Marcus Miller, the bassist who composed and produced most of Miles Davis's album Tutu, will sit down at the National Jazz Museum in Harlem on Monday, Oct. 26, at 7 p.m. to play records from his years with Davis and talk through how that music got made. Admission is free with an RSVP. The evening is part of Miles 100, the museum's series marking a century since Davis was born, and it takes place at the museum's home at 58 West 129th Street in Central Harlem.

What happens on Monday night

The format is a listening party. Miller will be joined by trumpeter Nabaté Isles, who curates the Miles 100 series, and the two will put on selected recordings and stop to talk about them. According to the museum, the conversation centers on the 1980s, when Miller performed, wrote, arranged and produced for Davis, and on the three albums the two built together: Tutu, Siesta and Amandla.

The museum describes the music of that period as a mix of jazz, funk, electronic sound and studio production, and it frames the night around how Davis kept changing his approach late in his career. The point of the event, as the museum lays it out, is to hear those records explained by one of the people who actually made them, not to review them from a distance.

Who Marcus Miller is

Miller has worked as a bassist, composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist for more than four decades. His recording credits listed by the museum include Miles Davis, Luther Vandross, David Sanborn, Aretha Franklin and Roberta Flack. He first played with Davis as a member of the trumpeter's early-1980s comeback band, and the relationship grew into a writing and production partnership through the rest of the decade.

Outside that work, Miller has released albums under his own name, received Grammy recognition, scored film and television, worked in broadcasting and served as a musical director. In 2019 the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal gave him its Miles Davis Award for his contributions to jazz.

About the Miles 100 series

Miles 100 is the museum's series on Davis a hundred years after his birth. Isles, a Grammy-winning trumpeter, composer, producer and sports broadcaster, programs it as a run of conversations with musicians, athletes, writers and other cultural figures about Davis's life, his work and the people around him. The series receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts.

The National Jazz Museum in Harlem has two artistic directors, pianist and bandleader Jon Batiste and bassist Christian McBride. The museum says it presents more than 120 free and low-cost workshops, performances and events a year.

More free jazz on 129th Street the same week

The Miller evening opens a busy stretch at the museum, and the next three programs are also free.

Tuesday, Oct. 27, and Thursday, Oct. 29: Students from the Manhattan School of Music Jazz Arts Program play two student showcases. Each night has two bands playing 45-minute sets, one starting at 7 p.m. and the second at 7:45 p.m. On Tuesday the bands are directed by Kenny Wessel and Nicole Glover. On Thursday they are directed by Matt Holman and Ingrid Jensen. Both nights are free with an RSVP.

Monday, Nov. 2: The monthly Monday Night Jam, produced and hosted by the Jazz Foundation of America, runs from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Musicians and singers can bring an instrument and sign up to sit in. Bassist and bandleader Kim Clarke leads the house band. Admission is free and no reservation is needed.

Visiting the museum during the day

The museum's galleries are open to the public Thursday through Saturday, noon to 5 p.m., with a suggested donation of $10. The museum recommends setting aside at least 30 minutes for a visit. It also runs tours and workshops for groups from pre-K through adults.

How to get there

The National Jazz Museum in Harlem is at 58 West 129th Street, between Malcolm X Boulevard and Fifth Avenue. The museum points visitors to the 2 and 3 trains at 125th Street and Malcolm X Boulevard, a few blocks south.

Plan your night

Miles 100: Miles Davis Listening Party with Marcus Miller is Monday, Oct. 26, at 7 p.m. at 58 West 129th Street. It is free, and the museum asks guests to RSVP through the link on its event page. The student showcases follow on Oct. 27 and Oct. 29 at 7 p.m., also free with an RSVP, and the walk-in Monday Night Jam is Nov. 2 from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Questions go to the museum at 212-348-8300 or info@jmih.org.

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