DCist Preview: Allison Miller @ Bossa
The unfortunate fact of the matter is that, for a jazz musician coming up in the District, there's only so far one can go. While this city boasts some world class musicians, most seeking national or international recognition must leave, with the obvious destination being New York, still the world's jazz capital. Our city has lost its fair share of musicians to the Big Apple, but local jazz fans are quick to welcome our homegrown talent, even if for a brief visit.
Drummer Allison Miller is one such musician, and she has done D.C. proud. Coming up in the area, she cut her teeth with local greats like bassist Keter Betts and guitarist Charlie Byrd. After moving to New York, Miller's career took off. She has played with a number of jazz greats, and has also carved out a niche playing behind singer-songwriters, including Norah Jones, Ani DiFranco, and Natalie Merchant. Most recently, Miller has toured extensively with up-and-comer Brandi Carlile.
All of this makes for an impressive range of music, to say the least.
"Playing different styles has always come naturally to me," said Miller during a recent interview with DCist. "Technically there are some differences, but I feel like I've been doing it long enough that I can bring my own voice to any style that I play."
Miller will be coming through town on Sunday to kick off a brief East Coast tour at Bossa Bistro & Lounge. She is supporting Boom Tic Boom, her second release as a band leader. Miller composed half of the album's eight tracks, which were mostly written in August 2008, when she found herself with some downtime and would spend time every morning writing at the piano.
"I'm a drummer. I have some schooling, but I would never call myself a well-studied composer," Miller said. "A lot of my ideas come from inspiration in life and a lot of my compositions are melody driven or rhythmically driven."
Pianist Myra Melford also contributed songs to Boom Tic Boom, continuing a collaboration that began when Melford and Miller were backing saxophonist Marty Ehrlich. Rounding out the band are bassist Todd Sickafoose, who Miller refers to as her "number one bass player," and violinist Jenny Scheinman. Scheinman, who has recorded with Norah Jones, guitarist Bill Frisell, and a host of others, only played one song on the album, but will be joining the band for the tour.
"I had performed live with this group a handful of times, and there was always this joyful and spontaneous energy," Miller said of her band mates. "I wanted to capture that on the record."
If Miller's enthusiasm for this project is any indication, Sunday's performance should be a memorable one.
"My plan is to play as many shows as I can with this band," she said. "It's definitely my favorite band that I've ever had."
Allison Miller & Co. will perform at the Bossa Bistro & Lounge on Sunday, March 21, 2010. 8 p.m. $5