Biography
Mia's debut record, "Alone Together With the Blues" is playing on XM Radio's B.B. King's Bluesville and is a Bluesville's 'Picks to Click'. Her recording of "I'm Going to Copyright Your Kisses" is on the Picks to Click list at #12 for the week of July 27th.
Mia Vermillion, blues musician, singer and songwriter has recently joined with slide guitar great Orville Johnson in live performances to bring Mia’s unique sound of blues to many different audiences. Their music together highlights a well-matched styling between Mia’s voice and Johnson’s guitar work. Also playing with Mia are Grammy nominated bassist Garey Shelton, gold record composer and pianist Tom Kellock, and Origin Records drummer, Mark Ivester.
Mia's music features songs from blues and early jazz artists such as Ma Rainy, Lil Green, Mary Ann Williams, Big Bill Broonzy, Cecil Gant, Billy Holiday to list just a few. Mia has added some of her own compositions to the musical sets in a perfect balance to the blend and style of music.
Mia has formulated a sound of sensuous, earthy blues and just released her first album "Alone Together With the Blues" in June 2009. As with her live performances, the record is a magic combination of sympathetic styling between Mia’s vocals and Orville Johnson’s mastery of guitar. The album contains a well-founded collection of tunes from early blues and jazz artists and includes two of Mia's own compositions: "Little Bit of Love" and "Love's Lost and Found.”
As a native of Washington State, Mia grew up in the Capitol City of Olympia. Throughout her childhood and as a young woman, she studied and listened to the musical statements of Ann Wilson of Heart, Lil Green, Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan, Ray Charles, Bonnie Raitt and many others. Mia is recognized for her vocals and works in composition and songwriting and is one of the showcased singer/songwriters along with her band at the Crossroads Bellevue Market Stage hosted in association with Puget Sound Productions. She has performed for audiences throughout the Northwest at different venues and festivals as well as in Beijing, China as part of a cultural exchange with musicians from around the globe.
Mia has been very active with her music in women’s causes and is currently serving as Vice President of Skagit Habitat for Humanity Women’s’ Build. She has been able to use her talents in aiding to raise funds for those women who are ‘heads of households’ and that qualify for Habitat home construction.
Orville Johnson was born in 1953 in Edwardsville, Illinois and came up on the St. Louis, Missouri music scene, where he was exposed to and participated in a variety of blues, bluegrass and American roots music. He took up the guitar at 17, with early influences from Doc Watson, Rev. Gary Davis, Mississippi John Hurt, and Chuck Berry. Orville moved to Seattle, Washington in 1978. Legendary for his dobro and slide guitar styling, Orville has released 7 albums including the acclaimed "Slide and Joy" and has been featured in multiple television and movie soundtracks.
The following is a quote of Mia’s regarding her music: "My songs and song choices come from my personal knowledge and life’s experiences: the inner and outer workings of relationships, the joy of music and life, and the huge satisfaction of recognizing and providing feminine value and perspective in it all”.
Instrumentation
Core Players on "Alone Together With the Blues"
MIA VERMILLION - Vocals. Guitar
ORVILLE JOHNSON - Guitar, Slide Guitar, Dobro, mandolin
CHUCK DEARDORF - Bass,
BEN SMITH - Drums
MARK IVESTER - Drums "In The Dark" and "Little Bit of Love"
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Other contributing artists
GAREY SHELTON - elec. Bass "Loves's Lost and Found"
CARY BLACK - Bass "In The Dark"
Hans TEUBER - Clarinet "Two Cigarettes In The Dark"
Discography
"Alone Together With the Blues"
Mia Vermillion’s debut album "Alone Together With the Blues" released June 2009. Mia has completed a record of sensuous, earthy blues. The album highlights a well-matched styling between Mia's vocal sway and Orville Johnson's emotive acoustic guitar and dobro mastery. Beautifully recorded, it contains a well-founded collection of tunes from early blues artists and includes two of Mia's own compositions: "Little Bit of Love" and "Love's Lost and Found."
"Alone Together With the Blues" was recorded at Garey Shelton Productions in Seattle, WA. Core artists for the record include bassist Chuck Deardorf, and percussionists Ben Smith and Mark Ivester. Other contributing artists are Hans Teuber, Garey Shelton and Cary Black. Mia arranged and produced the record except for "Little Bit of Love" and "In The Dark" co-produced with Tom Kellock, and "Two Cigarettes In The Dark" co-arranged with Garey Shelton.
"Alone Together With the Blues" has received air play on the following stations:
XM Radio Chan 74 - B.B. King's Bluesville
88.5 FM KPLU Seattle, WA - "All Blues with John Kessler" (recipient of The Blues Foundation's 2009 Keeping The Blues Alive Award)
91.9 FM KRVM Eugene, OR - "Breakfast With The Blues"
89.5 FM KVMR Nevada City, CA - "Nevada City Limits"
91.9 FM KCSB Santa Barbara, CA - "The Road Tunes Sessions" and "Views of the Blues"
91.1 FM WSHU Fairfield CT - "Profiles In Folk"
105.3 FM Radio Upper Galilee, Israel - "World Waves"
1386 AM Blast 1386, Thames Valley UK - “On The Road Again”
www.kbluz.com Houston, TX - Internet Radio with James Dooley
To name a few
Mia's work on "Alone Together With the Blues" album has coincided with another album she is producing with well know Seattle pianist/arranger/composer Tom Kellock, who is also co-arranging. This project is made up of 9 of Mia's original tunes and two selective cover songs from great women songwriters. This album is titled "Validity" and represents an account of Mia's life from her early young adult years to present, due out in Fall 2009. As with her blues album, notable artists out of Seattle have come together for a great sounding record.
Links
| http://www.miavermillion.com |