You know Marcus Miller, even if you don't feel like you know him. The 58-year-old musician from Brooklyn, New York, is hard to categorize.
Because yes, he is one of the most gifted bassists in the world, but he also plays the keyboard, bass clarinet and saxophone. Among other things. Yes, he was on stage with the great jazz legend Miles Davis. But he has also worked with the following musicians: George Benson, Mariah Carey, Aretha Franklin, Jay Z, Billy Idol and Al Jarreau. The list is not exhaustive. There's no other way to put it: Miller is one of the most influential studio and live musicians of our time. And this despite the fact that he has been deaf in one ear since the age of five due to a measles infection. Despite this, he has revolutionized the slap technique for bass playing, in which the strings are struck with the thumb and the bass is transformed into a percussion instrument.
Tragic memories of Switzerland
Now Miller, who has of course already played at the Montreux Jazz Festival, is returning to Switzerland. He not only has fond memories of the country, but also a tragic story: in 2012, he was on tour with his band from Monaco to Holland by bus. The bus with twelve passengers crashed on the A2 near Schattdorf in the canton of Uri. The driver was killed. Miller survived with injuries.
This article first appeared in SonntagsBlick
