Mike Boone

Enjoying the View

Self-released

In the spirit of an independent release, the backbone of this magazine, we present bassist/composer/vocalist Mike Boone, a vital contributor to the Philadelphia jazz community since the early ‘80s.  Enjoying the View is Boone’s eighth release as a leader, and it defies many of the so-called conventions.  It does not adhere to one genre or one category of jazz, and it features 32 musicians, singers, or announcers in the credits rather than one tight ensemble. Furthermore, Boone is proud to deliver this album of Philly/NYC musicians whose names remain largely unrecognized, inviting the listener to set up his own blindfold test, comparing the sounds here to those with all-star ensembles. However, none of this would be surprising to those who know Boone well, as he has built a stunningly versatile reputation in both Philly and NYC.  Born in Spanish Harlem, Boone reflects both that blend of Black and Hispanic music as well as the soulful sounds of Philly where he has resided for most of his career.

A few more words on Boone seem appropriate. He attended the Eastman School of Music and moved to Philly in 1983 after touring with Ben Vereen and Buddy Rich. He says this about Philadelphia –  “What I learned from hanging out in Philadelphia and meeting all sorts of people is that jazz was an African American art form and has spiritual qualities because it does come from the blues, which come from the church. There is definitely this connection, and I made those connections in a way that I probably wouldn’t have made had I stayed in New York. In fact, I probably wouldn’t be playing jazz, so it was a blessing to come to Philly.”  

Nowadays, he is often accompanied on stage by his teenage son, Mekhi Boone, who plays drums and appears on most tracks here, recorded when the drummer was just 15 years old. Others that play on more than five tracks are pianist Mike Eckroth, Victor Provost on steel pans, and Elijah Cole on guitar. We should also mention vocalist Antonio McLendon who sings on “View” as he is the father of Grammy-winning vocalist Samara Joy.

​Boone points to fusion from the ‘70s and early ‘80s as the primary sound on this truly eclectic CD but there are R&B tunes, straight ahead tunes and smoother tunes as well. We’ll highlight several from his generous offering of 17. An example of the Latin and Black blend is the percussion infused “Give Me the Night” from the Quincy Jones produced George Benson album of the same name with Boone on vocals, Leon Jordan Jr. on a trumpet solo and Jon Katz with a turn on alto sax. Boone takes to the vocal mic again on “Have You Met Miss Jones” which features, among others, good friend John Swana on EWI. Lady J’s spoken word imbues the original noir R&B track “Tallulah’s Moon” while Boone transforms Stevie Wonder’s ballad “Lately” into a swinger mostly through his own electric and acoustic bass solos, Pete Vogel’s congas, and Cole’s guitar. Surely, the most ‘straight-ahead” track is the late Philly piano legend McCoy Tyner’s “Passion Dance,” featuring mostly those already mentioned – Eckroth, Provost, Mekhi, Jordan Jr., Katz, Swana, Cole, and Michale Kaspar Johnson on congas. The steel pans add an especially unique touch to this oft covered tune.

In a city not only rich in jazz musicians but especially bassists, the humble Mike Boone is one of its leading voices and one who prefers to generously share rather than dominate the bandstand.

• Jim Hynes.

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