Miles Electric Band 'Is Not A Tribute Band'

"Imma break it down like James Brown," quips Vince Wilburn Jr, nephew of jazz great Miles Davis. As a tribute to the late, great Davis and the music he referred to as social music, Miles Electric Band played an anniversary celebration of Davis' best-selling album (Bitches Brew) at Sunset Junction, Los Angeles, in August, 2010, which they called Bitches Brew Revisited. "It's just guys who play with Miles, have an affinity for the music and want to play an art interpretation of the music," he tells. 

Although a nephew of the jazz great, Wilburn Jr followed in the footsteps of Davis' drummer, Al Foster. "I was always mesmerised by the motion of the drummer - the limbs, like an octopus - and growing up when I would see Uncle Miles or anyone in concert I was always fixated by the drummer," Wilburn Jr admits. "Al was so gracious and such a sweetheart, he used to always say, 'You're next, you're next'."

And it was during the recording sessions for Davis' You're Under Arrest that the moment finally came for Wilburn Jr ("Al passed the torch to me"). As drummer and producer, Wilburn Jr was raised under the tutelage of his uncle, recording with him from 1984 to 1987 (on albums such as the Grammy-awarded Aura, Decoy and You're Under Arrest) and also touring.

Miles Electric Band continues the bloodline of jazz originals, with connections running directly back to Davis himself. "It consists of musicians that have worked with Miles," Wilburn Jr confirms. Alumni such as Robert Irving III (pianist and Davis' longest serving collaborator) and former Miles Electric Band trumpeter Wallace Roney (the only trumpeter Davis ever personally mentored). Wilburn Jr points out Wallace featured on Miles & Quincy: Live At Montreux, but these days Grammy winner Christian Scott is on trumpet duty with Miles Electric Band.

Scott brings a new wave of jazz, having previously jammed with Prince, Yasiin Bey (Mos Def), Thom Yorke and Solange Knowles. Obviously being the trumpeter in Miles Electric Band is a huge responsibility, but Wilburn Jr suggests, "You don't have to play like Miles, but bring your spirit into this music. We've just been fortunate to have the top trumpeters in music. Wallace Roney, Sean Jones, Etienne Charles, now Christian Scott."

Further additions for the band's trek Down Under include Jeremy Ellis (renowned programmer), saxophonist Antoine Roney (brother of Wallace) and Debasish Chaudhuri on the tabla. "And we have DJ Logic on the turntables, man," Wilburn Jr adds, "we're excited! We're all just playing interpretive music of Miles from our perspective. We're not trying to replace these iconic musicians like Herbie [Hancock] or Tony [Williams] or Ron [Carter] from the original music. We just get together and jam. It's a gumbo! But, I want people to know it's not a tribute band."