Track Listing 1. Ferrari 2. Butter Pecan 3. Guerilla Jazz 4. King of the Bling 5. Bikini 6. Love Code 7. Flamenco Sketches Intro 8. Flamenco Sketches 9. Voices on the Corner 10. Street Vibe 11. Suba 12. New Worlds

April 20, 2005 - If you want to be reminded of why Smooth Jazz is a religion to some then let this album be your refresher course. Know anyone who thinks Smooth Jazz has no balls? Throw this at them! "This music is real, it's now, and it's dangerous" says Jason Miles who worked with Miles Davis on his famous Tutu album, "Miles to Miles" takes it one step further. "I thought about what Miles would be digging on today, and tried to capture a bit of creative, renegade spirit in the music." Jason Miles says it never got better than when he worked with the master, "That to me was the biggest moment of my musical life. How high can you reach well that was high?" Jazz and Smooth Jazz fans have a long history of being rockers they want something that kicks ass, they also want a few new ingredients in the recipe - this is the one for them. Davis loved fast cars so Miles opens the album with speed. "Ferrari" penned by Miles and Michael Brecker is all about getting speeding tickets, if they can catch you. It's as infectious as it is gritty, funky and stimulating. It's also a great introduction to Miles intricate keyboard wizardry, the same genius playing that impressed Davis in 1986. "Butter Pecan" remembers Davis' famous sweet tooth with help of his former live synthesizer player Adam Holzman - again it's a lesson in skill, style and get-up-and-go. Miles tips his hat to Davis eccentric personal style with "King of the Bling" and like Davis, Miles knows how to recruit the heavy hitters like Dave Mathews Band drummer Carter Beauford and Randy Brecker on trumpet. "Love Code" features Nicholas Payton on trumpet chores and Marla de Barros giving her vocals enough passion to make you slip all over yourself.
Interestingly, as much as the album comes in with a bang it gets better the deeper you go and sticks to the bone a little more with every listen. One of my favorite drummers Gene Lake who has worked with Miles before most notably on Eric Marienthal's "Sweet Talk" (also produced by Miles) and David Sanborn bring his superb chops to the table on the album, not to mention his amazing dance with the high hat. He's also worked with Miles on "Maximum Grooves" and is a name to remember if you dig the drummers! There is a Davis original on the CD, appropriately it's "Flamenco Sketches" heard on one of Davis most memorable album "Kind of Blue" from 1959. "Sketches" features Marc Antoine on acoustic guitar, Keiko Matsui on acoustic piano, Lake on drums and Miles quarterbacking the smooth deliberate atmosphere. "Suba" one of my favorite tunes on the disc has a cool street smart inspiration, "Miles (Davis) loved listening to the sounds of the street," says Miles and that comes across perfectly on this one. Jason Miles has always served as a rescue remedy for me - when I get too many Smooth Jazz pablum albums Miles is never too far away to jump start my faith in this music. He does this genre proud via his vision to kick the door open just to reinvent what's on the other side! This is the best album I've hear this year. - by John Beaudin

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