July 4, 1944 – February 2, 2023

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Drummer Butch Miles passed away on Feb. 2, 2023, at the age of 78.

He was born Charles J. Thornton Jr. on July 4, 1944, in Ironton, Ohio.

Miles began playing drums when he was nine, was a music major at West Virginia State University and, after graduating in 1966, he toured with the Iris Bell Trio.

Butch Miles considered his main influences to be Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich and, like his idols, he was able to drive a big band with power, color, and creativity while also sounding quite comfortable in swinging combos.

Miles played drums with Mel Torme for 3 ½ years and then became quite well known as the drummer with the Count Basie Orchestra (1975-79) during a time when the big band also featured trombonist Al Grey and tenor-saxophonist Jimmy Forrest.

After leaving Basie, Miles led his own small groups (sometimes called the Jazz Express), headed record dates for the Famous Door, Dreamstreet, and Nagel Heyer labels, freelanced, and was with the Basie ghost band during 1997-2007.

He also played with the Basie band on other occasions and recorded with Bob Wilber, Dick Hyman, Flip Phillips, Dave Brubeck (1979), Peter Appleyard, Ella Fitzgerald, Terry Gibbs, Scott Hamilton, Peanuts Hucko, Helen Humes, Milt Jackson, Gerry Mulligan, Warren Vache, and Wild Bill Davison among many others.

Miles was less active during his last years due to his declining health.

Here is Butch Miles in 1979 being featured with the Count Basie Orchestra (Eric Dixon has the tenor solo) on a blazing version of “Whirly Bird.”

–Scott Yanow

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