Phil wrote Bass Motives for Fred Baker in 1990, featuring the bass guitar as a melodic instrument. It can be heard on Phil Miller’s CD Digging In released in 1991.
Fred was the third bass guitarist in In Cahoots, the first being Richard Sinclair who was in the first incarnation of the band when it was formed by Phil in 1982 to play his own compositions under the name of the Phil Miller Quartet.
Richard left after two years because none of the music featured him as a singer. One of Phil’s new compositions Second Sight was written specially for him featuring the bass as a melodic instrument but Richard was really only interested in working as a singer/bass player.
He was replaced by Hugh Hopper in March 1985 just before In Cahoot’s second European tour.
In Septemmber 1987 Steve Franklyn replaced Pete Lemer and in November Phil took In Cahoots on a Jazz Services sponsored UK tour, followed by another tour of Germany.
Fred Baker joined In Cahoots on Elton’s recommendation in July 1988. Fred had previously worked with the Ric Sanders / John Etheridge group, Harry Beckett’s group, the Elton Dean – John Etheridge quartet in addition to leading his own group. He joined just in time for some London gigs with In Cahoots:
June 1st at The Tom Allen Centre in London’a East End.
June 3rd at the Bass Clef and
2days of radio sessions at the BBC’s Maida Vale 3 studio for BBC2 radio sessions Sounds Of Jazz broadcast on September 11th.
In Cahoots played 7 UK gigs in November and December followed by a European tour in December. After which Steve Franklyn left the band.
In 1990 In Cahoots embarked on an Italian tour as a quartet without Pete Lemer.
In April 1991 the Miller/Baker Duo had it’s debut performance at the Vortex, London.
Jim Dvorak joins InCahoots on trumpet.
May saw the birth of Shortwave with Hugh Hopper Didier Malherbe Pip Pyle and Phil Miller.
In July Phil finishes his Digging In CD which is released in September by Cuneiform.
In September the Live 86-89 CD is released by Mantra and Cutting Both Ways and Live 86-89 are released by Virgin Japan.
In December In Cahoots, with Pete Lemer rejoining the band on keyboards, embark on a tour of Japan where Bass Motives had it’s live debut played to large audiences.
Listen to all performances of Bass Motives here on its OPUS page: HERM