First-Ever Solo CD Celebrates 45-Year Career in Music Business
Unconventional Song Interpretations for Those Who Do -- or Don't --Love Broadway Music: “The Goal is to Put a Smile on People's Faces"
Renowned Music Coordinator and Bass Player John Miller adds singer to his repertoire with 'Stage Door Johnny', a witty and unconventional interpretation of familiar Broadway songs. The 12-song CD, set for June 10th release on PS Classics, takes an irreverent and engaging musical trek through a collection of beloved tunes -- songs which are a part of virtually every listener's 'gene pool' -- ranging from 'Wouldn't It Be Loverly?' to 'Old Man River' to 'I Won't Grow Up'. At the same time, Miller presents an inviting 'Broadway road- map' for the uninitiated, offering an introduction to the music for people who don't necessarily know Broadway.
Paul Shaffer praised: “Johnny takes a boogaloo down Broadway in this impressive re-imagining of the classics. I never thought show tunes could sound so fresh, new, and invigorating!"
With an understated performance style that evokes such diverse artists as James Taylor, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Kenny Rankin and Mose Allison, Miller steps out of the shadows and into the spotlight, as he celebrates a 45-year career in music with the release of his solo debut CD. This collection reminds lovers of Broadway just how versatile the genre is, and how well the songs stand up to new arrangements. It's so inviting, that even children -- and/or those who feel predisposed to 'not like Broadway music' -- might find themselves humming 'Oh What A Beautiful Morning' after hearing the album.
Miller uses jazzy arrangements, humor, even country music inflections, to spice up the mix and create what he wryly calls “Qualude Funk". With a goal of putting a smile on people's faces, and a wealth of musical knowledge in his arsenal, Miller has delivered a sophisticated range of song treatments, which he feels “captures the joy" he experienced during his ten-year journey to make the CD.
Track listing for 'Stage Door Johnny':
HERNANDO'S HIDEAWAY - From “Pajama Game"
WOULDN'T IT BE LOVERLY - From “My Fair Lady"
I WON'T GROW UP - From “Peter Pan"
WHY CAN'T YOU BEHAVE - From “Kiss Me Kate"
HEY THERE - From “Pajama Game"
FUGUE FOR TINHORNS - From “Guys and Dolls"
OLD MAN RIVER - From “Showboat"
I CAN'T SAY NO - From “Oklahoma"
REAL LIVE GIRL - From “Little Me"
WE KISS IN THE SHADOW - From “King and I"
OH WHAT A BEAUTIFUL MORNING - From “Oklahoma"
SECRET LOVE - From “Calamity Jane"
Marc Shaiman commented: “I had a smile on my face 10 seconds into John's CD, which stayed firmly planted on my face for the remaining 3000 or so seconds of inviting music. His musicality and friendly vibe would make this CD a fantastic introduction to these Broadway standards for even the most cautious of anti-Broadway musical snobs. Bravo!"
Bill Charlap said: “Johnny Miller's love of Broadway, pop, folk, and jazz shines through on this beautifully arranged collection of theater songs."
John Miller is a fascinating figure in the music industry. Well-respected as a performer and a Music Coordinator, Miller has sustained a 45-year career with aplomb. His Broadway credits are vast, and include the current hits 'Jersey Boys', 'Young Frankenstein' and literally dozens more. He has been the Music Coordinator for smashes ranging from 'The Producers' to 'Hairspray' to 'Tommy'. His imprint on Broadway is indisputable -- a quick visit to his All Music 'Credits' page, or his IBDB page, gives some indication of the extraordinary career he continues to sustain. www.ibdb.com
All Music Broadway credits: www.allmusic.com
Miller has played bass for everyone from Michael Jackson to Madonna to Frank Sinatra. A full list of his Broadway credits and bass credits is attached.
John Miller - Album Notes for 'Stage Door Johnny': I like to ask people what they do after the dust has settled. After the workday is done, the kitchen conversation is over, the dishes are washed, the kids are tucked in, and the dog is walked - after the TV's off. Then what? The answers are often surprising. My super draws. A cabbie once told me he writes Haiku. I know a truck driver who writes kids songs. Me? I'm a freelance bass player in NYC. I'm also a Music Coordinator: that means I help assemble orchestras for Broadway shows, recordings, TV, films and other events that call for bands of musicians to be hired here and around the country. When I'm through wheeling my bass around the city, and my work as a Music Coordinator is over, I make my way home late at night and lean the bass up in the living room corner. My wife and our dog are asleep. The night is peaceful. And I'm up. When the dust settles for me I pick up the guitar - the Martin my parents gave me when I was 12. I turn on the TV to watch a movie...anything...and begin to play. Nothing in particular, just some chords, or some fragmented lines. Gradually, they begin to morph into a groove. The groove always came first and that would lead me towards one of these great Broadway classics. The arrangement evolved from there. I love each of these songs, but I feel as though I didn't actually pick them - they somehow picked themselves. Each one surfaced from down deep in my earliest memories and affections and kept me and the Martin company with late night, relentlessly seductive guitar grooves. And that's how this CD came to be over a ten year period. I'm known as a bass player...but I've always been drawn to instrumentalists who sing. My heroes; Mose Allison, Antonio Carlos Jobim, and Chet Baker are great inspirations to me. In the spirit of that tradition, I sing. I'm lucky to have spent my whole working life with musicians. I never met one who didn't love what he or she did. I love playing with them, hanging with them, eating with them, commiserating with them, asking their advice, hiring them, howling uncontrollably with them and caring about them. But mostly it is the pure joy of making music with them. That's the best It was important for me to surround myself with those I've known for most of my musical life, and with whom I've played endless gigs. I'm lucky that guitarist David Spinozza joined me to help co-produce and arrange. I've always had a deep respect for his musicality and especially his sense of righteousness. I wanted someone whose musical soul was in sync with mine and someone whose ears I trusted...that made Spinozza an easy choice. Of all the great recording engineers in NYC, Michael Golub was the perfect match and his skills and ideas were invaluable. Frank Dickinson also engineered and was yet another tremendous support with a trusted set of ears. In making this CD, I had no agenda, no artistic “concept". I simply approached the music as honestly as I could. Although to tell the truth, I don't think I was capable of approaching these great Broadway classics any differently. That helped. I'd like to believe the joy we had in making this CD comes through, because I had one goal only: for me to love every note of music. And at the end of the day, when the dust has settled, what could be better than that?
About PS Classics:
Founded in 2000 by Tommy Krasker & Philip Chaffin, and a four-time Grammy nominee (for its cast recordings of Nine: The Musical, Assassins, Grey Gardens and Company), PS CLASSICS has been profiled in publications such as The New York Times and Variety for its diverse line of solo albums and cast recordings, and its commitment to the past, present and future of the Great American Songbook. Its solo albums range from jazz (Jessica Molaskey: Sitting in Limbo) to pop (Maureen McGovern: A Long and Winding Road) to show music (Christine Andreas: Here's to the Ladies). Its acclaimed cast albums include the current Broadway productions of Xanadu, Sunday in the Park With George, and A Catered Affair. PS Classics is distributed by Image Entertainment. Visit www.psclassics.com for more information. ________________________________
John Miller - Music Coordinator/Contractor Credits:
BROADWAY/OFF-BROADWAY SHOWS
Saved, A Catered Affair, Cry Baby, Sunday in the park with George, Glorious Ones, Young Frankenstein, Xanadu, Coram Boy, Jersey Boys, The Drowsy Chaperone, Les Miserables, Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me, Lestat, Grey Gardens, The Wedding Singer, Hot Feet (Music of Earth, Wind and Fire), Hairspray, THE PRODUCERS, Disney's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, Movin' Out, LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, Caroline, or Change, FOOTLOOSE, THE WHO'S TOMMY, SMOKEY JOE'S CAFE, La boheme, Thoroughly Modern Millie, 42nd Street, URINETOWN, NINE, FOSSE, OKLAHOMA!, URBAN COWBOY, THE LOOK OF LOVE, Boys From Syracuse, THE MUSIC MAN, THE KING & I, TITANIC, BIG RIVER, NEVER GONNA DANCE, SWING!, SEUSSICAL, THE MUSICAL, BY JEEVES, THOU SHALT NOT, A CLASS ACT, FOLLIES, JEKYLL & HYDE, THE CIVIL WAR, SECRET GARDEN, VICTOR / VICTORIA, SCARLET PIMPERNEL, KAT AND THE KINGS, CANDIDE, WILL ROGERS FOLLIES, SWEET CHARITY, CYRANO, PEG, SOUND OF MUSIC, HOW TO SUCCEED...WITHOUT REALLY TRYING, THE LIFE, CITY OF ANGELS, JELLY'S LAST JAM, ONCE UPON A MATTRESS, M. BUTTERFLY, AN INSPECTOR CALLS, SUNSET BLVD, BARNUM, PUMP BOYS & DINETTES, OIL CITY SYMPHONY, STATE FAIR, HIGH ROLLERS, I LOVE MY WIFE, THE WIZARD OF OZ TOUR, ENTER THE GUARDSMAN, MERCHANT OF VENICE, SPITFIRE GRILL, DREAM TRUE, DAS BARBEC, INSIDE OUT, A Man of No Importance, THE THING ABOUT MEN, My Life With Albertine
John Miller - Bass Credits:
POP
Michael Jackson, Madonna, Bonnie Raitt, B.B. King, Eric Clapton, Frank Sinatra, Celine Dion, Smashing Pumpkins, Bette Midler, Leonard Cohen, Carly Simon, Art Garfunkel, Portishead, Diana Ross, Michael Bolton, Bob Dylan, Jewel, Manhattan Transfer, Natalie Cole, Ry Cooder, Jose Feliciano, Lucy Simon, The Irish Rovers, Peter Duchin, Lanie Kazan, Peter Allen, Leslie Uggums, Rupert Holmes, Joe Jackson, Jack Jones, Paul Anka, Perry Como, Lana Cantrel, Enoch Light Orchestra, Roger Williams, Lainie Kazan
ROCK
Aerosmith, Roger Daltrey, Jimmy Page, Al Kooper, David Johansen, Zak Starkey, Leslie West, Peter Frampton, Todd Rundgren, British Rock SyMphony Orchestra, Leslie Gore
R & B
James Brown, P. Diddy, Luther Vandross, Peabo Bryson, Cuba Goodin, Neville Brothers, Professor Longhair
JAZZ
Tommy Flanagan, Gil Evans, Don Sebesky, Mose Allison, Cy Coleman, Tony Bennett, John Pizzarelli, Woody Herman, Larry Coryell, Ornette Coleman, Dreams, Paquito D'Rivero, Hubert Laws, Bill Watruss, Les Paul, Chico Hamilton, Billy Cobham, Cleo Laine, Jeremy Steig, Ted Curson, Darious Brubeck
FOLK
Pete Seeger, Tim Buckley, Arlo Guthrie, Loudon Wainwright III, Doc Watson, Richie Havens, John Denver, Janis Ian, Ramblin' Jack Elliot, John Hammond, Tom Chapin, Len Chandler, Spider John Koerner, Steve Forbit, Skip James, Carolyn Hester, Barbara Dane, Guy Carawon, Michael Cooney
CLASSICAL
New York Philharmonic, James Galway, The Canadian Brass, Marilyn Horne, Dawn Upshaw, Harolyn Blackwell, New York Pops, Victor Borge
BROADWAY
Betty Buckley, Lea Selonga, Chita Rivera, Linda Eder, Marvin Hamlish, Judy Kuhn, Judy Kaye, Karen Akres, Gretchen Cryer & Nancy Ford
SPECIAL EVENTS
HARRY CONICK, JR. - Letterman, Conan O'Brien and The Today Show, UTAH WINTER OLYMPICS 2002, CLOSING CEREMONIES - HARRY CONNICK JR., GOODWILL GAMES - TNT, POCAHONTAS (World Premiere of Disney's animated feature in Central Park), NIGHT OF 100 STARS - CBS, BRITISH ROCK SYMPHONY (David Fishof Presents, AMERICAN SONGBOOK SERIES - LINCOLN CENTER, AUDRA MCDONALD, BARRY MANILOW, BURT BACHARCH, LEA SALONGA, ELVIS COSTELLO--SEPARATE CONCERTS AT CARNEGIE HALL, AUDRA MCDONALD - TOUR, BURT BACHARACH, ELVIS COSTELLO AT RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL, -- BARRY MANILOW -- JONES BEACH, SUPPER CLUB, WALDORF-ASTORIA, TODAY SHOW, JOHN DENVER HBO SPECIAL -- BURT BACHARACH - “ONE AMAZING NIGHT" - TNT, ALAN MENKEN AND TIM RICE'S KING DAVID (World Premiere), -- THE WIZARD OF OZ IN CONCERT at Avery Fisher Hall - TNT, LIBERTY WEEKEND, - ABC
For more information contact Seth Cohen PR.
