Butch Miles Jazz Festival
We're excited to announce that the Hill Country Jazz Festival is now the Butch Miles Jazz Festival!
Butch Miles was a huge part in shaping Texas State jazz in his 14 years as jazz drum set instructor, and his legacy with the Count Basie Orchestra, Mel Torme, Dave Brubeck, and countless others is something we want to preserve and keep in the minds of the next generations of jazz musicians.
Harold Jones rose to prominence as the drummer with the Count Basie Orchestra from 1967-1972, making over 15 albums with the group, including the iconic Basie Straight Ahead. After Basie he toured with Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, and Natalie Cole. Jones has recorded with a long list of musicians, ranging from Tony Bennett to Eddie Harris, to Amy Grant.
Gregg Field began playing with the Count Basie Orchestra at the age of 24, appearing first on the album A Warm Breeze. From 1985-86 he toured with Ella Fitzgerald, and was Frank Sinatra's last drummer, playing with him from 1991-1995. Field has won nine Grammys as a performer and producer, and has been a faculty member at the University of Southern California since 1983.
Robert Boone Jr. has been the drummer for the Count Basie Orchestra for seven years, joining soon after finishing his Master's degree at Florida State University. He has worked with jazz greats Marcus Roberts, Dee Dee Bridgewater, and Veronica Swift, among others. He is currently on faculty at Georgia State University.