Drummer Butch Miles was born on the fourth of July 1944 in Ironton, Ohio. He is perhaps best known for his two stints with the Count Basie Orchestra, first in the 1970s and then again from 1997 to 2007. However, Miles also performed with Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Woody Herman, Sammy Davis, Jr., Benny Goodman, Willie Nelson and Itzhak Perlman during his long career. He played on more than 100 albums, three of which have been Grammy winners.

Butch Miles began playing drums at age 9 and eventually earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from West Virginia State University in 1966. He played with Mel Tormé for several years and it was he and Buddy Rich that recommended Miles to Basie. During the 1980s and 1990s he led the Jazz Express and performed at the Newport and Montreux jazz festivals.

Miles was a member of the music faculty at Texas State University San Marcos and was honored by the Texas State Senate in 2005 for his contributions to music. He was also inducted into the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame in 2011. Butch once said “There are two driving principles in my drumming. The first came from my teacher Mr. Frank Thompson who told me, “Always let the band know where ‘one’ is.” The second came from the great Count Basie who said, “Listen!” Butch miles died on February 2, 2023 at the age of 78.

Here is a link to Butch Miles playing with the Great American Swing Band in 1992:

"WIND MACHINE"