Denver-based trumpeter Ron Miles’ first album away from Gramavision, which released two excellent, eclectic albums in 1996’s My Cruel Heart and 1997’s Woman’s Day, is a no frills, chamber-jazz affair, far removed from his previous discs’ jagged, electric intensity. With pianist Eric Gunnison and bassist Kent McLagan, Miles creates long, somewhat self-absorbed pieces that twirl about in quiet beauty. Miles projects a whispery tone throughout, preferring short, gentle lines that practically fall out of his horn.
On the 19-minute “Darken My Door,” Miles plays ethereal melodies that feel like they could drift along forever; it’s the album in a nutshell: lyrical but meandering. This is a nice record, but here’s hoping that Miles gets back on a larger label that can support his more grandly ambitious projects, like Woman’s Day.
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