Max Miller (jazz Musician) - 1950s - Columbia and Life Releases and Reunion With Sidney Bechet

Columbia and Life Releases and Reunion With Sidney Bechet

In 1950, he did a long stint at Rossi's New Apex Club in Chicago. In the fall of 1950 he recorded at least six songs for Life Record Company. These were primarily original material that he had performed at the Orchestra Hall concert, including "Heartbeat Blues" (rhythm guitar by Andy Nelson, who later worked as a clinician for Gibson and Epiphone), "Sunny Disposition", "Fantasia of the Unconscious", and "Lumbar Ganglion Jump". In 1951 Columbia released an album of Miller playing jazz standards as part of its "Piano Moods" series and this is the album that most often turns up when searching for his recorded work. He was backed by Earl Backus on guitar, Bill Holyoke on Bass and Remo Belli (of Remo Drum heads fame) on drums. This release was noted for his fine artistry in the Jazz section of the American Peoples Encyclopedia Yearbook, covering 1951. In 1952, he returned to Life Records, recording at least four more sides before the company closed.

He also recorded for Gold Seal Records in the 1950s and was signed to a five-year contract with MCA in 1951 but ended up buying his way out of it when he found out that if he recorded his own compositions, which was his main interest, then MCA would own all rights to the material.

In 1953 he again performed with Sidney Bechet. One of their concerts took place at Chicago's Kimball Hall and featured Max Miller on piano, Sidney Bechet on soprano sax, Bill Harris on trombone, and Big Sid Catlett on drums. The 1954 American Peoples Encyclopedia Yearbook, covering 1953 in the Jazz category, cited the reunion of Max Miller and Sidney Bechet as the highlight of the year. Once again, they took advantage of the reunion to make some private recordings together.

Miller continued to record in his own studios, which were outfitted by the top recording equipment companies of the day, due to his writing a column in Down Beat magazine titled "The Audio Workshop" by Max Miller, which ran in 1953. Many top musicians from Chicago, and that came through Chicago, recorded with him, including Bill Harris and Chubby Jackson, who enjoyed a break from Woody Herman's Herd to play and record some small combo jazz. He also compiled a large amount of live recordings from various club dates and concerts.

Benny Goodman chose Miller as vibe man for the group he put together for the "Pace of Chicago" television show on the history of Chicago music filmed at the Garrick Theater in April 1952. In the same year he also shared the bill of the Paris Club Revue with jazz singer Joe Williams and trumpeter King Kolax.

In 1956 he opened his own club, "Max Miller's Scene" in the 2100 block on N. Clark St. in Chicago at the site of the 1929 Saint Valentine's Day Massacre. The 1950s also included a duo he formed with violinist Eddie South and gigs with violinist Stuff Smith. He shared billing with Mel Torme and then with Oscar Pettiford and played intermission piano opposite the Woody Herman Band, all at Chicago's famed Blue Note club. He worked with Coleman Hawkins at the Panther Room in Chicago as members of Paul Jordan's band. Highlights from 1959 include a two-week engagement as pianist for trumpet star Bobby Hackett at Chicago's London House.