Mike Miller (guitarist)
Encyclopedia
Mike Miller is a Los Angeles-based guitarist known for playing various styles of music including jazz fusion
, rock, pop and more, and has played with Chick Corea
, Bette Midler
, Yellowjackets
, Gino Vanelli, Chad Wackerman
, Vinnie Colaiuta
, Quincy Jones
, Brand X
, and Burton Cummings
. He also performed in film scores for Mark Mothersbaugh
and in the Frank Zappa
alumni band Banned From Utopia.
Miller has released two albums under his own name and two other projects, "The Outsidemen - Band Overboard" and "Two Guys From South Dakota".
Miller moved to Colorado in 1972. There he met and played extensively with guitarists Robben Ford, Bill Frisell, and Larry Coryell, and performed in a variety of musical situations, which included opening for the Rolling Stones with ATCO recording artists Sixty Million Buffalo, and playing bass with legendary guitarist Tommy Bolin. While in Colorado, he also hooked up with the Fowler Brothers (Bruce, Tom, Walt, Steve, and Ed of Frank Zappa fame) and came to California to record the album Fly On with the group Air Pocket
, produced by jazz great Oliver Nelson
. Miller made the move permanent, relocating to Los Angeles in 1975.
In California he began collaborating with Shawn Phillips, Bennie Maupin (fresh from Herbie Hancock’s Headhunters) Max Bennett, Airto Moriera, Tom Scott and the LA Express, Alphonso Johnson (Weather Report), Bobby Caldwell, Brand X, and many others. As Miller grew roots in Los Angeles, he continued developing original music with his contemporaries (such as Billy Childs, Mitchel Forman, Ed Mann, Abe Laboriel, Tom Brechtlein, and David Garfield) at clubs through Los Angeles and Southern California.
In 1981 Miller began eleven years of working with progressive pop keyboardist Gino Vanelli, touring and recording five albums. In 1982 he contributed the Grammy-nominated composition “Elamar” to the Yellowjackets album “Mirage a Trois,” and in 1986, started a trio with Ralph Humphrey and Jim Lacefield called The Outsidemen, releasing a live disk titled “Band Overboard.”
In 1993 Mike joined jazz keyboard icon Chick Corea in the Elektric Band II to record the Grammy-nominated album “Paint the World.” On this recording, Corea said: I wanted to go for a much less thought-out, produced, composed music. I wanted less written notes, varying tempos of songs… there was no effort in making it, and it’s exactly what we played.” The Elektric Band II toured the world for a year and a half, giving Miller an opportunity to play with Corea in an extended situation.
In the middle to late 1990s Miller discovered new stimulation working in orchestral settings. He performed the music of Frank Zappa as a member of Banned from Utopia (with the Seattle Symphony, the Portland Symphony, and the Israeli Philharmonic), recorded Joseph Curiale’s guitar concerto with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and was a soloist alongside Peter Erskine with the Los Angeles Philharmonic New Music Group, conducted by Sir Simon Rattle, in the U.S. Debut of Marc Anthony Turnage’s “Blood on the Floor.”
At the end of the 1990s he was involved in the scoring Jessica Yu’s documentaries “Breathing Lessons” (Oscar winner) and the “The Living Museum.: Miller performed with Better Midler in her highly successful “Divine Miss Millennium”, and "Kiss My Brass" world tours, as well as recording “Bette” with producer Don Was. He also worked with film composer Mark Mothersbaugh on Universal Pictures “Rocky and Bullwinkle”, Wes Anderson’s The Royal Tennenbaums, and numerous other film and TV projects.
In 2001, Miller released his first solo recording “Save the Moon,” on Marsis Jazz. For help, he enlisted drummers Tom Brechtlein, Peter Erskine, and Ralph Humphrey, bassist Jimmy Johnson, keyboardists Mitchel Forman and David Witham, and trombonist Ralph Fowler. In the liner notes, Miller states: I am a guitar player, but I didn’t want to do one of those “fast” guitarslinger records… I always wanted to do a record that reflected my interests… from being a John Lennon admirer to a devout Bitches Brew fan… I’m very happy with this album. I think it reflects a lot about what made me want to play music in the first place. 2008 saw the release of “World Goes Round” by the Mike Miller Quartet featuring Walt Fowler, Albert Wing, Chad Wackerman, and Jimmy Johnson, which includes original compositions as well as creative takes on Gershwin and Perez Prado. “If you love guitar, this is one to get! Producer Jeff Severson commented Miller in a review of “World Goes Round:” “There are world class players and there are great composers, he is one of the rare breed who is both.”
Miller appeared with Bette Midler in Las Vegas in “The Showgirl Must Go On" in Las Vegas for 200 shows 2008-2010 at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace. He toured and made a number of television appearances including The Tonight Show and Ellen as a member of the Queen Latifah Big Band to support her 2007 jazz album Trav’lin’ Light.
He is also active writing, recording (recently featured on disks by Marilyn Scott, Steve Weingart and Allen Vizzutti), and playing original music, and working in collaboration with many of the most creative musicians in Los Angeles, often as a regular at the Baked Potato in Hollywood in his own bands and with musicians such as Scott Kinsey, Ottmar Ruiz, Mitch Forman, and Brandon Fields. Miller is currently developing material for a trio disk with drummer Tom Brecthlein and bassist Jerry Watts.
. He used effects made by Danish company Emma and by Line 6.
He currently plays a Rahbek COS-T guitar and uses THD Flexi-50 amplifiers, among others.
Jazz fusion
Jazz fusion is a musical fusion genre that developed from mixing funk and R&B rhythms and the amplification and electronic effects of rock, complex time signatures derived from non-Western music and extended, typically instrumental compositions with a jazz approach to lengthy group improvisations,...
, rock, pop and more, and has played with Chick Corea
Chick Corea
Armando Anthony "Chick" Corea is an American jazz pianist, keyboardist, and composer.Many of his compositions are considered jazz standards. As a member of Miles Davis' band in the 1960s, he participated in the birth of the electric jazz fusion movement. In the 1970s he formed Return to Forever...
, Bette Midler
Bette Midler
Bette Midler is an American singer, actress, and comedian, also known by her informal stage name, The Divine Miss M. She became famous as a cabaret and concert headliner, and went on to star in successful and acclaimed films such as The Rose, Ruthless People, Beaches, and For The Boys...
, Yellowjackets
Yellowjackets
Yellowjackets is an American jazz fusion/smooth jazz quartet.-History:The original group, called The Robben Ford Group, was formed in 1977, and consisted of Robben Ford, Russell Ferrante, Jimmy Haslip and Ricky Lawson, all top-notch L.A. session musicians...
, Gino Vanelli, Chad Wackerman
Chad Wackerman
Chad Wackerman is a jazz, jazz fusion and rock drummer; arguably best known in the United States for his work as a drummer and percussionist in Frank Zappa's band...
, Vinnie Colaiuta
Vinnie Colaiuta
Vincent Colaiuta is an American drummer based in Los Angeles. Originally from Republic, Pennsylvania, he began playing drums as a child and received his first full drum kit from his parents at the age of 14...
, Quincy Jones
Quincy Jones
Quincy Delightt Jones, Jr. is an American record producer and musician. A conductor, musical arranger, film composer, television producer, and trumpeter. His career spans five decades in the entertainment industry and a record 79 Grammy Award nominations, 27 Grammys, including a Grammy Legend...
, Brand X
Brand X
Brand X was a jazz fusion band active between 1975–1980 and 1992-1999. Noted members included Phil Collins , Percy Jones , John Goodsall and Robin Lumley ....
, and Burton Cummings
Burton Cummings
Burton L. Cummings, OC, OM is a Canadian musician and songwriter.He was the lead singer and frequent keyboardist for the Canadian rock band The Guess Who...
. He also performed in film scores for Mark Mothersbaugh
Mark Mothersbaugh
Mark Allen Mothersbaugh is an American musician, composer, singer and painter. He is the co-founder of the new wave band Devo and has been its lead singer since 1972. His other musical projects include work for television series, films, and video games....
and in the Frank Zappa
Frank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
alumni band Banned From Utopia.
Miller has released two albums under his own name and two other projects, "The Outsidemen - Band Overboard" and "Two Guys From South Dakota".
Biography
Mike Miller was born into a musical family in Sioux Falls, South Dakota on May 8, 1953. He was the third of four bass-playing brothers, performing with his father’s jazz combo at twelve. About the same time he began honing his precocious guitar chops in a series of garage bands, and at fifteen was accepted into the Sioux Falls Symphony as a string bassist.Miller moved to Colorado in 1972. There he met and played extensively with guitarists Robben Ford, Bill Frisell, and Larry Coryell, and performed in a variety of musical situations, which included opening for the Rolling Stones with ATCO recording artists Sixty Million Buffalo, and playing bass with legendary guitarist Tommy Bolin. While in Colorado, he also hooked up with the Fowler Brothers (Bruce, Tom, Walt, Steve, and Ed of Frank Zappa fame) and came to California to record the album Fly On with the group Air Pocket
Air Pocket (band)
Air Pocket was a jazz fusion band based around the Fowler brothers.Their debut album was arranged by Oliver Nelson. It was released on LP in 1976 and CD in 2002, both by East Wind.-Discography:*1976: Fly On *1985: Hunter...
, produced by jazz great Oliver Nelson
Oliver Nelson
Oliver Edward Nelson was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, arranger and composer.-Early life and career:...
. Miller made the move permanent, relocating to Los Angeles in 1975.
In California he began collaborating with Shawn Phillips, Bennie Maupin (fresh from Herbie Hancock’s Headhunters) Max Bennett, Airto Moriera, Tom Scott and the LA Express, Alphonso Johnson (Weather Report), Bobby Caldwell, Brand X, and many others. As Miller grew roots in Los Angeles, he continued developing original music with his contemporaries (such as Billy Childs, Mitchel Forman, Ed Mann, Abe Laboriel, Tom Brechtlein, and David Garfield) at clubs through Los Angeles and Southern California.
In 1981 Miller began eleven years of working with progressive pop keyboardist Gino Vanelli, touring and recording five albums. In 1982 he contributed the Grammy-nominated composition “Elamar” to the Yellowjackets album “Mirage a Trois,” and in 1986, started a trio with Ralph Humphrey and Jim Lacefield called The Outsidemen, releasing a live disk titled “Band Overboard.”
In 1993 Mike joined jazz keyboard icon Chick Corea in the Elektric Band II to record the Grammy-nominated album “Paint the World.” On this recording, Corea said: I wanted to go for a much less thought-out, produced, composed music. I wanted less written notes, varying tempos of songs… there was no effort in making it, and it’s exactly what we played.” The Elektric Band II toured the world for a year and a half, giving Miller an opportunity to play with Corea in an extended situation.
In the middle to late 1990s Miller discovered new stimulation working in orchestral settings. He performed the music of Frank Zappa as a member of Banned from Utopia (with the Seattle Symphony, the Portland Symphony, and the Israeli Philharmonic), recorded Joseph Curiale’s guitar concerto with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and was a soloist alongside Peter Erskine with the Los Angeles Philharmonic New Music Group, conducted by Sir Simon Rattle, in the U.S. Debut of Marc Anthony Turnage’s “Blood on the Floor.”
At the end of the 1990s he was involved in the scoring Jessica Yu’s documentaries “Breathing Lessons” (Oscar winner) and the “The Living Museum.: Miller performed with Better Midler in her highly successful “Divine Miss Millennium”, and "Kiss My Brass" world tours, as well as recording “Bette” with producer Don Was. He also worked with film composer Mark Mothersbaugh on Universal Pictures “Rocky and Bullwinkle”, Wes Anderson’s The Royal Tennenbaums, and numerous other film and TV projects.
In 2001, Miller released his first solo recording “Save the Moon,” on Marsis Jazz. For help, he enlisted drummers Tom Brechtlein, Peter Erskine, and Ralph Humphrey, bassist Jimmy Johnson, keyboardists Mitchel Forman and David Witham, and trombonist Ralph Fowler. In the liner notes, Miller states: I am a guitar player, but I didn’t want to do one of those “fast” guitarslinger records… I always wanted to do a record that reflected my interests… from being a John Lennon admirer to a devout Bitches Brew fan… I’m very happy with this album. I think it reflects a lot about what made me want to play music in the first place. 2008 saw the release of “World Goes Round” by the Mike Miller Quartet featuring Walt Fowler, Albert Wing, Chad Wackerman, and Jimmy Johnson, which includes original compositions as well as creative takes on Gershwin and Perez Prado. “If you love guitar, this is one to get! Producer Jeff Severson commented Miller in a review of “World Goes Round:” “There are world class players and there are great composers, he is one of the rare breed who is both.”
Miller appeared with Bette Midler in Las Vegas in “The Showgirl Must Go On" in Las Vegas for 200 shows 2008-2010 at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace. He toured and made a number of television appearances including The Tonight Show and Ellen as a member of the Queen Latifah Big Band to support her 2007 jazz album Trav’lin’ Light.
He is also active writing, recording (recently featured on disks by Marilyn Scott, Steve Weingart and Allen Vizzutti), and playing original music, and working in collaboration with many of the most creative musicians in Los Angeles, often as a regular at the Baked Potato in Hollywood in his own bands and with musicians such as Scott Kinsey, Ottmar Ruiz, Mitch Forman, and Brandon Fields. Miller is currently developing material for a trio disk with drummer Tom Brecthlein and bassist Jerry Watts.
Gear
In the early 2000s, Miller played various custom-made instruments, some with Seymour Duncan pickups, as well as a Martin D-28C. F. Martin & Company
C.F. Martin & Company is a US guitar manufacturer established in 1833 by Christian Frederick Martin. Martin is highly regarded for its steel-string guitars, and is a leading mass manufacturer of flattop acoustics with models that retail for thousands of dollars and vintage instruments that often...
. He used effects made by Danish company Emma and by Line 6.
He currently plays a Rahbek COS-T guitar and uses THD Flexi-50 amplifiers, among others.