Miles Robertson

	Miles Robertson recently announced his arrival on the Barbados music scene in no uncertain manner. A guest spot in November Jazz 03 was an auspicious start...
and his recent feature performannce in Cool Jazz June convinced all who saw him that his is a world class talent.
'The gifted pianist/ keyboardist/producer is the son of two noted international musicians from the Caribbean – Janice Millington and Raf Robertson – and has been surrounded by and involved in music-making of varying genres from a tender age.
	He was trained with his mother in classical piano and violin from age four, but decided at 14 that he wanted to pursue the path of a creative jazz musician with emphasis on Caribbean jazz expressions.
His journey so far has taken many paths. Miles was the first person to enter the Barbados Junior Monarch Competition as the Mighty Puma at the tender age of six and he placed third and fourth in two consecutive years.

He also received much exposure to the stage in drama with Stage One Productions, in school presentations from kindergarten to secondary school and also in the wider community.

However, his music exposure was broadened as a student of The Lodge School and the Music Department there where he followed the course offered under the direction of Roger Gittens.He soon became a member of the Lodge School Ensemble where he was the drummer for six years.

“ I really wanted to play the keyboard but someone beat me to it, so I
settled for the drums, though it wasn’t my first choice. I stuck with it
and to this day I don’t regret it.”

Musicians/Entertainers

To date Miles has accumulated quite a few accolades, including placing first in the Guadeloupe Concours Inter-Caraibe for piano in 1996; receiving the highest mark in the Caribbean Secondary Examination Council Music Examination held in Barbados in 1999.
	Winning Gold awards at the National Festival of Creative Arts 1998 as a soloist pianist, with a jazz band and with the Lodge School Ensemble. Miles went on to the Barbados Community College where he embarked on studies for the Associate Degree in Music. It was there that he was asked to join the jazz band Quarter Note.
This band had many successes playing for local gigs, at Government functions, and private parties and they opened at the Barbados Jazz Festival – “Jazz on the Hill” concert at Farley Hill in 2001 with artists Brenda Russell, Chucho Valdez, Earl Klugh and Barbadian guitarist Ian Alleyne.

His work as a producer has been impactful having worked with CRS studios and G sharp studios in Barbados as a producer and session musician since 1998 and he worked as assistant to Nicholas Brancker in his Chambers Studios where he worked on albums with artists Iwer George, Arrow, Atlantic, Machel Montano, Square One, Krosfyah, Red Plastic Bag, Adrian Clarke and T C among others.

He continues to gain work experience as a performer and has toured Grand Cayman, Aruba, St Martin, Hyde Park, London for a performance at Queen Elizabeth’s Jubilee Celebrations, and St. Lucia, as keyboardist in Nicholas Brancker’s band and Birmingham and London with Phillip Forrester and 4 De People. He also worked solo in Grenada, Trinidad and Tobago,.
and collaborated with Ralph Mc Donald, Robbie Greenidge, Arturo Tappin ,James Lovell, TC, Alison Hinds, Adrian Clarke, ,KB Sharp, Little Buggy, Toni Norville, David Walcott and many others.

His most recent efforts include:

Performances with international percussionist Ralph Mc Donald (May 2003).

Performance at the St Lucia Jazz Festival (May 2003.)

 

Performance for the National Cultural Foundation of Barbados for the celebration of the 375 Anniversary of Bridgetown (June 2003).

 

A performance at the Queen’s Park Savannah with his father, and his own concert at Martin’s in Trinidad (December 2003),

 

Musical Director and keyboardist of the hip hop/ r&b band “Blaze” (July- December 2003).

 

Musical Director to the “ BAJAZZ” band led by Adrian “Boo” Husbands at the Barbados Jazz festival (January2004).

 

Played at Holder’s season March 2004 with English guitarist Martin Taylor and barbadian pannist David Walcott

 

Played at the Congaline Music Festival May 2004 with his band “Miles and De Men”

 

Currently playing in the newly formed rock band Xeriem

 

Played at club S.O.B’s in New York with Rupee (atlantic recording artist) June 2004

Cool Jazz June 2004 at the Southern Palms hotel