Harry Miller (jazz bassist)
Encyclopedia
Harold Simon 'Harry' Miller (born 25 April 1941 in Cape Town
, Western Cape
, South Africa
- died 16 December 1983, in the Netherlands
) was a South Africa
n jazz bass
player.
Miller began his career as a bassist with Manfred Mann
, and came to settle in London. He was a central figure in the mixture of South-African township music and free-jazz which dynamised the scene in London at the end of the sixties and into the seventies. Miller recorded frequently with musicians such as Mike Westbrook
, Chris McGregor
, John Surman
, Mike Cooper, Louis Moholo
, Keith Tippett
and Elton Dean
. At the end of the 1970s he went to the Netherlands due to economic reasons where he worked with musicians of Willem Breuker
's circle. Miller also appeared on the album Islands
by the progressive rock band, King Crimson
, in 1971 as session musician
.
The record label, Ogun Records
which he founded with his wife Hazel Miller was vital for documenting that period, and is still active today.
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
, Western Cape
Western Cape
The Western Cape is a province in the south west of South Africa. The capital is Cape Town. Prior to 1994, the region that now forms the Western Cape was part of the much larger Cape Province...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
- died 16 December 1983, in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
) was a South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n jazz bass
Double bass
The double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
player.
Miller began his career as a bassist with Manfred Mann
Manfred Mann
Manfred Mann was a British beat, rhythm and blues and pop band of the 1960s, named after their South African keyboardist, Manfred Mann, who later led the successful 1970s group Manfred Mann's Earth Band...
, and came to settle in London. He was a central figure in the mixture of South-African township music and free-jazz which dynamised the scene in London at the end of the sixties and into the seventies. Miller recorded frequently with musicians such as Mike Westbrook
Mike Westbrook
Michael John David 'Mike' Westbrook is an English jazz pianist, composer, and writer of orchestrated jazz pieces.-Early work:Mike Westbrook grew up in Torquay...
, Chris McGregor
Chris McGregor
Christopher McGregor , was a South African jazz pianist, bandleader and composer born in Somerset West, South Africa.- Early influences :...
, John Surman
John Surman
John Douglas Surman is an English jazz saxophone, bass clarinet and synthesizer player, and composer of free jazz and modal jazz, often using themes from folk music as a basis...
, Mike Cooper, Louis Moholo
Louis Moholo
Louis Tebugo Moholo , is a South African jazz drummer.He formed The Blue Notes with Chris McGregor, Johnny Dyani, Nikele Moyake, Mongezi Feza and Dudu Pukwana, and emigrated to Europe with them in 1964, eventually settling in London, where he formed part of a South African exile community that made...
, Keith Tippett
Keith Tippett
Keith Tippett is a British jazz pianist and composer.Tippett, the son of a local police officer, went to Greenway Boys Secondary Modern school in Southmead, Bristol. He formed his first jazz band called The KT7 whilst still at school and they performed numbers popular at the time by The Temperance...
and Elton Dean
Elton Dean
Elton Dean was an English jazz musician who performed on alto saxophone, saxello and occasionally keyboard....
. At the end of the 1970s he went to the Netherlands due to economic reasons where he worked with musicians of Willem Breuker
Willem Breuker
Willem Breuker was a Dutch jazz bandleader, composer, arranger, saxophonist, and bass clarinetist....
's circle. Miller also appeared on the album Islands
Islands (King Crimson album)
Islands is the fourth album by the British band King Crimson, released in 1971.The last King Crimson studio album before the group's trilogy of Larks' Tongues in Aspic, Starless and Bible Black and Red, it is also the last to feature the lyrics of Peter Sinfield and the last to feature the band's...
by the progressive rock band, King Crimson
King Crimson
King Crimson are a rock band founded in London, England in 1969. Often categorised as a foundational progressive rock group, the band have incorporated diverse influences and instrumentation during their history...
, in 1971 as 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...
.
The record label, Ogun Records
Ogun Records
Ogun Records is a record label created by the husband and wife team of Hazel Miller and Harry Miller, to document the music being created by a group of open-minded musicians in London in the early 1970s....
which he founded with his wife Hazel Miller was vital for documenting that period, and is still active today.
Discography
- Children At Play (1972)
- Harry Miller’s Isipingo: Which Way Now (1975)
- Harry Miller’s Isipingo: Family Affair (1977)
- Harry Miller 1941-1983: The collection (3 CDs, 1972–1983)
- Harry Miller Sextett: In conference (1978)