Jeffery Miller

Jeffery Oliver Miller is an American trombonist, vocalist, composer, arranger and bandleader primarily known for his work in jazz and pop music. He was worked with Delfeayo Marsalis, Wynton Marsalis, Jon Batiste & Stay Human, Preservation Hall Jazz Band and John Legend, among others.[1][2][3]

Jeffery Miller
Miller performing at Jazz at Lincoln Center, March 2019
Background information
Born (1996-02-09) February 9, 1996
New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
GenresJazz, Pop, R&B
Occupation(s)Musician
InstrumentsTrombone
Websitejefferymillermusic.com

Early life

Born and raised in New Orleans' Algiers neighborhood (15th Ward), Miller gained early and ubiquitous exposure to jazz culture and history. He is the great-great grandnephew of Papa John Joseph, a New Orleans bass player who worked with Buddy Bolden (and notably passed away during an especially raucous performance of "When the Saints Go Marching In" with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band).[4]

Miller sang at home and church from an early age. Although initially drawn to the drumset, Miller began to study the trombone around age ten or eleven, inspired by his middle school band director Keith Hart. He progressed quickly and impressed professional trombonist Terrance Taplin, who encouraged Delfeayo Marsalis to audition Miller for his Uptown Jazz Orchestra. After sitting-in with the group at New Orleans' famed jazz club Snug Harbor, Miller joined the group at age 14.[5]

He studied academics at Benjamin Franklin High School and music at New Orleans Center for Creative Arts. While a sophomore in high school, he performed with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band at Carnegie Hall.[5][6]

During high school, he appeared for three seasons of the HBO series Treme, in which he played a student of Antoine Batiste, the fictional trombonist depicted by Wendell Pierce.[7][8]

In 2013, Miller was selected as one of twelve younger musicians to participate in the Vail Jazz Workshop in Vail, Colorado. The experience solidified his desire to pursue music as a lifelong calling.[5]

Musical career

Miller moved to New York City in 2014 to study at The Juilliard School where he completed both undergraduate and masters degrees. During his early years in New York, he also toured with the trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, the Count Basie Orchestra as well as Canadian indie rock band Arcade Fire.[9][10][11]

Miller released the single "Lose Control" in summer 2018. The track draws heavily on diverse influences including hip-hop, jazz, and R&B.[12][13]

He recorded on Jon Batiste's studio album Hollywood Africans as well as contributed trombone solos to John Legend's Grammy-nominated A Legendary Christmas (featuring Esperanza Spalding). He joined both Legend and Spalding to perform "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" on NBC's The Voice.[1][3][5]

In May 2020, he released his album Songs About Women, on which he both sang and played trombone alongside saxophonist Chris Bittner, pianist Sean Mason, drummer Brian Richburg Jr., and bassist Philip Norris. The album focused on compositions about and dedicated to women who raised and inspired him, including his grandmother, Patricia, and twin sister, Justice.[5] That fall, Miller composed music for a re-imagined rendition of Shakespeare's Measure for Measure. The production was set in 1979 New Orleans, and directed by L.A. Williams and The Public Theater's Mobile Unit.

He has been a frequent member of pianist Jon Batiste's house band on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on CBS, the Christian McBride Big Band and has performed with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, among others.[5][14][15]

Awards

Discography

As leader
Album artist Title Year Label
Jeffery Miller Songs About Women (Live at Dizzy's) 2020 Independent
Jeffery Miller Lose Control 2018 Independent

As sideman
Album artist Title Year Label
John Legend (feat. Esperanza Spalding) A Legendary Christmas 2018 Columbia
Jon Batiste Hollywood Africans 2018 Verve
Molly Chapman No Trust 2017 Independent
Delfeayo Marsalis Make America Great Again! 2016 Troubadour Jass Records[16]

References
  1. Hermann, Andy (November 1, 2018). "Jon Batiste: Hollywood Africans". Downbeat Magazine. Retrieved February 19, 2020.
  2. "Jeffery Miller - trombone". wyntonmarsalis.com. Retrieved February 19, 2020.
  3. "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas John Legend feat Esperanza Spalding". Radio Swiss Jazz. Retrieved February 19, 2020.
  4. "Spotlight on Jeffery Miller: The spirit of a true New Orleanian runs deep". Pipeline Theatre Company. May 10, 2019. Retrieved February 19, 2020.
  5. Spera, Keith (February 6, 2020). "How trombonist Jeffery Miller went from Algiers to Colbert show, Grammy-nominated albums". nola.com. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
  6. "Franklin | NOCCA Alum Jeffrey Miller". Vail Jazz. Retrieved February 19, 2020.
  7. "18th Vail Jazz Workshop commences". Vail Jazz. Retrieved February 19, 2020.
  8. Farnell, Shauna. "Vail Jazz Alumni: Jeffery Miller was moved to tears at the Vail Jazz Party, and takes that passion everywhere he makes music". Vail Daily. Retrieved February 22, 2020.
  9. "Concert Review: Jeffery Miller". 88.1 WLTL Legrange. Retrieved February 19, 2020.
  10. "International Jazz Day with Jeffery Miller". jazzmuseuminharlem.org. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
  11. "'Why we joined the union'". local802afm.org. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
  12. Barron, Nick (June 12, 2018). "The Knockturnal's Summer Bops: Get Ready To Shake That Booty To Jeffery Miller's "Lose Control"". The Knockturnal. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
  13. Barron, Nick (June 27, 2018). "First Single from Jeffery Miller". The Knockturnal. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
  14. Simon, Shelby (June 1, 2017). "Swinging to the Symphony". myneworleans.com. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
  15. "Christian McBride's 'The Movement Revisited'". KMHD Jazz Radio. August 16, 2016. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
  16. "Delfeayo Marsalis & Uptown Jazz Orchestra Make America Great Again!". Retrieved February 25, 2020.
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