After leaving Blakey in 1986, Miller was pianist in drummer Tony Williams' quintet from its foundation that year until it disbanded around 1993. Miller remained busy between tours with Williams' band, in part by touring with his own groups. The first of these was formed in 1987 and named Wingspan, as, Miller explained, "sort of a dedication to the legacy of Charlie Parker – Bird, you know." It became one of Miller's main bands, enduring through changes of personnel, and featured a lot of his compositions in its performances. Another band was known as Trio Transition, which contained bassist Reggie Workman and drummer Freddie Waits. They released the album of the same name in 1987.