Jim Miller

Miles Davis Quintet: Freedom Jazz Dance: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 5

Jim Miller

Miles Davis’ haunting rasp “Teo … play that … Teo … Teo … Teo … Teo … play that,” closing “Gingerbread Boy” on your worn-out vinyl copies of Miles Smiles, was only the tip of the iceberg. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of that second studio album from the Second Great Miles Quintet, Sony/Columbia/Legacy has … Read More

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A Lost Quintet Listening Guide

Jim Miller

Where and how to hear jazz’s greatest forgotten band

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Miles Davis Quintet: Live in Europe 1969: The Bootleg Series Vol. 2

Jim Miller

Jim Miller reviews box set of live material from Miles’ “Lost Quintet” featuring Shorter, Corea, Holland and DeJohnette

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The Shure Beta 181 Condenser Microphone

Jim Miller

Slim, easily positioned mic provides a natural drum sound

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Whitney Drums’ Nesting Penguin 16 Kit

Jim Miller

Great sound and playability with unreal portability

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LP Rio Stanton Moore Pandeiro

Jim Miller

Jim Miller reviews LP Rio Stanton Moore Pandeiro, a new tunable tambourine

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Get in the Rings: Sabian’s AAX Omni Cymbals

Jim Miller

I still remember the drumset my mom provided as a wonderful surprise birthday present, a preemptive move to protect the windowsills and tabletops from any further damage by a pair of sticks I had liberated from my grade school. My Ludwig four-piece came with a snare stand, a pedal, and a bass drum accommodating a … Read More

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Yamaha Absolute Maple Drum Set

Jim Miller

Our reviewer (and drummer) Jim Miller takes the Yamaha Absolute Maple Drum Set for a spin around a few gigs in Philly.

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Pearl Reference Series Drums

Jim Miller

Six years ago Pearl launched its Masterworks Series, which rethought drum acoustics. The Masterworks concept allowed drummers to custom-choose the wood and thickness for each drum’s shell. Putting further research into the sonic properties of drum shells has led Pearl to its new Reference Series, which expands on the Masterworks concept to incorporate two different … Read More

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Maryland Drum Company Timepiece Drums

Jim Miller

My personal variation on Dexter Gordon’s line in the film ‘Round Midnight extolling “a nice, wet Rico reed” would be “happiness is a ’60s Gretsch 14-inch floor tom.” As evidenced by Maryland (ne Baltimore) Drum Company’s Timepiece Series kit, founder/product specialist Keith Larsen and partner/woodworker John Coale apparently concur. Drummers searching for that esoteric combination … Read More

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CLE Ratio Drum Kit

Jim Miller

I won’t pretend to understand what Michael Latini is talking about when he explains his “ratio” drum-building concept. My eyes glaze over and the sound of Coltrane starts to play in my head. But whatever it is, it works. CLE stands for “Carol Latini Enterprises” (Michael’s wife). R&D began in 1998 and the production shop … Read More

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Elvin Jones: The Complete Blue Note Elvin Jones Sessions

Jim Miller

When the stylistic development of drum-set playing in the history of jazz is researched, the logical progression from Zutty Singleton, Chick Webb, “Big Sid” Catlett and Jo Jones to Kenny Clarke, Max Roach, Art Blakey and Philly Joe Jones is fairly evident. As Max Roach explained, “We’re all standing on the shoulders of giants.” Next … Read More

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