Harry Miller

The South African-born bassist Harry Miller, after an event in rhythm & blues and rock groups including Manfred Mann, found its way to England to try out bass around the cruise ships going to NY, where he experienced first-hand the music of Coltrane, Taylor, and Monk from 1961 to 1964. After departing Geraldo’s Navy, he caused Mike Westbrook, Mike Osborne, and John Surman, as well as the Blue Records arrived to get him already founded. He was an arranging powerhouse: with wife Hazel he began the still-operating Ogun label to concern recordings by South African and modern European music artists, and he helped make the Lambeth SONGS Society using its Lawn Roots Jazz Membership. Chris McGregor chose him for the Brotherhood of Breathing, and he also performed within a trio with Osborne and Louis Moholo, Keith Tippett’s big music group Centipede and trio Ovary Lodge, Alan Skidmore’s quintet, and caused Stan Tracey. Being a head Miller concentrated in the even more exploratory side from the music, documenting a solo record, two duos with trombonist Radu Malfatti, and two trios with Peter Brötzmann and Moholo (both on FMP). In Meeting (Ogun, 1978) is really a sextet offering Willem Breuker, and Family members Affair (Ogun, 1980) is certainly his own music group, Isipingo’s just record. He resided in Berlin, where he documented Berlin Bone fragments (FMP, 1981) ,and in Holland, where he documented Down South (Varajazz, 1983) with Bennink, Charig, Wierbos, and Bergin. Harry Miller passed on after a motor vehicle accident in Holland in 1983. His four Ogun information and Down South have already been reissued within the handsome Collection container (Ogun, 1999), with a wealthy informative booklet.