Butch Miles

Butch Miles was born in Ironton, Ohio, on the 4th of July during a family reunion. When he was asked to join the school band he decided to play the drums. By the time he was in high school, Butch was playing in local bands and studying jazz with Frank Thompson at the Guthrie and Dean Music Shop. Butch moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan, and became the house drummer in a jazz club. After backing Mel Torme for a week, Butch was hired by Mel and toured the world for 3 years before getting the call to play with the Count Basie Big Band. Butch's career in music reads like a who's-who in the jazz world and he was a Ludwig Drums endorser for his entire playing career.

Image for 1985 interview courtesy of the Downbeat archives.