Miles Jackson, 'epitome of a jazz musician,' dies at age 65

Mar. 1—Miles Jackson, a professional musician who played upright and electric bass for years in Honolulu jazz clubs, died Feb. 15 at his care home in Las Vegas after a six-year battle with early-onset Alzheimer's disease. He was 65.

Miles Merrill Jackson III was born in Richmond, Va., in 1955. He started playing professionally while still in high school, then came to Hawaii in his early 20s with his family, eventually studying music at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

From there he stepped forward as a soft-spoken nightclub and lounge musician at venues that included the Black Orchid at Restaurant Row (now Waterfront Plaza ), Mariposa in Neiman Marcus at the Ala Moana Center, the Maile Lounge at Kahala Hilton (now the Kahala Hotel &Resort ) as a member of Kit Samson's Sound Advice, and at several Waikiki venues. He joined keyboardist Aaron Aranita and drummer Peter Factora as backing musicians on guitarist David Yamasaki's arrangement of "Sukiyaki " for Yamasaki's 2011 album, "Hawaii 5 /4."

Factora started performing with Jackson in the early 1970s. He recalled the gigs at Mariposa and at Ward's Rafters, an informal jazz club in Kaimuki, as particularly memorable.

At that time, jazz was flourishing in the islands, he said. "We had six nights a week, steady gigs, " he said.

He remembers Jackson as a multifaceted contributor to the local music scene. "He was not just a great musician and a great person, but he would book gigs throughout Hawaii, " he said, recalling the name of Jackson's agency, Milestone Production.

Jackson moved to Las Vegas nine years ago with his partner of 35 years, Arlene McMurtray. He had intended to perform there, but then was diagnosed with Alzheimer's on Christmas Eve 2014. They agreed to face the disease together, and she remained his primary caregiver until his disease reached the point where he needed full-time professional care.

McMurtray said Jackson had been described to her as "the epitome of a jazz musician."

"He lived to play jazz, but in Hawaii you play everything, whatever pays, " she said. "He was always Mr. Cool, never said anything bad about anyone, and helped the young musicians, suggested things for them to do."

She said music remained with him as his condition deteriorated. He would sing with his nurse and keep the television in his room tuned to jazz. His doctor noticed that his scat singing remained in rhythm, she said.

"Miles was the leveling force for me, " she said. "When I would get too intense, he would look at me and say, 'We need to level out.' And I would say, 'We do ?' and he would say, 'Actually you do, not me, '" she said. "He was my best friend."

At Jackson's request, McMurtray will hold a celebration of life in Honolulu when it is safer to travel and hold memorial gatherings.