Byron Miller - The Gift Psychobass2 (2018)

Bassist Byron Miller shares the fate of many sidemen who play with the superstars without the fame promotes their reputation significantly. He performed with George Duke, Roy Ayers Ubiquity, Santana, Herbie Hancock, Joe Sample and The Crusaders, Marvin Gaye, Whitney Houston, and Luther Vandross.

In 2015 he released Psycho Bass, the fourth of his solo career after Git Wit Me, Until (1997), and I’ll Come By (2003), with three of the last recorded performances of George Duke, Ndugu Chancler on drums, guitarist David T. Walker and percussionist Sheila E. Psycho Bass is Byron's Funk name.

The Gift: Psychobass 2 (2018) is Myron's follow up offering performances of Kirk Whalum, Paul Jackson, Jr., Walter Beasley, Gordon Campbell, Phil Davis, Munyungo Jackson and more. Three tracks with Ndugu Chancler on drums he just left off. “When he passed, I couldn’t hear anybody else playing on them…”

Funky Boy is Byron's introducing into the album. This title is all about the Funk as every funkateer awaits it. Of great help was keyboardist/bassist Gerroud Thomas who laid the foundation of this song. Gordon Campbell on drums, and Walter Beasley with a sax solo complete the band.

Preparation Funk combines the art form of narration with Byron's funky performance of his bass. On Soldier Of The Groove Byron lets his bass speak with the language called Funk. Byron entitles it a roundly warmer, gentler contact to The Funk. The title song The Gift features Byron's legendary bass in the lead again, but the listener shouldn't neglect the sophisticated keyboard work and the excellent rhythm.

Say Hello approaches the smooth jazz genre with a sonic groove featuring Kirk Whalum on sax. Originally George Duke released the song on his dance funk album Night After Night (1989). Byron played on this track his well-known pronounced bass. Such way closes the circle of Dukeism. On The B Spot Byron searches the duet with the sax in a smooth way again.

We're On The Island evokes some Caribbean island feeling with pan drums and Latin rhythm in a Carnival of sound and firework of guitar and bass. Under George Duke's tutelage Byron started his steps into music business. Just A Feeling has that certain Duke flavor transferred into Byron's sophisticated quickly recognizable bass. The Funk Is On goes back again to the time of the 70's, when the Funk was Funk. Wild, untamed and unbridled.

Byron Miller's The Gift Psychobass 2 offers no mix but a collection divided in Funk and smooth jazz style. It shows the Janus-head of a gifted bassist, who has influenced the Funk in his primeval times, but at the same time builds the connection to a modern contemporary style.