the first time in four years...
" (featuring Idris Elba) - 2008: "ThunderThunder (SMV album)Thunder is the debut album from bass supergroup SMV. The album was released on August 12, 2008.-Track listing:# "Maestros de Las Frecuencias Bajas" – 2:52# "Thunder" – 6:37...
" (featuring Stanley Clark and Victor Wooten) - 2009: "Good HairGood HairGood Hair is a 2009 American comedy documentary film produced by Chris Rock Productions and HBO Films, starring and narrated by comedian Chris Rock. Premiering at the Sundance Film Festival on January 18, 2009, Good Hair was released to select theaters in the United States by Roadside Attractions...
" (featuring Chris Rock as SMV) - 2009: "ObsessedObsessed (2009 film)Obsessed is a 2009 American thriller film directed by Steve Shill. The Screen Gems production stars Idris Elba, Beyoncé Knowles and Ali Larter...
" (featuring Beyoncé Knowles)