Biscuit and Buddy

Written By Mike Greenblatt

German funk/jazz label Leopard Records has released today Biscuit And Buddy, the first tribute ever to the great ‘60s drummer-composer-guitarist-vocalist-producer and all-around wild man rock star Buddy Miles [1947-2008], from Biscuit Rouse [Newark]. Rouse used to drum for Lauryn Hill [East Orange]. He’s currently in a band called Screaming Headless Torsos and is also in Living Colour guitarist Vernon Reid’s Band Of Gypsys Revisited.

Buddy Miles founded The Electric Flag in 1967 with the legendary guitarist Michael Bloomfield [1943-1981]. They were the first rock band with horns.  He had an oversized larger-than-life personality. In 1969, he formed the original Band Of Gypsys with Jimi Hendrix—and was in the studio with Jimi for Electric Ladyland—before going solo with The Buddy Miles Express. He also recorded with Santana. That’s his lead voice on the California Raisins television commercial. His father played bass for Duke Ellington and Count Basie. Buddy was still a teen when he drummed for Wilson Pickett [Englewood]. He wrote “Them Changes” in 1970 which you may know by Santana, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Pat Travers, Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, Bernard “Pretty” Purdie or Ramsey Lewis.

Biscuit will accept the award on the behalf of the family when Buddy Miles gets inducted as part of the 2024 R’n’B Hall of Fame in Cleveland on October 6. His Buddy and Biscuit tribute album lands today with 11 tracks of super-charged funk and rock including exciting new takes on Neil Young’s “Down By The River,” the 1968 Sam & Dave hit “Wrap It Up” and Otis Redding’s 1968 “Don’t Mess With Cupid.”

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Mike Greenblatt

MIKE GREENBLATT has been writing for Goldmine magazine and New Jersey's Aquarian Weekly for more than 35 years. His writing subjects fill the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

He's interviewed Joe Cocker, Graham Nash, David Crosby, Carlos Santana, Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, Johnny Cash, and members of The Rolling Stones and The Beatles. He was 18 when he attended Woodstock in 1969.

In addition to writing about music, Greenblatt has worked on publicity campaigns for The Animals, Pat Benatar, Johnny Winter, Tommy James and Richard Branson, among others. He is currently the editor of The Jersey Sound.

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