There is a tremendous difference between a guitarist and the guitarist. As a matter of fact, Jazzkaar had the honour to host the guitarist of the jazz world ‒ Dominic Miller. His music and ways of expression give everyone the emotional reload one might need, in all different shades and colours. Miller’s approach to soul and r’n’b creates mild and soothing sounds, whilst still adding some character with his spontaneous music movements that his true fans, as every single person in the audience, know and love.
If one had to describe Miller in two words it would probably be a global artist. Throughout his career he has travelled and lived in various countries, offering a great contribution to his well -rounded musical style. When Miller took the stage in Punane Maja, the room was filled with everything that jazz has to offer, coming from only one stage. Listeners were given an insight to his new album, but also some all time favourites that added up to an enchanting addition to his European tour.
Miller shared the stage with two other extremely talented artists. Nicolas Fiszman (bass) has been a member of the Dominic Miller Band since 2005; he gave the needed deepness to the performance. His detailed skill of modern jazz guitar enriched the overall tone of the performance. Another man who cannot be left unmentioned is Miles Bould (drums). Joining Miller when he was only 15, Bould has become an extremely multifaceted artist. His beats, seemingly simple and light, were technically difficult to execute. Bould’s unique musical spectrum complemented the common style of the night, creating an effect that left no-one indifferent.
Dominic Miller’s style is unpredictable to say the least. His versatile shifts between folk, modern jazz, classical jazz and groove-like elements made the crowd yearning for more. To some it seemed that his every piece included a small part (maybe a very small part) of his childhood in Latin America, which was expressed in his technical style of playing the guitar.
The way he communicated with the crowd made the evening even more special. There was a constant dialogue going on between the people in the crowd and Miller himself. Would it be about his new guitar strings or the evening in general, his comments sparked the crowd’s attention. Breaking the fourth wall brought people together for the evening and truly described the social idea of jazz ‒ connecting people via music.
Even though Sting’s quote about Miller has been overused from time to time I have to include it in this article. “When Dominic touches the guitar, he is able to elevate the human soul to the higher fields“‒ these words capture the idea of Dominic Miller and his talent completely and as a true symbol of a jazz guitarist, Miller has won our hearts with his great interpretation of what it takes to be… (end the sentence yourself).
Check the photos from the concert here.
Dominic Miller (United Kingdom)
23rd of April, 6 pm at Punane Maja
The musicians:
Dominic Miller ‒ guitar
Nicolas Fiszman ‒ bass
Miles Bould ‒ drums