This year is the centennial of Miles Davis’s birth. There are dozens of tributes happening around the world, both in concert and on record. One of these will occur at the Saratoga Jazz Festival on June 27 when Vince Wilburn, Jr. brings his M.E.B. (a.k.a. the Miles Electric Band) to the fest, with trumpeter Keyon Harrold and a very strong lineup in tow. Wilburn is the nephew of Davis, who spent a lot of time with the legend on and off-stage. He is also a co-manager of the Davis estate’s business, including new releases, collaborations, social media, merchandise, and other ventures. The M.E.B. does not play straight Davis tunes. They are inspired by that 1980s-1990s electric era and the experimentation and fearlessness that Davis embodied his entire career. An example is their 2023 EP That You Not Dare To Forget.
In addition to playing with Davis on and off for seven years in the 80s, including on the album Aura, Wilburn has played for twelve years with various lineups of the M.E.B. and on other projects. He’s also a producer, radio host, and archivist, often tasked with going through the Miles Davis music vault. Two of the wonderful sets that the Davis estate has released this year are The Complete Live at the Plugged Nickel 1965 (10 LPs) and Miles ’56 The Prestige Recordings (4 LPs). He intimates that there is plenty more to come.
Wilburn pulls the curtain back on what Davis was like off-stage, including his interests in cooking, boxing, swimming, driving Ferraris, painting, watching MTV, and more. “The Chief” was a genius in constant motion and always looking forward. In a way, 35 years after his death, we’re still playing catch up.
