Butch Miles (born Charles J. Thorton, Jr. on July 4, 1944) is an American

jazz drummer Jazz drumming is the art of playing percussion (predominantly the drum kit, which includes a variety of drums and cymbals) in jazz styles ranging from 1910s-style Dixieland jazz to 1970s-era jazz fusion and 1980s-era Latin jazz. The techniques a ...

. He has played with the

Count Basie Orchestra The Count Basie Orchestra is a 16 to 18 piece big band, one of the most prominent jazz performing groups of the swing era, founded by Count Basie in 1935 and recording regularly from 1936. Despite a brief disbandment at the beginning of the 19 ...

Dave Brubeck David Warren Brubeck (; December 6, 1920 – December 5, 2012) was an American jazz pianist and composer. Often regarded as a foremost exponent of cool jazz, Brubeck's work is characterized by unusual time signatures and superimposing contrasti ...

Ella Fitzgerald Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917June 15, 1996) was an American jazz singer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing, timing, in ...

, Sammy Davis Jr.,

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the " Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular entertainers of the 1940s, 1950s, and ...

Lena Horne Lena Mary Calhoun Horne (June 30, 1917 – May 9, 2010) was an American dancer, actress, singer, and civil rights activist. Horne's career spanned more than seventy years, appearing in film, television, and theatre. Horne joined the chorus of th ...

and

Tony Bennett Anthony Dominick Benedetto (born August 3, 1926), known professionally as Tony Bennett, is an American retired singer of traditional pop standards, big band, show tunes, and jazz. Bennett is also a painter, having created works under his birt ...

Career

Miles, who cites

Buddy Rich Bernard "Buddy" Rich (September 30, 1917 – April 2, 1987) was an American jazz drummer, songwriter, conductor, and bandleader. He is considered one of the most influential drummers of all time. Rich was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, ...

Gene Krupa Eugene Bertram Krupa (January 15, 1909 – October 16, 1973), known as Gene Krupa, was an American jazz drummer, bandleader and composer who performed with energy and showmanship. His drum solo on Benny Goodman's 1937 recording of " Sing, Sing, ...

, and

Jo Jones Jonathan David Samuel Jones (October 7, 1911 – September 3, 1985) was an American jazz drummer. A band leader and pioneer in jazz percussion, Jones anchored the Count Basie Orchestra rhythm section from 1934 to 1948. He was sometimes ...

as favorite drummers, began playing

snare drum The snare (or side drum) is a percussion instrument that produces a sharp staccato sound when the head is struck with a drum stick, due to the use of a series of stiff wires held under tension against the lower skin. Snare drums are often used ...

at the age of nine and majored in music at

West Virginia State University West Virginia State University (WVSU) is a public historically black, land-grant university in Institute, West Virginia. Founded in 1891 as the West Virginia Colored Institute, it is one of the original 19 land-grant colleges and universitie ...

(1962–1966). After receiving his degree, he went on tour with the Iris Bell Trio. He was Mel Torme's drummer for 3 1/2 years and it was Torme and Buddy Rich who recommended Miles to Count Basie when a drummer was needed. Miles was with the Count Basie Orchestra from 1975 to 1979, returning for ten years from 1997 to 2007. From Count Basie’s autobiography (published in 1985): “Butch came to us from Mel Torme’s outfit. He was a real crowd pleaser, like Buddy Rich and Sonny Payne, and he picked up on things very nicely, and he was also interested in sticking around for a while, which he did, for about four years.” Miles was leader of the group Jazz Express in the 1980s and 1990s. He has performed at the

Newport Jazz Festival The Newport Jazz Festival is an annual American multi-day jazz music festival held every summer in Newport, Rhode Island. Elaine Lorillard established the festival in 1954, and she and husband Louis Lorillard financed it for many years. They hir ...

and the

Montreux Jazz Festival The Montreux Jazz Festival (formerly Festival de Jazz Montreux and Festival International de Jazz Montreux) is a music festival in Switzerland, held annually in early July in Montreux on the Lake Geneva shoreline. It is the second-largest annual ...

. He is a member of the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame
/span> 2011 class of inductees. He is currently retired from the School of Music at Texas State University-San Marcos. In March 2014. Miles was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. which has no treatment other than a

lung transplant Lung transplantation, or pulmonary transplantation, is a surgical procedure in which one or both lungs are replaced by lungs from a donor. Donor lungs can be retrieved from a living or deceased donor. A living donor can only donate one lung lobe. ...

. He received a lung transplant and went into a period of recovery.

Discography

As leader

* ''Miles and Miles of Swing...'' (Famous Door, 1978) * ''Lady Be Good'' with Bucky Pizzarelli (Dreamstreet, 1978) * ''Butch's Encore'' (Famous Door, 1979) * ''Butch Miles Salutes Chick Webb'' (Famous Door, 1980) * ''Butch Miles Swings Some Standards'' (Famous Door, 1981) * ''Butch Miles Salutes Gene Krupa'' (Famous Door, 1982) * ''More Miles...More Standards'' with Jorge Anders (Famous Door, 1985) * ''Introducing the Ivory Coast Suite'' (Dreamstreet, 1986) * ''Cookin' '' (Nagel Heyer, 1995) * ''Soulmates'' with Howard Alden (Nagel Heyer, 2002) * ''Straight On Till Morning'' (Nagel Heyer, 2003)

As sideman

With

Count Basie William James "Count" Basie (; August 21, 1904 – April 26, 1984) was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. In 1935, he formed the Count Basie Orchestra, and in 1936 took them to Chicago for a long engagement and the ...

* ''Basie Big Band'' (Pablo, 1975) * ''I Told You So'' (Pablo, 1976) * ''Montreux '77'' (Pablo, 1977) * ''Prime Time'' (Pablo, 1977) * ''On the Road'' (Pablo, 1980) * ''Basie in Europe'' (LRC, 1985) * ''Live in Japan '78'' (Pablo, 1985) * ''Fun Time'' (Pablo, 1991) * ''The Golden Years'' (Pablo, 1996) * ''Count Plays Duke'' (Mama, 1998) * ''Swing Shift'' (Mama, 1999) * ''Basie Is Back'' (Eighty-Eight's, 2006) * ''Swinging, Singing, Playing'' (Mack Avenue, 2009) With

Phil Bodner Philip L. Bodner (June 13, 1917 – February 24, 2008) was an American jazz clarinetist and studio musician who also played flute, oboe, saxophone, and English horn. Career A native of Waterbury, Connecticut, Bodner worked as a studio musician ...

* ''Fine & Dandy'' (Stash, 1981) * ''Highlights in Jazz'' (Stash, 1985) * ''Clarinet Virtuosity'' (Arbors, 2006) With

Dick Hyman Richard Hyman (born March 8, 1927) is an American jazz pianist and composer. Over a 70-year career, he has worked as a pianist, organist, arranger, music director, electronic musician, and composer. He was named a National Endowment for the Ar ...

* ''The Kingdom of Swing & the Republic of Oop Bop Sh'Bam'' (Musicmasters, 1989) * ''From the Age of Swing'' (Reference, 1994) * ''Swing Is Here'' (Reference, 1996) With

Flip Phillips Joseph Edward Filippelli (March 26, 1915 – August 17, 2001), known professionally as Flip Phillips, was an American jazz tenor saxophone and clarinet player. He is best remembered for his work with Norman Granz's Jazz at the Philharmonic conce ...

* ''Flipenstein'' (Progressive, 1981) * ''A Real Swinger'' (Concord Jazz, 1988) * ''Flip Philllips Celebrates His 80th Birthday'' (Arbors, 2003) With Sal Salvador * ''In Our Own Sweet Way'' (Stash, 1983) * ''Plays the World's Greatest Jazz Standards'' (Stash, 1984) * ''Plays Gerry Mulligan'' (Stash, 1985) With

Bob Wilber Robert Sage Wilber (March 15, 1928 – August 4, 2019) was an American jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, and band leader. Although his scope covers a wide range of jazz, Wilber was a dedicated advocate of classic styles, working throughout his care ...

* ''Ode to Bechet'' (Jazzology, 1982) * ''Reflections'' (Bodeswell, 1983) * ''On the Road'' (Bodeswell, 1992) * ''Nostalgia'' (Arbors, 1996) * ''The Hamburg Concert'' (Nagel Heyer, 1996) * ''Memories of You'' (Black and Blue, 1996) With others *

Peter Appleyard Peter Appleyard, (26 August 1928 – 17 July 2013) was a British–Canadian jazz vibraphonist, percussionist, and composer. He spent most of his life in the city of Toronto, where for many years he was a popular performer in nightclubs and ho ...

, ''Barbados Heat'' (Concord Jazz, 1990) * Peter Appleyard, ''Barbados Cool'' (Concord Jazz, 1991) *

, ''Back Home'' (Concord Jazz, 1979) *

John Bunch John Bunch (December 1, 1921 – March 30, 2010) was an American jazz pianist. Early life Born and raised in Tipton, Indiana, a small farming community, Bunch studied piano with George Johnson, a Hoosier jazz pianist. By the age of 14, he ...

, ''World War II Love Songs'' (Groove Jams, 1998) * Joe Bushkin, ''Play It Again Joe'' (United Artists, 1977) *

Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson Sr. (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential singers in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Ge ...

& Count Basie, ''Ray Sings, Basie Swings'' (Hear Music/Concord, 2006) *

Rosemary Clooney Rosemary Clooney (May 23, 1928 – June 29, 2002) was an American singer and actress. She came to prominence in the early 1950s with the song " Come On-a My House", which was followed by other pop numbers such as " Botch-a-Me", " Mambo Italiano" ...

& Count Basie, ''At Long Last'' (Concord Jazz, 1998) *

Dolly Dawn Dolly Dawn (born Theresa Maria Stabile; February 3, 1916 – December 11, 2002) was an American big band singer. She was vocalist with George Hall (musician), George Hall's Hotel Taft Orchestra in the 1930s, and later had a solo career. Life She ...

, ''Memories of You'' (Dawn, 1981) * Dany Doriz, ''This One's for Basie'' (Black and Blue, 1994) *

Big Joe Duskin Joseph L. "Big Joe" Duskin (February 10, 1921 – May 6, 2007) was an American blues and boogie-woogie pianist. He is best known for his debut album, ''Cincinnati Stomp'' (1978), and the tracks "Well, Well Baby" and "I Met a Girl Named Martha". ...

, ''Blues Rendez-Vous'' (Back to Blues, 1994) *

Duke Ellington Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous jazz orchestra from 1923 through the rest of his life. Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Ellington was bas ...

, ''Four Symphonic Works by Duke Ellington'' (Musical Heritage Society, 1989) *

, ''Digital III at Montreux'' (Pablo, 1980) * Ella Fitzgerald, ''A Classy Pair'' (Pablo, 1982) *

Johnny Frigo Johnny Frigo (December 27, 1916 – July 4, 2007) was an American jazz violinist, bassist and songwriter. He appeared in the 1940s as a violinist before working as a bassist. He returned to the violin in the 1980s and enjoyed a comeback, recordi ...

, ''Live from Studio A in New York City'' (Chesky, 1989) *

Terry Gibbs Terry Gibbs (born Julius Gubenko; October 13, 1924) is an American jazz vibraphonist and band leader. He has performed or recorded with Tommy Dorsey, Chubby Jackson,Theroux, Gary"Gibbs, Terry".''Grove Music Online''. Oxford University Press. R ...

, Buddy DeFranco, Herb Ellis, ''Kings of Swing'' (Contemporary, 1992) * Terry Gibbs, Buddy DeFranco, Herb Ellis, ''A Tribute to Benny Goodman'' (Contemporary, 2001) * Scott Hamilton, ''Swinging Young Scott'' (Famous Door, 1978) * Peanuts Hucko, ''Swing That Music'' (Star Line, 1992) *

Helen Humes Helen Humes (June 23, 1913 – September 9, 1981) was an American singer. Humes was a teenage blues singer, a vocalist with Count Basie's band, a saucy R&B diva, and a mature interpreter of the classic popular song. Early life She was born on ...

, ''Helen'' (Muse, 1981) *

Alberta Hunter Alberta Hunter (April 1, 1895 – October 17, 1984) was an American jazz and blues singer and songwriter from the early 1920s to the late 1950s. After twenty years of working as a nurse, Hunter resumed her singing career in 1977. Early life Hu ...

, ''The Glory of Alberta Hunter'' (Columbia, 1982) * Alberta Hunter, ''Look for the Silver Lining'' (Columbia, 1983) *

Milt Jackson Milton Jackson (January 1, 1923 – October 9, 1999), nicknamed "Bags", was an American jazz vibraphonist, usually thought of as a bebop player, although he performed in several jazz idioms. He is especially remembered for his cool swinging so ...

& Count Basie, ''Milt Jackson + Count Basie + the Big Band Vol. 1'' (Pablo, 1978) * Milt Jackson & Count Basie, ''Milt Jackson + Count Basie + the Big Band Vol. 2'' (Pablo, 1978) *

Carmen Leggio Carmen Leggio (c. 1927 – 2009) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. Career Leggio was born in Tarrytown, New York and died there on April 17, 2009. In his final years, he performed in clubs and restaurants throughout Westchester County, N ...

, ''Tarrytown Tenor'' (Famous Door, 1978) *

Roger Kellaway Roger Kellaway (born November 1, 1939) is an American composer, arranger and jazz pianist. Life and career Kellaway was born in Waban, Massachusetts, United States. He is an alumnus of the New England Conservatory. Kellaway has composed commissi ...

, Dick Hyman, ''Piano Players & Significant Others'' (Musicmasters, 1990) * George Kelly, ''Plays the Music of Don Redman'' (Stash, 1984) *

George Masso George Masso (November 17, 1926 – October 22, 2019) was an American jazz trombonist, bandleader, vibraphonist, and composer specializing in swing and Dixieland. Masso is notable for his work from 1948–1950 as a member of the Jimmy Dorsey band ...

, ''Choice N.Y.C. Bone'' (Famous Door, 1979) * George Masso, ''A Swinging Case of Masso-Ism'' (Famous Door, 1981) * Dave McKenna, ''No Holds Barred'' (Famous Door, 1979) *

Danny Moss Dennis Moss (16 August 1927 – 28 May 2008) was a British jazz tenor saxophonist. He performed with many figures in British jazz, including Vic Lewis, Ted Heath, John Dankworth, Alex Welsh, and Humphrey Lyttelton. Biography The son of a too ...

, ''Weaver of Dreams'' (Nagel Heyer, 1995) *

Gerry Mulligan Gerald Joseph Mulligan (April 6, 1927 – January 20, 1996), also known as Jeru, was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, composer and arranger. Though primarily known as one of the leading jazz baritone saxophonists—playing the instrum ...

, ''Little Big Horn'' (Five, 1983) *

Bucky Pizzarelli John Paul "Bucky" Pizzarelli (January 9, 1926 – April 1, 2020) was an American jazz guitarist. He was the father of jazz guitarist John Pizzarelli and double bassist Martin Pizzarelli. He worked for NBC as a staffman for Dick Cavett (1971) ...

John Pizzarelli John Paul Pizzarelli Jr. (born April 6, 1960, in Paterson, New Jersey) is an American jazz guitarist and vocalist. He has recorded over twenty solo albums and has appeared on more than forty albums by other recording artists, including Paul McCa ...

, ''Passion Guitars'' (Groove Jams, 1998) *

Lou Stein Lou Stein (April 22, 1922 – December 11, 2002) was an American jazz pianist. Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Stein joined Ray McKinley's band in 1942. He played with Glenn Miller when the latter was stateside during World War II. After ...

, ''Live at the Dome'' (Dreamstreet, 1981) * Maxine Sullivan, ''Highlights in Jazz'' (Storyville, 1999) * Frank Tate, ''Live in Belfast'' (Nagel Heyer, 2001) * Warren Vache, ''Blues Walk'' (Dreamstreet, 1978) *

Marlene VerPlanck Marlene Paula VerPlanck ''(née'' Pampinella; November 11, 1933 – January 14, 2018) was an American jazz and pop vocalist whose body of work centered on big band jazz, the American songbook, and cabaret. Life and career VerPlanck was born and r ...

, ''Marlene VerPlanck Loves Johnny Mercer'' (Audiophile, 1978) * Phil Wilson, ''Boston-New York Axis: Phil & Vic'' (Famous Door, 1980) * Glenn Zottola, ''Secret Love'' (Famous Door, 1982) * Wild Bill Davison, ''Wild Bill Davison All Stars'' (Timeless, 1987) *Tom Saunders' ''Wild Bill Davison Band & Guests'' (Nagel Heyer, 1996) *

Wild Bill Davis Wild Bill Davis (November 24, 1918 – August 17, 1995) was the stage name of American jazz pianist, organist, and arranger William Strethen Davis. He is best known for his pioneering jazz electric organ recordings and for his tenure with t ...

Super Trio, ''That's All'' (Jazz Connaisseur, 1991)

References

External links

Official site

Butch Miles Interviews
NAMM Oral History Library (1985, 2017) {{DEFAULTSORT:Miles, Butch 1944 births Living people People from Ironton, Ohio 20th-century American drummers American jazz drummers American male drummers Count Basie Orchestra members Lung transplant recipients American male jazz musicians