| Keys to the City | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1985 [1] | |||
| Recorded | June 28, 1985 | |||
| Studio | ERAS Studio, NYC. [1] | |||
| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Length | 41:57 | |||
| Label | Landmark Records LLP 1507 | |||
| Producer | Orrin Keepnews | |||
| Mulgrew Miller chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [2] [3] |
Keys to the City is the debut album by jazz pianist Mulgrew Miller, recorded on June 28, 1985, and released by Landmark Records. [1]
The album is dedicated to Miller's wife, Tanya, and musicians who inspired him. The record contains eight compositions: four originals and four jazz standards. The originals are: the blues-inspired "Song for Darnell", named after his son; "Promethean", inspired by a Greek myth; "Portrait of a Mountain"; and "Saud's Run". The last two are dedicated to McCoy Tyner. [4]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Song for Darnell" | Miller | 6:33 |
| 2. | "Inner Urge" | Joe Henderson | 3:51 |
| 3. | "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye" | Cole Porter | 6:22 |
| 4. | "Promethean" | Miller | 3:23 |
| 5. | "Milestones" | Miles Davis | 4:20 |
| 6. | "Portrait of a Mountain" | Miller | 8:03 |
| 7. | "Saud's Run" | Miller | 5:46 |
| 8. | "Warm Valley" | Duke Ellington | 3:39 |
| Total length: | 41:57 | ||
Mulgrew Miller was an American jazz pianist, composer, and educator. As a child he played in churches and was influenced on piano by Ramsey Lewis and then Oscar Peterson. Aspects of their styles remained in his playing, but he added the greater harmonic freedom of McCoy Tyner and others in developing as a hard bop player and then in creating his own style, which influenced others from the 1980s on.
"Sophisticated Lady" is a jazz standard, composed as an instrumental in 1932 by Duke Ellington.
Landmark Records was an American jazz record company and label founded in 1985 by Orrin Keepnews. Landmark's releases included music by Donald Byrd, Jack DeJohnette, Jimmy Heath, Vincent Herring, Bobby Hutcherson, Mulgrew Miller, Buddy Montgomery, and reissues of Cannonball Adderley.
New York Scene is a live album by drummer Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers recorded in New York City in 1984 and released on the Concord Jazz label.
United is an album led by trumpeter Woody Shaw which was recorded in 1981 and released on the Columbia label.
Master of the Art is a live album led by trumpeter Woody Shaw which was recorded in New York City on 25 February 1982 at the Jazz Forum and released on the Elektra/Musician label. Shaw's subsequent album, Night Music, was recorded at the same appearance and date.
Live at Kimball's is a live album recorded on April 13, 1985 at Kimball's in San Francisco by Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers.
Work! is an album by jazz pianist Mulgrew Miller, recorded together with Charnett Moffett on bass and Terri Lyne Carrington on drums. The album was recorded on April 23–24, 1986 and released that year by Landmark Records. The album is named after the song "Work" by Thelonious Monk and Sonny Rollins from their 1954 album Thelonious Monk and Sonny Rollins.
Wingspan is an album by jazz pianist Mulgrew Miller with a quintet of other musicians. The album was recorded on May 11, 1987, and released later that year by Landmark Records.
Trio Transition is the fourth studio album by American jazz pianist Mulgrew Miller together with drummer Frederick Waits and bassist Reggie Workman. The album was recorded on December 16, 1987 in Tokyo when that ad-hoc trio toured there, and released on the Japanese label DIW. The record was remastered in 2008 and re-released.
The Countdown is the fifth studio album by American jazz pianist Mulgrew Miller. The album was released in 1988 by Landmark Records. For this record Miller teamed with Ron Carter on bass, Joe Henderson on tenor sax, and Tony Williams on drums. Initially, the album contained seven compositions, but later it was re-released with the bonus track "1684".
Trio Transition with Special Guest Oliver Lake is a studio album by American jazz pianist Mulgrew Miller together with drummer Frederick Waits, bassist Reggie Workman, and saxophonist Oliver Lake. This is the sixth album for Miller as a bandleader; this is also second and final record for his Trio Transition. The album was released in 1988 by Japan's label DIW Records.
From Day to Day is a 1990 studio album by American jazz pianist Mulgrew Miller recorded together with drummer Kenny Washington and bassist Robert Hurst. This is his seventh album as a leader.
Time and Again is a 1991 studio album by American jazz pianist Mulgrew Miller together with Peter Washington on bass and Tony Reedus on drums. This is his eighth album as a leader and sixth for Landmark Records label.
Hand in Hand is a studio album by American jazz pianist Mulgrew Miller with Kenny Garrett on alto saxophone, Joe Henderson on tenor saxophone, Eddie Henderson on trumpet, Steve Nelson on vibraphone, Christian McBride on bass, and Lewis Nash on drums. The record was released in 1993 by Novus Records. It is Miller's ninth album as a bandleader.
With Our Own Eyes is a studio album by American jazz pianist Mulgrew Miller with bassist Richie Goods and drummer Tony Reedus. The album was released in December 1993 by Novus Records. This is Miller's second record for Novus and tenth overall.
Getting to Know You is a studio album by American jazz pianist Mulgrew Miller. The album was released in 1995 by Novus Records. This is Miller's third record for Novus and eleventh overall.
The Duets is a studio album by American jazz pianist Mulgrew Miller and Danish bassist Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen. The album was recorded in Copenhagen on the Bang & Olufsen label and released in 1999. The record features famous compositions by pianist Duke Ellington as well as two originals by bandmembers. Their duo later became a trio with the occasional inclusion of drummer Alvin Queen in 2000.
Harlem Blues is an album by trumpeter Donald Byrd featuring performances recorded in 1987 and released on the Landmark label the following year.
Promised Land is the final studio album by American hard bop tenor saxophonist Harold Land. The album was recorded in La Jolla, CA and released on 27 March 2001 via Audiophoric label.