“The guy is merely the most exciting, talented drum find since, maybe, Buddy Rich.” — Mel Torme. Butch made a name for himself as the drummer for the Count Basie Orchestra from 1975-79 & 1997-2007.  His bio also includes big band performances with Woody Herman, and Benny Goodman, plus with Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Jr., Dave Brubeck, Lena Horne, Joe Williams, Ella Fitzgerald, and Tony Bennett. He has been a featured artist at virtually every major jazz festival in the world, and he has recorded over 100 albums, including four Grammy winning albums. He currently is a faculty member in jazz studies at Texas State University.   

Butch will join Stillwater’s own St. Croix Jazz Orchestra, which over the past five years has established itself as one of the top professional big bands in the Twin Cities. Its personnel, some of the area’s top jazz musicians, include lead trumpeter Steve Strand, trombonist Jeff Rinear, tenor saxophonist Greg Keel, alto saxophonists Mike Walk & Larry Neumann, and trumpeter Scott Snyder.  

Tickets are $17 Adults, $15 TCJS Members, and $5 Students, and can be purchased at the door. They are also available pre sale for $15, through ArtReach Alliance, 651-439-1465, or at www.artreachalliance.org. 

To hear a preview of the Butch Miles concert, listen to “Big Band Scene” on KBEM / Jazz 88, on Mon, Sept. 21 at 10 PM and Sun, Sept 27 at 7 PM. We’ll spin CD’s with the incredible Butch Miles playing with Count Basie and the USAF Airmen of Note, plus a couple of cuts by the St. Croix Jazz Orchestra and Judi Donaghy.