Butch Miles
b. Charles Thornton, 4 July 1944, Ironton, Ohio, USA. After playing the drums as a small child, Miles later studied music in college. As a teenager, he played with a rock band, but his admiration for Gene Krupa inclined him towards jazz drumming. Resident in Charleston, West Virginia, he began playing with small jazz groups and in 1972 became Mel Tormé's regular drummer. In 1975, he quit Tormé and offered his services to Count Basie. When Basie's drummer, Ray Porello, was injured in a road accident, Miles deputized for a week and stayed for four and a half years. In 1979, he joined Dave Brubeck, and the following year was backing Tony Bennett. In the '80s Miles worked extensively with small groups, sometimes as leader, accompanying such artists as Gerry Mulligan, Al Cohn, Buddy Tate, Bucky Pizzarelli, Glenn Zottola, Scott Hamilton and Bob Wilber. Miles also sings occasionally, proving an engaging if uninspired vocalist with a limited range. As a drummer, he is a gifted performer with an eclectic style that revealed his admiration for such big band drummers as Krupa, Chick Webb and Buddy Rich. In a small group setting he is a self-effacing and supportive player but, stylistically, he seems better suited for big band work, where he ably continues the great tradition set by his idols.