Tales is the fourth studio album by American jazz musician Marcus Miller. The album was released in May 23, 1995 on PRA/Dreyfus Records. He supported it with a North American tour.
The album peaked at No. 7 on the US Billboard Top Contemporary Jazz Albums chart and No. 12 on the US Billboard Top Jazz Albums chart. Tales was also Grammy nominated, in the category of "Best Contemporary Jazz Performance".
Contents
Production
The album was produced by Miller. It samples the voices of several Black American musicians. "Eric" is dedicated to the guitarist Eric Gale. Miller wrote or cowrote nine of the album's songs; the title track was written with Allen Toussaint.
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." Adam Sweeting of 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."
Joe Rassenfoss of The Rocky Mountain News opined that Meshell Ndegeocello "spellbinds with 'Rush Over', a ballad wrought from spoken word and singing." Marty Hughley of The Oregonian praised Miller's "knack for welding groove to harmonic structure and balancing upscale polish with urban grit." Steve Miller of 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."
Scott Yanow of AllMusic, in a 3/5 star review wrote, "Marcus Miller's electric bass is a major force throughout the music...A few songs (especially later in the program) 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.
"The Blues" – 5:45
"Tales (Intro)" (Miller, Allen Toussaint) – 0:30
"Tales" (Miller, Allen Toussaint) – 5:46
"Eric" – 6:16
"True Geminis" – 5:35
"Rush Over" – 5:00
"Running Through My Dreams (Interlude)" – 1:27
"Ethiopia" – 5:15
"Strange Fruit (Intro)" (Abel Meeropol) – 1:20
"Strange Fruit" (Abel Meeropol) – 2:14
"Visions" (Stevie Wonder) – 5:36
"Tales (Reprise)" – 2:34
"Forevermore (Intro)" – 0:31
"Forevermore" – 4:58
"Infatuation" – 5:08
"Come Together" (John Lennon, Paul McCartney) – 5:30
European, Japanese and other US Releases
"The Blues" - 5:45
"Tales" - 5:46
"Eric" - 6:16
"True Geminis" - 5:35
"Rush Over" - 5:18
Personnel
Marcus Miller – Wurlitzer electric piano (1, 4), bass guitar (1, 3–8, 11, 14–16), rhythm programming (1, 3–5, 7–8, 11, 14–16), vocal samples (1, 15–16), synthesizers (3–4, 8, 10, 16), sound programming (3–7, 10–11, 14–15), organ (4), rhythm guitar (4), keyboards (5–7, 11, 14–15), guitars (5, 16), bass clarinet (5–6, 8, 10), African flute (7), voice recording (14)
Bernard Wright – organ (1, 4), synthesizers (1), clavinet (3), synth lines (8), marimbas (8), electric piano (15), synth bass (16)
David Ward – sound programming (1, 3–4, 7, 10, 11, 14–16)
Poogie Bell – drums (1, 3–4, 6, 11, 14, 16), drum fills (8)
Kenny Garrett – alto saxophone (1, 3–5, 8, 11, 15)
Michael "Patches" Stewart – trumpet (1, 3, 5, 8, 11, 14)
The Pointer Sisters – vocal samples (3, 13)
Bill Cosby – vocal samples (1)
Q-Tip – spoken intro (2)
Lenny White – drum fills (4)
Hiram Bullock – lead guitar solo (4)
Eric Gale – voice recording (4)
Joshua Redman – tenor sax solo (5)
Miles Davis – voice recording (5)
Jason Miles – additional sound programming (5)
Meshell Ndegeocello – synth solo (6), vocals (6)
