Tales (album) explained

Tales
Type:	Album
Artist:	Marcus Miller
Cover:	Tales (album).jpg
Released:	May 1995
Genre:	Jazz fusion^[1]
Length:	63:08
Label:	PRA Dreyfus
Producer:	Marcus Miller
Prev Title:	The Sun Don't Lie
Prev Year:	1993
Next Title:	Live & More
Next Year:	1998

Tales is an album by the American musician Marcus Miller, released in 1995.^{[2] [3]} He supported it with a North American tour.^[4]

The album peaked at No. 7 on Billboards Contemporary Jazz Albums chart.^[5] It was nominated for a Grammy Award, in the "Best Contemporary Jazz Performance" category.^[6]

Production

The album was produced by Miller.^[7] It samples the voices of several Black American musicians.^[8] "Eric" is dedicated to the guitarist Eric Gale.^[9] Miller wrote or cowrote nine of the album's songs; the title track was written with Allen Toussaint.^{[10] [11]}

Critical reception

The Independent wrote that the album "lashes its constituent parts together with stupendous playing and rigorous adherence to the principle that music is about spinning yarns, not showing off."^[2] The Guardian determined that most of Miller's music "occupies a safe centre ground of funk basslines, loose-limbed drumming from Poogie Bell, and layers of beatific keyboard harmonies."^[12]

The Rocky Mountain News opined that Meshell Ndegeocello "spellbinds with 'Rush Over', a ballad wrought from spoken word and singing."^[9] The Oregonian praised Miller's "knack for welding groove to harmonic structure and balancing upscale polish with urban grit."^[13] The Atlanta Journal-Constitution deemed Miller "a fusionaire whose slickness is cued to the marketplace, but he also knows how to round up a band."^[14]

AllMusic wrote that some songs "ramble on a bit and one wishes that Marcus Miller would drop the funk now and then for variety's sake, but in general his set holds one's interest."

Track listing

All tracks composed by Marcus Miller except where noted.

1. "The Blues" – 5:35
2. "Tales (Intro)" (Miller, Allen Toussaint) – 0:12
3. "Tales" (Miller, Allen Toussaint) – 5:42
4. "Eric" – 6:16
5. "True Geminis" – 5:36
6. "Rush Over" – 4:57
7. "Running Through My Dreams (Interlude)" – 1:27
8. "Ethiopia" – 5:15
9. "Strange Fruit (Intro)" (Abel Meeropol) – 1:46
10. "Strange Fruit" (Abel Meeropol) – 2:02
11. "Visions" (Stevie Wonder) – 5:37
12. "Tales (Reprise)" – 2:34
13. "Forevermore (Intro)" – 0:32
14. "Forevermore" – 4:59
15. "Infatuation" – 5:08
16. "Come Together" (John Lennon, Paul McCartney) – 5:30

Personnel

• Poogie Bell – Drums
• Dean Brown – Guitar
• Hiram Bullock – Guitar
• Kenny Garrett – Alto Saxophone
• Lalah Hathaway – Vocals
• Jason Miles – Programming
• Marcus Miller – Organ, Synthesizer, Flute, Guitar, Piano, Clarinet (Bass), Bass, Rhythm guitar, Keyboards, Programming, Producer, Engineer, Sampling
• Meshell Ndegeocello – Synthesizer, Vocals
• Q-Tip – Speech/Speaker/Speaking Part
• Joshua Redman – Tenor Saxophone
• Michael "Patches" Stewart – Trumpet
• Dave Ward – Programming
• Lenny White – Drums
• Bernard Wright – Organ, Synthesizer, Clavinet, Synthesizer Bass

Production

• Roland Alvarez – engineer
• Ray Bardani – engineer
• Goh Hotoda – engineer
• Bruce Miller – engineer
• Jonathan Miller – engineer
• David Ward II – engineer

Notes and References

1. Seymour . Gene . Finding excitement in jazz fusion . Emerge . Feb 1996 . 7 . 4 . 102.
2. News: Coleman . Nick . A little bit of slap and tickle . The Independent . April 14, 1995 . Music . 24.
3. Marcus Miller: The master's voice . Bass Player . Jan 1999 . 10 . 1 . 42.
4. News: Dean . Mensah . Bassist Marcus Miller blends jazz, R&B and hip-hop... . The Washington Times . October 12, 1995 . M2.
5. Web site: Marcus Miller. Billboard.
6. Web site: Marcus Miller . Recording Academy . September 24, 2022.
7. Tales by Marcus Miller . Billboard . May 27, 1995 . 107 . 21 . 58.
8. News: Shuster . Fred . Strange conversations . Los Angeles Daily News . May 12, 1995 . L20.
9. News: Rassenfoss . Joe . MARCUS MILLER TELLS SOME GOOD 'TALES' . Rocky Mountain News . June 2, 1995 . 24D.
10. News: Young . Bob . Miller brings it all together to tell 'Tales' at Scullers . Boston Herald . October 8, 1995 . Arts & Lifestyle . 65.
11. News: 'Tales' Marcus Miller . The Sunday Age . July 23, 1995 . Agenda . 7.
12. News: Sweeting . Adam . MARCUS MILLER Tales . The Guardian . April 21, 1995 . T12.
13. News: Hughley . Marty . In heavy rotation on the home stereo . The Oregonian . July 21, 1995 . Arts and Entertainment . 6.
14. News: Dollar . Steve . Marcus Miller . The Atlanta Journal-Constitution . October 13, 1995 . P4.