Started in 1985 by John Miles and Peter Watts, Miles Music’s aim was to record the very best of contemporary British Jazz.
Since then the label has released some twenty titles which celebrated most of Britain’s jazz stars at the time, with recordings from Alan Barnes, Tommy Whittle, Mick Pyne, Don Weller, Dave Cliff, Alan Skidmore, Guy Barker, Stan Tracey, Dick Morrissey, the late Tubby Hayes and of course Peter King whose CD ‘Tamburello’ won the coveted 1996 BT Jazz CD of the year award.
Supporting musicians included Steve Melling, Jason Rebello, John Horler, Jeremy Brown, Alec Dankworth, Stephen Keogh and Martin Drew, reflecting the depth of talent evident in the UK, and the label won the Music Retailers Association award for Jazz twice, in 1988 for Alan Barnes ‘Affiliation’ and again in 1990 for Guy Barker’s ‘Holly J’.
Miles Music does not attempt to inhibit stylistic development, as is shown in the three Peter King albums, and successfully avoided the pitfalls and lunatic excesses of the avant garde. The label’s releases were a reflection of creator John Miles’ own musical preferences and have given prominence to some of the most talented and often neglected British jazz musicians of the last thirty-five years.
Continuing the founding philosophy of the label, the release of Gareth Williams’ CD ‘Short Stories’ is a most welcome addition to the label and showcases one of the UK’s most imaginative jazz pianists.