With “Rainbow Sign”, his debut album for Blue Note Recordshad the cornetist and composer Ron Miles just opened a new exciting chapter in his career in October 2020. the JazzTimes praised the “spiritual power” of his music in a review of the album, while DownBeat called it “a deeply touching album” and “by far Miles’ most impressive work as a leader”.
It was also Ron’s most personal album, as he paid tribute to his father, who died in 2018. Now we have received the sad news from his manager Hans Wendl that Ron Miles, who has been suffering from a rare blood disease for a long time, died unexpectedly the day before last at his home in Denver, Colorado.
“Ron was such a gifted artist,” says Blue Note President Don Was. “He was a lovely, soulful man whose character was reflected in every exquisite note he played. We are heartbroken to lose him at such a young age, but he will live on forever through the music he left us. “
Ron Miles was born on May 9, 1963 in Indianapolis, Indiana and moved to Denver with his family when he was eleven years old. There he soon began to play the trumpet and dealt with both classical music and jazz. After finishing school he studied at the University of Denver first electrical engineering, but then switched to the University of Colorado Boulderto begin studying music, which he later attended Manhattan School of Music continued and completed in New York.
Unlike many other musicians, he did not succumb to the lure of New York but returned to Denver. There he quickly became a linchpin not only of the jazz scene, but also played with artists and bands from the areas of pop, rock, folk and blues.
