The
Official NEWSLETTER of Don Miller
HOT UPDATE
HERE
---------- 2001 A MUSICAL ODYSSEY
----------
The turn of the New Year saw Don reuniting
with ‘Guitar Legend’ Larry Coryell and also Arturo Sandoval Drummer Ernesto Simpson. They performed to a ‘Sold Out Concert’ for a night of phenomenal,
crowd pleasing music!
...............Early
2001 found Don lending his skills to the ‘One
and Only’ Ira Sullivan
for the 1st Inaugural “Miami International
Jazz Festival”
...............We
found Don in another ‘Sold Out
Concert’. This time with NY Pianist/Vocalist and Recording Artist
Deanna Witkowski, featuring the Great Ira Sullivan.
SPRING IS HERE
Spring entered with a roar as Don was
called upon once again by ‘World
Renowned’ Alto Saxophonist and Composer/Arranger...the ‘Fabulous’ Richie Cole
and the ‘Alto Madness Orchestra’. It was a wonderful outdoor
Fesitival style Concert of Be-Bop Standards and Richie Originals.
...............Spring
drew to a close as Don performed a series of Concerts with the captivatingly
exciting Blues Guitarist/Vocalist Murali
Coryell thanks to his Dad, Larry
Coryell’s recommendation.
SUMMER NIGHTS
Summer comes to a rapid boil as Don
re-establishes an old bond with former Boss and old friend, ‘The Worlds Greatest Jazz Steel Drummer’
Othello Molineaux,
performing weekly!
...............Further
Summer engagements include numerous Gigs with Ira Sullivan as well as Joe
Williams discovery, Jazz Vocalist/Violinist Nicole Yarling.
...............The
Summer Heat intensifies!!! Don is called upon once again to hit the
Stage with Jazz Vocalist Roseanna
Vitro, a fabulous Artist on Concord Records.
AUTUMN SERENADE
The first days of Autumn were ushered
in with an ‘Historic’ performance.
Don was invited by friend Ira
Sullivan to join him as featured musical guest on “Marian McPartland’s Piano Jazz”. This Radio Show is broadcast Worldwide
and is one of the longest running shows on National Public Radio (NPR). The performance of these three greats was recorded ‘Live In Concert’ and was simply sensational!!!
WINTER DREAMS
)))))))))) Bulletin ((((((((((
Don is recruited concurrently to go
on the Biggest Tour in the World...the “Britney Spears Tour” and to join the famed
new Pop Supergroup ‘O Town’ as their Bassist. This is subsequently followed by a Major
U.S. Tour which sees Don performing in the Nations largest Arenas
in virtually every major city in the Country. From
New York’s ‘Madison Square Garden’
to Los
Angeles’ ‘Staple Center’, Vegas, Chicago, Boston, Toronto, and to sold out houses everywhere in between.
...............The
year was capped off by performances with ‘O
Town’ on MTV’s Total Request
Live (TRL) with Michael
Jackson, Thanksgiving on Good
Morning America, a one week German
Tour, two ‘Sold Out Performances’ at Madison Square Garden, and a New Years
Gig televised Live from MTV
Studios in the heart of Times Square, New York City !!!
WOW ............... WHAT A YEAR !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HAPPY
NEW YEAR 2002
BASSOSSITY
Newsletter cont.
After
Don’s Sensational New Years Eve Performance ‘Live On MTV’ we kick into high gear with O Town. FIRST STOP- Hollywood, California. Don travels to “Tinsel Town” to perform at the House of Blues for the American Music Awards.
NEXT STOP- A fantastic
Tour of Ireland, England, Scotland, Germany, and Austriatakes us through January and
February as we make many new friends and fans.
SPRINGSVILLE
Back on American Soil, March and April
find Don in a multitude of settings in the Jazz and Blues World. Some
Highlights include performances with Blues Guitar/Vocal Great Murali Coryell in an intimate Night Club setting.
............This was followed
by exciting performances with Don and old friends Ira Sullivan and Duffy Jackson
as well as Don with the Legendary
Jazz Clarinetist Buddy
DeFranco and Quartet......both at the Pensacola Jazz Festival, April 12-14.
NEXT
DESTINATION...‘South
of the Border’...We jet to the exotic Island Paradise of Grenada in the Caribbean to find Don performing
at the “Grenada Jazz Festival”
on the week of May 12th sharing the bill with artists
such as, Gerald Albright,
Peabo Bryson, Odeon Pope, Dr. Art Davis(former
Bassist with John Coltrane),and
many others.
...............Tune
in to MTV’s ‘Making The Band’
to catch a glimpse or two of Don each week and by ALL means , get
your copy of his great new C.D. “DIAL
M FOR BASS” now!!!
THE SUMMER KNOWS
As Summer drew ever nearer, Good Fortune continued
to smile on Don with many new and exciting opportunities. Don continued
his performances with Ira Sullivan, and Richie
Cole, as well as being recruited by the ‘Melton Mustafa Orchestra’.
This is a great swinging Big Band that is very musical and highly
entertaining. Melton is an alumnus of the ‘Count Basie
Orchestra.’ where he served as long time Trumpeter/Arranger/Composer
in residence. Gigs with Melton where numerous through the entire Summer
and continue through the end of the year.
July 20th &
30th Don
was invited once again to join the ‘Incredible
BeBop Dynamo’ Richie
Cole !!! As always, Richie and the ‘Alto
Madness Orchestra’ took us on a BeBop Excursion
at the Speed of Sound !!!!
Sept. 14th a highly successful ‘SRO’ promotional Concert
for “dial M For Bass” featuring an All Star Quartet with Ira Sullivan
bandmates Duffy Jackson
and Brian Murphy. Also included was the ‘Tenor Titan’ Turk Mauro on
Saxophone. Truly a Night to Remember !!
Sept. 21st
with Ira
Sullivan. Ira is welcomed home from his Summer Tour with this
very special performance at the Globe Cafe in Miami with Don and the rest of the
regulars. Ira and the band were on fire !!!
AUTUMN
NOCTURNE
As surely as Summer gives way
to the gentle Autumn breeze, we find Don continuing his relentless work with many fine new musical projects.
Hard at work in the Studio with Record Production dates, many live Concert and Club engagements as well as
misc. Radio and Television appearances we forge ahead ever so diligently.
The following are some of these fine highlights.
November 26th Don
joins the incredible young virtuoso of the Trombone Wycliffe Gordon (Solo Recording Artist, member of Wynton Marsalis Band and Lincoln Center Jazz
Orchestra ) along with the wonderful Trumpeter and Composer Longineu
Parsons. This great Straight Ahead Jazz Quintet performed for the
Palm Beach
, Fl. “JAMS” Jazz Society live
and in Concert. What
a night to remember !
WINTER SONG
December 8th & 10th
Don provides the foundation for “Premier New
York Jazz Vocalist” Tom Lellis live in Concert. Tom is a fine Vocalist/Composer
with many excellent CDs featuring such greats as Eddie Gomez, Jack
Dejohnette, and the 52 pc. Metropole
Orchestra. The 8th found us at “O’Hara’s World Famous Jazz
& Blues Cafe”. On the 10th we returned in Concert for
the “JAMS” Jazz Society with Tom Lellis.
Additional dates included
numerous performances with old stalwarts
Ira Sullivan, The Melton Mustafa Big Band, and the reincarnation
of Don’s old “Chill Faktur”
Band with some great new members.
HAPPY NEW YEAR 2003
)))))))))) bulletin ((((((((((
Top International Bass Publication
“Bassics” Magazine contacts Don to write
an article on him and his work in their upcoming Issue. Additionally,
upon hearing music from his
upcoming new C.D. “Urban
Legend” “Bassics” asks Don
to feature his composition “It’s Like You Never Left” on the Bassics C.D. This
C.D. will be included in the new issue due approximately March 1st.
It features Don with such Bass Legends as past participants Stanley Clarke, Jaco
Pastorious, John
Patitucci, Marcus Miller, Victor Wooten,
Ray Brown, John Paul Jones (Led
Zeppelin), Brian Bromberg, Jimmy Haslip
&
Yellow Jackets, to name but a few.
December 31st
New Years Eve with
“Don Miller’s Chill Faktur”. Don and the boys bring in the New Year in grand Jazz
fashion at their current regular Saturday night home, “Forte’s Jazz
Cafe” in Fort Lauderdale, Fl.
REUNION OF DON’S “DIAL
M FOR BASS” TRIO !!! weekend January through April at “Forte’s
Jazz Cafe” in Ft. Laud., Fl.
We thawed the Winter Freeze
with the intense heat of this great Trio for their 1st
reunion since the recording of the much heralded “Dial
M” CD they were all part of. The group included the incredible
Drumming of Jonathan Joseph (of: Joe Zawinul, David Sanborn, Al Jarreau,
Brecker Bros., Pat Metheny,
and much more), the brilliant Piano work of Felix Gomez (Arturo Sandoval,
Paquito D’Rivera,
etc.) and the phenomenal Tenor and Soprano Saxophone contributions
of Bobby Stern (Thad Jones, Tete Montoliou, Marvin Gaye, etc.)
YOU MUST BELIEVE IN SPRING
As Don worked ever diligently on many musical projects
in and out of the Studio we also found him maintaining a formidable
presence in the Concert and Club venues.
April 1st saw the
much anticipated release of “Bassics Magazine” featuring Don Miller on the companion CD and
in print. Thanks to all the many who responded to www.bassossity.com to support us with your wonderful comments
and purchases of CD’s!
May 2nd brought us to one of the largest Music Festivals
in the World for over 20 years strong, the ‘Sun Fest’ in
Palm Beach, Fl. This wonderful event featured Don’s “dial M for Bass” Trio plus the Sax Phenom
Bobby Stern once again. Part of this performance was telecast on live
television.
May 16th &
17th “TWO GENERATIONS OF CORYELL”! For the 3rd
year in a row we found
Don reuniting with the “Young Gun of the Blues”, Guitarist/Vocalist
Murali Coryell. These were nights NOT
TO BE MISSED as “Legendary Jazz/Fusion Guitar Pioneer”.......
....Murali’s Dad Larry
Coryell joined us both
nights as our ‘Surprise Special Guest’ !!!
May 30th Another
remarkable Concert performance as we found Don back at his ‘Home Bass’ with his friend and mentor the “Incredible Ira Sullivan” and his Quintet in a performance for Miami’s “Museum
of Contemporary Art”
SUMMERTIME
July 11th: In Concert with the "Eclectic Cult
Legend" David Amram! Also featured
as guest artist was Ira Sullivan. Mr. Amram
was a member of bands led by Oscar Pettiford
and Charles Mingus. Also a noted Composer and Conductor, he has worked
with Leonard Bernstein. In addition was affiliated with Beat Poet
Legend Jack Kerouac and Alan Ginsberg. It was a unique and musically
rewarding event.
)))) RED ALERT ((((
July 31st: "dial M for Bass" is debuted
on KKJZ 88.1 !!! One of the Premier Jazz Radio Stations in
the World, Southern California's 24 hr Jazz Radio Station KKJZ 88.1,
Live on Radio, Worldwide on the Internet and via the "Playboy
Satellite Network" debuts Don Miller's"dial
M for Bass"
When Don Miller's "dial
M for Bass" fell into the hands of KKJZ's
Veteran Prime Time Radio Host Mr. James Janisse
by happenstance it was the start of something big! Mr. Janisse
immediately called Don long distance from California to express his appreciation for this work
and ask Don's permission to debut "dial M for Bass" on KKJZ
on his show the very next day on July 28th. It has been in rotation
ever since on KKJZ. Mr. Janisse has been
extremely enthusiastic and supportive. Well, I could continue with
interpretations as such but better to share James Janisse's
own words with you............
"dial M for Bass" is the PERFECT
mix of Jazz Standards and Originals !!!
......It is right up there with ANYTHING I play !!! "
James Janisse KKJZ
Los Angeles
AUTUMN LEAVES
September 30th: Don returns to Palm Beach, Fl. to join the uniquely wonderful Jazz
Vocal stylings of Roseanna Vitro
in concert for the Jams Jazz Society.
October 10th: Three time Grammy nominee with 5 CDâs to her name and former B.E.T. television hostess, the
highly impressive Contemporary Jazz flautist Sherry Winston
calls on Don to bring the bottom. Don performs with Sherry on a bill
including Earth, Wind, & Fire, Patti Labelle, as
well as other notables.
November 5th: We move upstate to Gainesville Fl. to join
Don and the Turk Mauro Quartet. They are featured in concert
for the Gainesville Jazz Society.
December 9th: Back down south again to catch Don in his
long-term position at "Home Bass" anchoring The Ira Sullivan
Quintet for another "Jams" concert. Don's tenure with
the living legend Ira Sullivan dates back to the mid 80s and still
going strong.
December 14th - 21st: This week marks the arrival of Jazz Hall
of Fame legend, Pianist/Vocalist extraordinaire Johnny O'Neal.
Johnny is a veteran of the historic Jazz institution of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, Carmen McRae, and is
featured in the upcoming Ray Charles story "Unchain My Heart"
as the legendary Art Tatum! Don and Johnny perform in an intimate
Piano Trio setting.
Other noteworthy dates in Dec. include Don
with The Ira Sullivan Quintet, The Eddie Higgins Trio,
and the quintet of Ira Sullivan and Eddie Higgins.
HAPPY NEW YEAR 2004
WINTER SONG
January 1st, 4th, 9th, & 10th: Bringing in the New Year with the fabulous
Johnny O'Neal and Don in classic trio form on a ten day run.
January 17th-18th: We travel to
Cocoa Beach for the inaugural Cocoa Beach Jazz Festival
to find Don performing with many greats. The incomparable Jazz
vocal legend Mark Murphy, The Turk Mauro Quintet, and
the sextet of Ira Sullivan and Turk Mauro all leave the Bass
chair in the very able and willing hands of Don Miller! It was a tremendous
3 days of incredible jazz and Don is slated once again to provide
the bottom end for 2005's festival. Stay tuned to www.donmillerbass.com
for updates.
February 13th, 20th, & 21st: You can never get enough of a good thing
and this is certainly no exception. We are treated to three more nights
of breathtaking trio Jazz with Johnny O'Neal and Don.
February 16th: Don is back at home "Bass" with
The Ira Sullivan Quintet in Concert.
February 27th: Encore, encore! Another repeat performance
with Don joining Jazz vocalist Roseanna Vitro for a concert
sponsored by the Ft. Pierce Jazz Society. Also on the bill
was the dynamically shocking young keyboard virtuoso Hirame.
March 26th: Don is featured at the Riviera Beach Jazz
Festival. Included on this sizzler were many of the top names
in Jazz such as Ronnie Laws.
SPRING FEVER
April 30th: The remarkable Jazz flautist Sherry Winston
once again invites Don to provide support on the Bass for another
exciting night of contemporary Jazz in concert.
May 13th: Don begins a three-month run leading his
own Jazz Quartet as house band at the new Hard Rock Hotel &
Casino in Hollywood, Fl. In the trio is the featured virtuoso
Piano work of Felix Gomez from Don's "dial M for Bass" as
well as various guest vocalists.
June: More from Don and the Quartet at the Hard Rock Hotel &
Casino through all of June.
Other noteworthy accomplishments for June
include Bass sessions on a new Smooth Jazz CD project by
New York producer/keyboardist Michael Zager. This new recording features Don on Bass on selections
with none other then A&M Records founder, Grammy winner, and all
time top-selling instrumentalist Herb Albert as well as Spyro
Gyra guitarist Julio Fernandez.
SUMMER HEAT
June 30th: Don begins work with newly acclaimed national
Jazz vocal artist Nicole Henry. Nicole has a new CD entitled
"The Nearness of You" currently topping the U.S. Jazz charts
and #2 on Japan's Jazz Vocal Charts.
July 4th: Once again, Don is called upon by Michael
Zager to contribute Bass work to another track composed and
performed by Herb Albert.
Other engagements for the month of
July include The Hard Rock with the Don Miller Quartet through
the end of the month as well as more work with Nicole Henry.
July
and August; The Summer Heat continues as Don performs many gigs across South Florida at great venues such as the famous South Beach Jazz
favorite The Van Dyke and the Palm Beaches beautiful Bamboo Room.
Don appears with exciting recording artists such as Turk
Morrow, Nicole Henry, and many others of note.
LULLABY OF THE LEAVES
September-October continues with more of the above as well as reuniting
in concert with smooth jazz national recording artist and flautist
Miss Sherry
Winston. Other featured performances this month include
the much anticipated Jazz event of the Palm Beaches the SOUTH FLORIDA JAZZ PARTY. This event was a marathon all day and night
festival featuring Don with many greats such as Ira
Sullivan, Turk Morrow, Nicole Yarling, Duffy Jackson,
Venezuelan piano virtuoso Silvano Monosterios,
and many others.
November; We add to our
Autumn’s musical feast with such must see shows as the annual Hollywood
Jazz Festival. Don performs with Ira Sullivan, Duffy Jackson, Silvano Monosterios, and others in an all star band sharing the stage
with McCoy
Tyner, Stanley Clarke, Bobby Hutcherson, and Eric Reed.
WINTER WONDERLAND
December finds Don continuing a busy schedule including returns
to the Van Dyke in South Beach to lend his Bass expertise to such fabulous Jazz giants
as the legendary pianist Eddie
Higgins.
As the year draws to a close
we find Don’s current jazz album dial M for Bass receiving much renown
and praise from critics, writers, and jazz radio DJ’s and musical
directors. As this momentum continues to grow we pick up tremendous
support and airplay from stations such as kuvo - Denver, WCLK -
Atlanta, and stations in many other great markets across the country.
HAPPY
NEW YEAR 2005
January; the New Year finds
Don performing at the new venue for Jazz in S. Florida The Jazziz Bistro with
Turk Morrow on 1/9/05. Other notable
performances include Don with Downbeat Poll topper for Best Female
Jazz Vocalist, Nancy Kelly at the
Van
Dyke 1/22-23/05 followed by an exciting outdoor concert
in Palm Beach, FL on 1/24/05.
February; Don performs
a series of concerts highlighted by Don with great Bebop alto saxophonist
Greg Abate and noted double threat
jazz vocal crooner/pianist Patti
Wicks on 2/13. Further concert exploits include Don
and Ira Sullivan Quintet once again
at Miami’s Museum of Contemporary
Art
on 2/25.
March; Live dates are highlighted
by return performances to the Jazziz
Bistro in Hollywood, FL at the Hard
Rock Casino complex on 3/6 & 3/18 with jazz vocalist
Mr. Dana Paul. We wrap up the month with a very memorable concert
by Don and Jazz Male Vocal Poll Winner Giacomo Gates for
the JAMS jazz society of Palm Beach
SPRING CAN REALLY HANG YOU UP THE MOST
April-May; Here we find Don reuniting with longtime musical comrade,
the legendary Larry
Coryell and vocal/guitar great and “Son Of Larry” Murali Coryell for a series of
concert performances including Larry’s 62nd Birthday Bash
at the fabulous Bamboo Room in Lake Worth, FL on 4/2/05. Other attractions
for the month of May include
Don once again at home with the Ira
Sullivan Quintet in concert and then up to
New York for a brief tour. This series of concerts with Murali
Coryell includes upstate dates in Rochester, Woodstock and Syracuse.
SUMMERTIME
BLUES
June finds Don relocating from the wonderful hurricane devastated, insect
and alligator infested, mold and fungus laden, muggy, sweaty, sweltering
swampfest, that is #1 in suicide and #50 in education A.K.A
the great foreign country of Floriduh.....
and back to civilization....... New York.
June-July-August; It is
BLUES TIME once again as Don rejoins Murali
Coryell for gigs in NY State in cities such as Newburgh,
Kingston, Rochester, Middletown, Monticello and Syracuse. Other NY
area gigs include Cold Spring, NY, and Woodstock with master guitarist Peter Einhorn and vocalist
extraordinaire Veronica
Nunn ( 13 yrs with Michael
Franks). In late July the great David
Amram calls upon Don once again this time to perform
in Concert in NY. David’s credits include Oscar Pettiford,
Charles Mingus, Leonard Bernstein, and many
more. He is a prolific composer, author, and associate of Jack Keroack
and, Alan Ginsberg. In late August Don travels to California to work on several recording projects and manages to
sneak in a few guest appearances before returning to NY on Labor Day.
September captures Don
back in New York with Murali Coryell as we travel to Rochester, Syracuse, Kingston, and Cooperstown, NY to ride the legendary historic
blues train. Next stop Woodstock and to the legendary Bearsville Theater for
a benefit for NY congressman Maurice
Hinchey. They also travel to
Bethlehem, PA for a concert and live recording.
EARLY AUTUMN
October-December, As Don
begins to re-establish himself in New York, the fall finds
us joining Don in concert
at the historical 1885 Tarrytown Music Hall with CLARK
TERRY-trpt./flghrn, PAQUITO D’RIVERA-alto sax, JERRY
DODGION-alto sax, & flute, VIC
JURRIS-guitar, DAVID AMRAM-multi-instrumentalist,
JIMMY MADISON-drums, and
Don on upright bass. Other artists we find Don working with throughout
the greater New York area are stalwarts
such as drum great Ritchie
Morales (Spyro Gyra, Stevie
Wonder, Brecker Brothers, etc.) Don has
also been working with the legendary producer, arranger/pianist, JOHN SIMON (producer of Janis Joplin, The Band, Bob Dylan, Blood
Sweat & Tears, Simon & Garfunkle, Dr. John, Phoebe Snow, Michael
Franks, Bonnie Raitt, David Sanborn, Gil Evans, Eric Clapton, Howlin'
Wolf, Joni Mitchell, and that’s just for starters) Don also continues
to work many local New York blues and jazz gigs with others such as
blues favorite Murali Coryell, and jazz pianist/vocalist Louis Landon.
“Epilogue”
Somehow, in
the midst of this ‘Maddening Pace’, Don has found time
to fulfill his numerous Writing and Recording Projects. Just one such
project is composing music (Scoring) for the upcoming ‘Feature
Film’ release ‘Redemption’, starring Chris Penn
and Don ‘The Dragon’ Wilson!!! Don has also composed the
Theme Song for the film.
Don continues to support the release of his current and critically
acclaimed C.D. “Dial M For Bass.” It is an Album of serious
‘Straight Ahead Acoustic Jazz’ not to be missed. As if
that weren’t enough, he now readies himself to put the finishing
touches on his next C.D release “Urban Legend”. It is
a very exciting, all original, contemporary electric jazz effort combining
various Electric and Acoustic in the context of full ensembles. Also
in the works is a posthumous release of a Duo Album with Don and ‘Guitar
Legend’ and dear friend, the Late Joe Puma.
Don continues writing for his future C.D. project “Cornbread,
Chittluns and Your Love.” This is his Acoustic Jazz follow up
to ‘Dial M.’ It is inspired by the Soul Jazz of Art Blakey,
Horace Silver, Bobby Timmons, Cannonball Adderly, Benny Golson, Mingus
and more but containing All Original Compositions by Don himself.
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