Bubber Miley
Pioneering plunger-mute trumpeter who shaped early Ellington.
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James Wesley "Bubber" Miley (April 3, 1903 – May 20, 1932) was an American early jazz trumpet and cornet player who specialized in the use of the plunger mute. Born in Aiken, South Carolina into a musical family, he moved to New York City at age six, where he occasionally sang for money on the streets. At 14, he studied trombone and cornet. After 18 months in the Navy, he joined the Carolina Five in 1920, playing small clubs and boat rides around New York City for three years. His career took off when Duke Ellington noticed his talent and brought him into the Washingtonians, where Miley's plunger-mute growl became the signature of Ellington's early "jungle music" style.
Lore & Background
Miley's unique sound came together after he heard King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band in Chicago and was captivated by Oliver's use of mutes. Miley found his own voice by combining the straight and plunger mute with a growling sound. With trombonist Joe "Tricky Sam" Nanton, he developed the "wah-wah" sound that characterized Ellington's early "jungle music" style. Early Ellington hits like "Black and Tan Fantasy", "Doin' the Voom Voom", "East St. Louis Toodle-Oo", "The Mooche", and "Creole Love Call" prominently featured Miley's solo work and were thematically inspired by his melodic ideas, which he often borrowed from Baptist hymns sung in his church, such as Stephen Adams' "Holy City". Many jazz critics consider Miley's contributions integral to Ellington's early success at the Kentucky Club and Cotton Club.
Did You Know?
- In 1924, Miley and Alvin Ray tricked three different record companies into recording the same two songs under the name The Texas Blues Destroyers.
- Miley performed with Leo Reisman's all-white society dance band as the only African American, sometimes hidden from view by a screen.
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