"Vocation" is here

In my last post I mentioned that my CD would soon be released. It is now on CDBaby and ready to receive your order! Please let me know if you have any questions or want more info on this new release.

http://cdbaby.com/cd/charliemiller

How to describe this music? I'll let you be the judge. I will say that the compositional style employed was heavily influenced by Karlheinz Stockhausen and other 20th century composers who promoted sonic organization through aleatory and serialist means (Glass, Schoenberg, Stravinsky's late period, etc.). Although this describes my compositional methods, I am primarily focused on displaying my jazz and rock influences (Miles, Herbbie, Monk, Coltrane, Coleman, Hendrix). Regardless of what you might hear within this work and what you might think parts of it "sound like", I hope that above all this work holds something unique in that it is my own expression of my favorite idioms.

One note on the album art. This is a sketch by my father, Terry J. Miller. He drew this after having brain tumor surgery in 1977. It represents (for me) the struggle that he went through during that time as well as the difficulty he has had with his physical and mental condition since. My dad has had quite a difficult time this past year with the passing of my mother, Linda E. Miller. This album is dedicated to both of my parents. They both showed me what it is to embrace one's vocation in life. The bad along with the good are both a part of it. Our vocation is what God calls us all to be and it is up to each of us to recognize this, embrace it, and give yourself over to it. This album is a musical interpretation of my own vocation. I hope you enjoy listening to it.

My new release

Tonight I'm finalizing the production of my new (and first) album release. It is entitled "vocation" and includes some of the samples from my site. This album is a collection of recently recorded compositions (within the past 6 months). It is a solo effort in that I play all of the instruments: piano, electric piano, synth, trumpet, and guitars. I also included some sampled drum and bass effects to hold it all together. Next time however, I would like to record with some other live musicians.

"Vocation" is an appropriate title for this effort because this is how I view my musical direction right now. Music is not my profession, nor is it just a hobby or even a passion. It is my vocation. It is something I feel I was called to do and I have just recently fully embraced it as a way to express my experiences, emotions, thoughts, and hope for the future.
I decided to put together this album as a way to mark a point in time in my development. I hope that it can become a way for others to get to know me and what I am about musically. This music is heavily jazz influenced, but it is not jazz. It's not rock, funk, avant-garde or electronica either. I seem to come up with more descriptions of what it isn't than what it is (or should be). Whatever you want to call it, "vocation" is where my head is at right now. Creative, eclectic, contemporary, instrumental music for the year Two Thousand and Eight. I hope you enjoy it.

The pressed CD's should be shipped to me within a week or so. Soon after that I hope to have it on CDbaby, iTunes, Rhapsody, and others. Stay tuned for the release announcement.

A Tale of 2 gigs

So if you've read my bio you'll know that it's been quite awhile since I've played in public. 15 years. My last gig was on December 31, 1993. There is quite a contrast between that experience and my most recent one with Todd Helvig. The gig on New Year's '93 was a dance band thing at an Elks lodge in Salida, CO. I was one of the trumpet players in a one-time pickup band of 15 or so college guys. The organizer of the affair was the dad of one of the musicians. I came into it through a mutual friend after I just returned from New York City (a little burned out and in need of some fast cash).

On the morning of the 31st, we all crammed into this guy's dad's mobile home. It took about 8 hours to drive there (driving from Denver to Salida shouldn't take that long). When we got there the musicians had to load all of the stage equipment (risers, sound equip, music stands, etc.) and it took about 2 hours to setup. All the while the "dad" was barking orders at us on what to do and what not to do. After this we were treated to a modest meal in one of the town's diners (each receiving a 5 dollar stipend).

The gig started around 7 and we played until about 2 o'clock. "Dad" made it clear that there was to be no alcohol consumption (which was promptly ignored). The entire brass section got smashed on some contraband LQ that was smuggled onto the bandstand. At the end of the night we were given our keys to the hotel that was booked for us (4 guys per room). We were told that we would be paid once we got back to Denver (to make sure that we stayed to help unload all of the stuff upon our return).

I protested this directive with a friend of mine who also was in the trumpet section (and is now an internationally acclaimed opera singer). We threatened a mutiny and demanded our nightly wage. After much heated deliberation, "dad" decided to give in and give us our earnings... $20 each. My friend and I and a few others skipped the hotel room and hitched a ride back to Denver that very night. It was during this experience that I finally resolved that I didn't want to be involved in this kind of crap for the rest of my life. Music wasn't any fun anymore once it became a means of survival (and a poor one at that).

I think it's interesting to contrast this story to the gig that I just had with Todd the other night at the Gorilla Room. Todd is an amazing singer, songwriter, guitar player, and overall good guy. I've enjoyed the 4 rehearsals I've had with him and look forward to many more. With Todd I get to be part of the performance of his previous material (which is amazing) and am excited about creating new material with him real soon.

Todd and I are looking to round out the band with a few other musicians with good ears and instincts. This is going to go beyond what people might have in their conventional ideas about what acoustic rock/folk and jazz should be. We're not creating any new genre here (i.e. Joni Mitchell, Steely Dan, Sting, etc.) but we're looking to put together a unique sound that blends in well with what people want to hear when they spend their evenings with us.

I can't wait to see (and hear) what happens next.