Album Notes

Review: JazzTimes (October 1995)
"Multi-instrumentalist Miles Jaye gives the unique sound of electric violin center stage on Divine Ascension, a thoughtfully executed album running across a wide range of styles, while spinning ecstatic, entertaining grooves. Also serving as producer, Jaye makes deft arrangment choices ranging from sparse and tender (weeping violin and resonant piano counter melody on "Superstar") to fully textured (Divine Ascenion's interwoven dreamscape of piano, bass and percussion). Lesser tunes, like the puffy synthesized "I've Been A Fool For You" are redeemed by the more inventive. An eclectic read of Charlie Parker's "Donna Lee," featuring a beat with backspin and a notebending lead, and "Dewey", a cool combination of heavy chord piano falls and cutting acidic lead lines are the real stars here. Relentlessly twisted, effortlessly cool pieces like these should go a long way to put this Miles on the map.

[Hilarie Grey]