Circuit Rider

Ron Miles, a discreetly insurgent musician, is back with a little help from some notable friends. Following up on the well-received live souvenir Quiver, the Denver cornetist reconvenes his trio for the studio successor, Circuit Rider (October 14, 2014 by Enja/Yellowbird Records).

This, of course, is no ordinary trio; joining Miles again are guitar god Bill Frisell and drum god Brian Blade, perfect companions for a leader who only uses jazz as a starting point for his music, but typically ends up in a place not easily classifiable. It oddly feels comfortable, anyway.

Ultimately though, the thing that stands out on a Ron Miles record is Miles' tone. It's a lonely, wandering tone and his signature appears right at the commencement of the first track "Comma." It partially obscures Frisell's unsettled, gurgling thoughts before Frisell moves into a more hopeful tone, undertaking the harmony role to Miles' roving lead lines; Blade just follows the uneven flow with uncanny accuracy. That pure tone also graces "Dancing Close And Slow," a country ballad with a charmingly lazy gait.

In leading this group of tonal and melodic masters, Ron Miles once again makes music ideal for those who savor those things served up in with angularity and superb group dynamics. What else would you expect from these guys?
(somethingelsereviews.com, October 2014)