• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Marcus Miller

Swamp_Ronin

Swamp_Ronin

Supporting Member
Jan 15, 2021
1,314
2,998
Portland, OR
#1
When I was a teenager around the year 2000, I was in rural Alabama in a guitar shop and I saw an issue with bass player magazine. I was listening to a lot of Dream Theater and Rush at the time. The guy on the cover of that issue had a a cool hat, so I bought it out of curiosity. I read the interview and didn’t know any of the music he was talking about, but I thought he sounded pretty interesting, so I drove 45 minutes to special order one of his CDs because they don’t carry that stuff around there. About a month later the CD arrived, and it was M2. I’ve never heard anything like that before! You can imagine how insane I thought it was. Been following his work ever since of course.

All he was playing up in Seattle last weekend, and I’ve never seen him before so I made it up there. His band killed it!!!!

It was also a nice surprise to get to meet him. He was very gracious.
E16E7794-A952-4493-B718-EA33C9CE0058.jpeg
 

Attachments

  • BF562E01-92DE-456B-8D92-2DF7B46D7CAC.jpeg
    BF562E01-92DE-456B-8D92-2DF7B46D7CAC.jpeg
    837.7 KB · Views: 190
  • Like
Reactions: OldShark, Boss Bass, LadyLoveStingRay5 and 75 others
#3
Nice! Any time I've seen interviews with him, he always seemed gracious and humble.

Ever since I heard David Sanborn's A Change of Heart (1987), and thinking "Man, that bassist is killing it!", I read the liner notes and found out it was Marcus. I actually got to see him with David on that tour, too, which was amazing. I've been following him ever since.
 
  • Like
Reactions: lowdownthump, Swamp_Ronin, B-Mac and 3 others
#7
MonetBass said:
Nice! Any time I've seen interviews with him, he always seemed gracious and humble.

Ever since I heard David Sanborn's A Change of Heart (1987), and thinking "Man, that bassist is killing it!", I read the liner notes and found out it was Marcus. I actually got to see him with David on that tour, too, which was amazing. I've been following him ever since.
Click to expand...
I'm thinking I have Hideaway...an early Sanborn record with MM. Maybe that was my 1st time hearing MM.
Grover's Winelight I do recall. Xmas gift 1980. Bass tone is just so clean.


MM's stuff with Dave Grusin is also nice...and the Spyro Gyra stuff...and Luther...the Brecker Brothers Straphanging is a personal favourite.


The Live Miles stuff is a little more "in the face". :)
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Swamp_Ronin, B-Mac, IamGroot and 7 others
#11
Swamp_Ronin said:
When I was a teenager around the year 2000, I was in rural Alabama in a guitar shop and I saw an issue with bass player magazine. I was listening to a lot of Dream Theater and Rush at the time. The guy on the cover of that issue had a a cool hat, so I bought it out of curiosity. I read the interview and didn’t know any of the music he was talking about, but I thought he sounded pretty interesting, so I drove 45 minutes to special order one of his CDs because they don’t carry that stuff around there. About a month later the CD arrived, and it was M2. I’ve never heard anything like that before! You can imagine how insane I thought it was. Been following his work ever since of course.

All he was playing up in Seattle last weekend, and I’ve never seen him before so I made it up there. His band killed it!!!!

It was also a nice surprise to get to meet him. He was very gracious. View attachment 4496247
Click to expand...

Well done. I love his tune Portia which he wrote for Miles Davis
 
  • Like
Reactions: Starthief, Swamp_Ronin, Wisebass and 1 other person
#13
MonetBass said:
Nice! Any time I've seen interviews with him, he always seemed gracious and humble.

Ever since I heard David Sanborn's A Change of Heart (1987), and thinking "Man, that bassist is killing it!", I read the liner notes and found out it was Marcus. I actually got to see him with David on that tour, too, which was amazing. I've been following him ever since.
Click to expand...
me too! i saw the same tour in milwaukee. not only was marcus smoking it but hiram bullock was the guitar player at that concert and did some killer work as well. i remember david announcing a song. said it was a love song- like making love to a brick wall! and they ripped into Tintin. great show and i remember just being in awe of marcus.
 
  • Like
Reactions: lowdownthump, Swamp_Ronin, Low8 and 3 others
#15
I'm VERY jealous of you right about now, not gonna lie lol. That being said, congrats on meeting him and discovering his music the way you did. My discovery of him was a bit like yours. Way back in 1993 I was heavily into Jaco Pastorius and heard a rendition of Teen Town by some guy named Marcus Miller. Well, as you can expect, I was completely mind-blown hearing him slap that entire song. I begged my Mom to drive me to the record store and luckily they had his album "The Sun Don't Lie" which had that song on it and as I listened to that entire album, I was even more blown away with just about every track. He instantly became one of my favorite bassists and a huge influence learning the bass. He still to this day puts out amazing music and is one of the most humble and knowledgeable musicians on the planet.
 
  • Like
Reactions: lowdownthump, Swamp_Ronin, Joshua and 3 others
#17
DRBP said:
me too! i saw the same tour in milwaukee. not only was marcus smoking it but hiram bullock was the guitar player at that concert and did some killer work as well. i remember david announcing a song. said it was a love song- like making love to a brick wall! and they ripped into Tintin. great show and i remember just being in awe of marcus.
Click to expand...
Hiram Bullock!! RIP. I wish I could have seen that lineup!!!
 
  • Like
Reactions: OldShark, Swamp_Ronin, Low8 and 2 others
#18
jmac said:
There used to be a bass boutique store in Bensalem, Pa (just north of Philly). I got to attend several clinics. Marcus Miller held one. It was really good. He couldn't have been nicer. Pre-clinic he was hanging with the crowd. Post clinic he stayed until the owner kicked us out of the store. He couldn't have been nicer.
Click to expand...
Was this store called "Bass" on Street Road/Mechanicsville Road in the shopping center?

If so, I wish I knew they did clinics there as I grew up in Bensalem lol would have loved to see MM there.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Swamp_Ronin

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back