#36 Butch Miles (1944-2023)
Walt Disney World – Contemporary Resort Hotel opened October 1, 1971. My early visits were exciting to ride the monorail into the hotel from the theme park. In the early 70s, this was futuristic.
The Top of The World, located on the 15th floor, in the 70s was a fantastic venue with names music artist. The 5th Dimension, Peggy Lee, Rosemary Clooney, Chita Rivera, Fabian, Diahann Carroll, Frankie Avalon, Phyllis Diller and more. Entertainers had a 2-week gig performing two shows a night.
I was working my day gig at Discount Music when we got a call from Seminole Community College about supplying some drums, cymbals and hardware for a clinic. The drummer was Butch Miles (1944-2023)
I dropped off the gear at the school, hung as Butch set up his kit and played. He was using a new brand of cymbals called Kashian. They were made by UFIP for the Slingerland drum company. We stocked and sold them at the store. Zildjian was the ruling king of cymbals with Paiste in second place. Today, in 2023, there are numerous brands from different countries including Turkey, China, Germany, Italy and Switzerland.
Butch Miles was currently playing drums for Mel Torme at The Top of The World.
I certainly couldn’t afford the meal and drink minimum to attend, but I discovered you could get a decent taste if you hung out in the hall, outside the elevator at the entrance. You could catch a glimpse of the stage and hear the band.
I also heard Butch Miles with The Count Basie Orchestra. He was a great big band swing drummer. He carried some legendary hearsay, about his relationship with Buddy Rich. His posture and style was a tribute to the great one. It’s written that Buddy recommended Butch for the Count Basie gig.
Along with Count Basie, Butch Miles performed and recorded with: Dick Hyman, Flip Phillips, Sal Salvador, Bob Wilber, Dave Brubeck, Ray Charles, Rosemary Clooney, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Helen Humes, Milt Jackson, Gerry Mulligan and more.
Hearing those type of drummers was impressive, but not my favorite style of music in the mid 70s. I recognized the professional motivation to reach that level of performance and notoriety. Jazz-Rock was on my radar with drummers Billy Cobham, Alphonse Mouzon and Lenny White.
Butch Miles was a true professional drummer. His discography shows a road of dedication for the music of jazz and swing.