Todd Miller
Cleveland, Ohio, United States | SELF
Music
Press
A total DIY. Miller does EVERYTHING. Plays every instrument, produces, mixes, does the graphic design.
Old San Juan- A solid jazz opener rooted in a busy moving bass line and big piano chords. Miller possesses a bright, clear voice. I almost expected to find out this guy was a band director because of his ability to play drums, guitars, horns, sing, write, engineer, etc.
What Miller doesn’t do is peform live; or at least he hasn’t in some time, and it appears that performance comes after the recording is out and about. “as they cross my mind” is classy, easy on the ears, and very listenable. It’s a grown-up listen. You know. The kind the kids, the parents, the grand-parents and everyone in between will enjoy. Often DIYs that are created 100% by the artist are sloppy, or have some blaring oversight that the artists’ eyes and ears are incapable of seeing. Miller seems to have really stepped out of himself, looked back, and produced an objective, clean, tight recording. Mixtures of jazz, pop, acoustic, neo-choral/classical, full production, sparse arrangements, guitar focused or piano focused, horns, ripping bass lines are all here. All good. This just seems so easy for Miller; to move from piece to piece and instrument to instrument. Once again, a formal music education (from DePauw University) proves itself valuable to an emerging artist. - Christy Claxton
- Stave Magazine, May 6, 2007
Having studied trumpet and piano at DePauw University, singer-songwriter Todd Miller knows his stuff. It's pretty apparent on his debut, too. Even though they were recorded at a makeshift studio ("It's lonely down here playing in my basement," Miller sings in the disc's final track), the songs here are so lush and intricate, they sound like they'd work perfectly in musicals. The opening track, "Old San Juan," has an elegant arrangement and smooth vocals that make it sound a bit like Rufus Wainwright but without the snottiness. "Rest Your Head" is a beautiful ballad that shows off Miller's vocals, and "Civil War Medicine" thrives on a meaty bass riff that makes it the funkiest tune here. — Jeff Niesel - Free Times, Published 3-7-07, Vol. 14, Issue 46
Discography
"As They Crossed My Mind"
Photos
Bio
Todd Miller is the antidote for the flash-in-the-pan sounds that dominate the music scene today. Rarely, a singer-songwriter gathers deep and meaningful experiences in many music traditions and from that melds an original sound that can take music in new directions. This is one of those artists. Jazz, Rock, Classical, Pop and R&B come together in this music and become something that defies category and yet is still accessible to almost any audience. Similar to the music of Rufus Wainwright, Jeff Buckley and Jamie Cullum, Todd Miller's music has a unique sound with powerful appeal. Backed by some of Cleveland's finest musicians, his show is not to be missed.
Bill Ransom - Drums
Bandleader, drummer and percussionist Bill Ransom is a musical chameleon - equally at home with classical, jazz, R&B and rock. With a style described as “physical, stirring, demanding, rare and personal,” Bill has toured and recorded with leading artists including Patrice Rushen, Beth Hart, Marion Meadows, Cecil Bridgewater, Diane Reeves, Mary Wilson, and James Newton. He spent much of the 90’s on the road with contemporary saxophonist Najee and R&B crooner Gerald LeVert and was featured percussionist on Mr. LeVert’s solo debut, “Private Line.” For the past several years Bill has directed “Jazz Meets Hip Hop” for the Tri-C JazzFest in Cleveland, Ohio. He holds a faculty position at Cleveland State University and is a consultant to both the Shaker Heights school system and Cleveland Music School Settlement. His debut CD, Generations, was released nationwide in November, 2005 on Bongo Time Records.
Don Better - Guitar
Classical Guitar, Jazz Improvisation. Pasadena City College. Jazz improvisation studies with Warne Marsh, Gary Foster, Don Ferrara, Toni Rizzi, Dave Koonse, Bill DeArango. Composition studies with Moacir Santos. Performance credits include solo classical guitar recitals in Southern California, appearances with Moacir Santos, Trini Lopez, Pacific Gas & Electric, Judy Niemack, Mimi Hines, Ben Vereen, Gary Foster, and Don Ferrara. In Cleveland, performances with Epicycle, the Cleveland Jazz Orchestra, the Ohio Chamber Orchestra. Former President-Producer, Azica Records Inc. Appointed to The Cleveland Institute of Music faculty, 1989.
Evan Kepner - Upright and Electric Bass
Evan Kepner is a well-rounded musician, having played everything from Punk to Jazz to Classical music. He contributes pieces to NoTreble.com, runs LearnTheLowEnd.com and studies classical upright bass under Dr. Kathleen Horvath of Case Western Reserve University.
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