Original 1986 pressing in near-mint condition.

Producer and multi-instrumentalist Marcus Miller composed most of the tracks on Tutu, and played parts for bass, guitar, synthesizers, soprano saxophone, bass clarinet and drums.

Years later, Miller described his approach to preparing tracks for Tutu. “A lot of times I would hear stuff that people wrote for Miles and the track was killing and sounded modern. Then I’d say, ‘OK, what’s Miles gonna do?’ and they’d go, ‘You know, Miles is just gonna do his thing.’ Big mistake. You have to know in your head what the main instrument is going to do. On Tutu, every track was created with his voice in mind. Miles was never incidental to the track, trying to fit the horn in. Miles’ sound led the whole thing.”

Miller also recruited an all-start cast of players to perform on the album, including keyboardists George Duke, Adam Holzman, and Bernard Wright; percussionists Paulinho Da Costa and Steve Reid; drummer Omar Hakim, violinist Michael Urbaniak, and keyboardist Jason Miles. Miles himself sounded clear and strong, his gem-like tone in the settings that Miller had created with his sound in mind.