Mulgrew Miller (August 13, 1955 – May 29, 2013) was an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

pianist, composer, and educator. As a child he played in churches and was influenced on piano by

Ramsey Lewis Ramsey Emmanuel Lewis Jr. (May 27, 1935 – September 12, 2022) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and radio personality. Lewis recorded over 80 albums and received five gold records and three Grammy Awards in his career. His album '' The ...

and then

Oscar Peterson Oscar Emmanuel Peterson (August 15, 1925 – December 23, 2007) was a Canadian virtuoso jazz pianist and composer. Considered one of the greatest jazz pianists of all time, Peterson released more than 200 recordings, won seven Grammy Awards, ...

. Aspects of their styles remained in his playing, but he added the greater harmonic freedom of

McCoy Tyner Alfred McCoy Tyner (December 11, 1938March 6, 2020) was an American jazz pianist and composer known for his work with the John Coltrane Quartet (from 1960 to 1965) and his long solo career afterwards. He was an NEA Jazz Master and five-time Gram ...

and others in developing as a

hard bop Hard bop is a subgenre of jazz that is an extension of bebop (or "bop") music. Journalists and record companies began using the term in the mid-1950s to describe a new current within jazz that incorporated influences from rhythm and blues, gospe ...

player and then in creating his own style, which influenced others from the 1980s on. After leaving university he was pianist with the Duke Ellington Orchestra for three years, then accompanied vocalist Betty Carter. Three-year stints with trumpeter

Woody Shaw Woody Herman Shaw Jr. (December 24, 1944 – May 10, 1989) was an American jazz trumpeter, flugelhornist, cornetist, composer, arranger, band leader, and educator. Shaw is widely known as one of the most important and influential jazz trumpet ...

and with drummer

Art Blakey Arthur Blakey (October 11, 1919 – October 16, 1990) was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. He was also known as Abdullah Ibn Buhaina after he converted to Islam for a short time in the late 1940s. Blakey made a name for himself in the 1 ...

's high-profile Jazz Messengers followed, by the end of which Miller had formed his own bands and begun recording under his own name. He was then part of drummer Tony Williams' quintet from its foundation, while continuing to play and record with numerous other leaders, mostly in small groups. Miller was Director of Jazz Studies at

William Paterson University William Paterson University, officially William Paterson University of New Jersey (WPUNJ), is a public university in Wayne, New Jersey. It is part of New Jersey's public system of higher education. Founded in 1855 and was named after American ju ...

from 2005, and continued to play and tour internationally with other high-profile figures in the music until his death from a

stroke A stroke is a medical condition in which poor blood flow to the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and hemorrhagic, due to bleeding. Both cause parts of the brain to stop functionin ...

at the age of 57.

Early life

Mulgrew Miller was born in Greenwood,

Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...

, to parents who had been raised on plantations.Bourne, Kay (November 2, 1995) "Musician's Musician Jazz Pianist Performs in Homage to His Roots". ''The Bay State Banner''. p. 17. He had three brothers and four sisters. His family was not musical, but they had a piano, which no one in the house could play.Dockery, Ben (September 9, 2008
"Mulgrew Miller – Stressing Conceptual Clarity"
. Chicago Jazz Magazine. Miller, however, played tunes on the piano from the age of six, playing by ear. He had piano lessons from the age of eight. As a child, he played

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...

and

rhythm and blues Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated in African-American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly ...

for dances, and

gospel music Gospel music is a traditional genre of Christian music, and a cornerstone of Christian media. The creation, performance, significance, and even the definition of gospel music varies according to culture and social context. Gospel music is com ...

in a church. His family was Methodist, but he played in churches of multiple denominations. His principal influence on piano at this stage was

. While at high school, Miller formed a trio that played at cocktail parties. His elder brother recommended that he listen to pianist

, but there was no way of doing this in Greenwood until Peterson appeared on '' The Joey Bishop Show'' on television when Miller was about 14. After watching Peterson's performance, Miller decided to become a pianist: "It was a life changing event. I knew right then that I would be a jazz pianist"."Mulgrew Miller"
Allaboutjazz.com. Retrieved October 30, 2013. Miller later mentioned

Art Tatum Arthur Tatum Jr. (, October 13, 1909 – November 5, 1956) was an American jazz pianist who is widely regarded as one of the greatest in his field. From early in his career, Tatum's technical ability was regarded by fellow musicians as extraord ...

and

Erroll Garner Erroll Louis Garner (June 15, 1921 – January 2, 1977) was an American jazz pianist and composer known for his swing playing and ballads. His instrumental ballad "Misty", his best-known composition, has become a jazz standard. It was first rec ...

as piano influences during his teenage years.Panken, Ted (2005
"Mulgrew Miller, R.I.P. (1955–2013) – A Downbeat Article and Several Interviews"
(May 29, 2013) Interview transcript. tedpanken.wordpress.com. Miller reported years later that he always found that playing fast was easy, so playing slowly and with more control were what he had to work hardest on."Miller's Tale" (1993) ''Piano & Keyboard'', p. 328. After graduating from Greenwood High School, Miller became a student at

Memphis State University } The University of Memphis (UofM) is a public university, public research university in Memphis, Tennessee. Founded in 1912, the university has an enrollment of more than 22,000 students. The university maintains the Herff College of Engineering ...

in 1973,Feather, Leonard & Gitler, Ira (1999) ''The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz'', p. 152. Oxford University Press. attending with a band scholarship. He played

euphonium The euphonium is a medium-sized, 3 or 4-valve, often compensating, conical-bore, tenor-voiced brass instrument that derives its name from the Ancient Greek word ''euphōnos'', meaning "well-sounding" or "sweet-voiced" ( ''eu'' means "well" ...

, but, during his two years at the university, Miller met pianists Donald Brown and James Williams, who introduced him to the music of players such as

Wynton Kelly Wynton Charles Kelly (December 2, 1931 – April 12, 1971) was an American jazz pianist and composer. He is known for his lively, blues-based playing and as one of the finest accompanists in jazz. He began playing professionally at the age of ...

, Bud Powell, and

. Still at Memphis State, Miller attended a jazz workshop, where one of the tutors was his future bandleader,

, who stated that they would meet again in two years. They did meet again two years later, and Shaw remembered the young pianist. After leaving university in 1975, Miller took lessons privately in Boston with Madame Margaret Chaloff, who had taught many of the pianists that Miller admired. He later commented: "I should have stayed with her longer, ..but at that time I was so restless, constantly on the move." Miller played with saxophonists

Ricky Ford Ricky Ford (born March 4, 1954) is an American jazz tenor saxophonist. Biography Ford was born in Boston, Massachusetts, United States,) and studied at the New England Conservatory. Ricky Ford AllMusic In 1974, he recorded with Gunther Schulle ...

and Bill Pierce in Boston. That winter, Miller was invited to Los Angeles by a school friend and decided to go, to escape the cold weather. He stayed on the West Coast for a year, playing locally in clubs and a church.

Later life and career

1976–86

Mulgrew Miller at Keystone Korner, San Francisco CA 3-83

Towards the end of 1976, Miller was invited to substitute for the regular pianist in the Duke Ellington Orchestra (by then led by

Mercer Ellington Mercer Kennedy Ellington (March 11, 1919 – February 8, 1996) was an American musician, composer, and arranger. His father was Duke Ellington, whose band Mercer led for 20 years after his father's death. Biography Early life and education Ellin ...

; his father died in 1974). Miller had performed the same role for one weekend around a year earlier, and the new work was to be for only three weeks, but he ultimately toured with the orchestra for almost three years. His membership of the orchestra helped him, in the words of a piano magazine, to get "respect as a powerful, two-fisted pianist adept at delivering entrancingly lyrical and gracefully introspective runs as well as dazzling and buoyant passages". He left in January 1980,Panken, Ted (2005
"Mulgrew Miller, R.I.P. (1955–2013) – A Downbeat Article and Several Interviews"
(May 29, 2013) Transcript of WKCR interview from May 4, 1988. tedpanken.wordpress.com after being recruited by vocalist Betty Carter, with whom he toured for eight months that year.Panken, Ted (2005
"Mulgrew Miller, R.I.P. (1955–2013) – A Downbeat Article and Several Interviews"
(May 29, 2013) Transcript of WKCR interview from October 24, 2004. tedpanken.wordpress.com. He was then part of Shaw's band from 1981 to 1983, thereby, in Miller's view, fulfilling his destiny from their earlier meetings.Yanow, Scot
"Artist Biography"
AllMusic. Retrieved October 30, 2013. In 1981, he made his studio recording debut, on Shaw's ''

United United may refer to: Places * United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community * United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community Arts and entertainment Films * ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film * ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two f ...

''.Lewis, Alwyn and Lewis, Laurie (March 1995) "Mulgrew Miller: Interview". ''Cadence'' 21. During the early 1980s, he also accompanied vocalist

Carmen Lundy Carmen Latretta Lundy (born November 1, 1954) is an American jazz singer. She has been performing for three decades, with a focus on original material. She has been positively compared with Aretha Franklin, Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan. Lu ...

, and played and recorded with saxophonist

Johnny Griffin John Arnold Griffin III (April 24, 1928 – July 25, 2008) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. Nicknamed "the Little Giant" for his short stature and forceful playing, Griffin's career began in the mid-1940s and continued until the month of ...

. Miller was recommended for

's Jazz Messengers by Blakey members

Terence Blanchard Terence Oliver Blanchard (born March 13, 1962) is an American trumpeter and composer. He started his career in 1982 as a member of the Lionel Hampton Orchestra, then The Jazz Messengers. He has composed more than forty film scores and performed ...

and

Donald Harrison Donald Harrison Jr. (born June 23, 1960) is an African-American jazz saxophonist and the Big Chief of The Congo Square Nation Afro-New Orleans Cultural Group from New Orleans, Louisiana. He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the Berklee Col ...

,Goldsher, Alan (2002) ''Hard Bop Academy: The Sidemen of Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers''. Hal Leonard Corporation. and he joined the drummer's band in 1983. Initially, he struggled to fit in with Blakey dominating the rhythm section, but Miller stated that, over his period with the band: "My playing just generally matured. I don't think one single characteristic changed, but the experience certainly boosted my confidence". At times during concert performances he was allotted a solo piano spot, which Miller used to play medleys. His presence in the Jazz Messengers cemented his reputation within jazz. His recording career as a leader began in 1985, with ''

Keys to the City The Freedom of the City (or Borough in some parts of the UK) is an honour bestowed by a municipality upon a valued member of the community, or upon a visiting celebrity or dignitary. Arising from the medieval practice of granting respected ...

'', the first of Miller's several recordings for

Landmark A landmark is a recognizable natural or artificial feature used for navigation, a feature that stands out from its near environment and is often visible from long distances. In modern use, the term can also be applied to smaller structures or f ...

, which continued with ''

Work! ''Work!'' is an album by jazz pianist Mulgrew Miller, recorded together with Charnett Moffett on bass and Terri Lyne Carrington on drums. The album was recorded on April 23–24, 1986 and released that year by Landmark Records. The album is name ...

'' the following year.

Jon Pareles Jon Pareles (born October 25, 1953) is an American journalist who is the chief popular music critic in the arts section of ''The New York Times''.Powell on some numbers and

Kelly Kelly may refer to: Art and entertainment * Kelly (Kelly Price album) * Kelly (Andrea Faustini album) * ''Kelly'' (musical), a 1965 musical by Mark Charlap * "Kelly" (song), a 2018 single by Kelly Rowland * ''Kelly'' (film), a 1981 Canadi ...

on others, but that, overall, he was developing "his own, authoritative style".

Later 1986–94

After leaving Blakey in 1986, Miller was pianist in drummer Tony Williams' quintet from its foundation that year until it disbanded around 1993.Wendell, Eri
"Miller, Mulgrew"
. jazz.com. Retrieved December 11, 2013. Miller remained active between tours with Williams' band, in part by touring with his own groups. The first of these was formed in 1987 and named Wingspan, as, Miller explained, "sort of a dedication to the legacy of

Charlie Parker Charles Parker Jr. (August 29, 1920 – March 12, 1955), nicknamed "Bird" or "Yardbird", was an American jazz saxophonist, band leader and composer. Parker was a highly influential soloist and leading figure in the development of bebop, a form ...

– Bird, you know". It became one of Miller's main bands, enduring through changes of personnel, and featured a lot of his compositions in its performances. Another band was known as Trio Transition, which contained bassist

Reggie Workman Reginald "Reggie" Workman (born June 26, 1937 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American avant-garde jazz and hard bop double bassist, recognized for his work with both John Coltrane and Art Blakey. Career Early in his career, Workman wo ...

and drummer

Freddie Waits Frederick "Freddie" Douglas Waits (April 27, 1943 – November 18, 1989) was a hard bop and post-bop drummer. Waits never officially recorded as leader, but was a prominent member and composer in Max Roach's M'Boom percussion ensemble. He work ...

. They released the album of the same name in 1987. Miller also played on Williams bandmate

Wallace Roney Wallace Roney (May 25, 1960 – March 31, 2020) was an American jazz (hard bop and post-bop) trumpeter. He has won 1 Grammy award and has two nominations. Roney took lessons from Clark Terry and Dizzy Gillespie and studied with Miles Davis from ...

's first three recordings (1987–89), and many other albums recorded by other leaders in the late 1980s.Morton, Brian and Cook, Richard (2010) ''The Penguin Jazz Guide: The History of the Music in the 1,001 Best Albums''. p. . Penguin. These included an album with long-term collaborator Steve Nelson,Cook, Richard, and Morton, Brian (2004) ''The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD'' (7th edition). Penguin. a recording by trumpeter

Donald Byrd Donaldson Toussaint L'Ouverture Byrd II (December 9, 1932 – February 4, 2013) was an American jazz and rhythm & blues trumpeter and vocalist. A sideman for many other jazz musicians of his generation, Byrd was one of the few hard bop m ...

, comeback albums from alto saxophonist

Frank Morgan Francis Phillip Wuppermann (June 1, 1890 – September 18, 1949), known professionally as Frank Morgan, was an American character actor. He was best known for his appearances in films starting in the silent era in 1916, and then numerous sound ...

, and the first of a series of releases with tenor saxophonist

Benny Golson Benny Golson (born January 25, 1929) is an American bebop/hard bop jazz tenor saxophonist, composer, and arranger. He came to prominence with the big bands of Lionel Hampton and Dizzy Gillespie, more as a writer than a performer, before launch ...

. Miller and his family moved to Palmer Township,

Lehigh Valley The Lehigh Valley (), known colloquially as The Valley, is a geographic region formed by the Lehigh River in Lehigh County and Northampton County in eastern Pennsylvania. It is a component valley of the Great Appalachian Valley bound to the no ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

in 1989. In that year, he joined three other pianists in recording a CD tribute to

Memphis Memphis most commonly refers to: * Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt * Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city Memphis may also refer to: Places United States * Memphis, Alabama * Memphis, Florida * Memphis, Indiana * Memp ...

-born pianist

Phineas Newborn, Jr. Phineas Newborn Jr. (December 14, 1931 – May 26, 1989) was an American jazz pianist, whose principal influences were Art Tatum, Oscar Peterson, and Bud Powell. Biography Newborn was born in Whiteville, Tennessee, and came from a musical famil ...

This group, the Contemporary Piano Ensemble, performed intermittently until 1996, often playing together on four separate pianos. In 1990, Miller traveled to the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...

to appear as pianist in

's band at the first Moscow International Jazz Festival. In 1992, Miller also toured domestically and internationally with the New York Jazz Giants, a septet containing Jon Faddis,

Tom Harrell Tom Harrell (born June 16, 1946) is an American jazz trumpeter, flugelhornist, composer, and arranger. Voted Trumpeter of the Year of 2018 by ''Jazz Journalists Association'', Harrell has won awards and grants throughout his career, including mul ...

Lew Tabackin Lewis Barry Tabackin (born March 26, 1940) is an American jazz tenor saxophonist and flutist. He is married to pianist Toshiko Akiyoshi with whom he has co-led large ensembles since the 1970s. Biography Tabackin started learning flute at age 1 ...

Bobby Watson Robert Michael Watson Jr. (born August 23, 1953), known professionally as Bobby Watson, is an American saxophonist, composer, and educator. Music career Watson was born in Lawrence, Kansas, United States, and grew up in Kansas City, Kansas. He ...

, Ray Drummond, and Carl Allen. Miller continued to accompany vocalists, including on recordings with

Dianne Reeves Dianne Elizabeth Reeves (born October 23, 1956) is an American jazz singer. Biography Dianne Reeves was born in Detroit, Michigan, into a musical family. Her father sang, her mother played trumpet, her uncle is bassist Charles Burrell, and h ...

and

Cassandra Wilson Cassandra Wilson (born December 4, 1955) is an American jazz singer, songwriter, and producer from Jackson, Mississippi. She is one of the most successful female Jazz singers and has been described by critic Gary Giddins as "a singer blessed wi ...

. Starting in 1993, he also played and recorded with saxophonist

Joe Lovano Joseph Salvatore Lovano (born December 29, 1952)"Joe Lovano." ''Contemporary Musicians''. Vol. 13. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale, 1994. Retrieved via ''Biography in Context'' database, May 5, 2017. is an American jazz saxophonist, alto clarin ...

. The influence of Williams continued into Miller's own projects, including their compositions and arrangements: ''The Guardian'' reviewer of Miller's 1992 '' Hand in Hand'', his first for

Novus Records Novus Records (later Arista Novus and RCA Novus) was an American jazz record label run by Steve Backer. Backer worked at Impulse! Records until 1974, when Clive Davis, founder of Arista Records, asked him to oversee the jazz division at Arista. ...

, commented that "it's his occasional boss, drummer Tony Williams, who has made the strongest impression on the way he organises the material. The opening 'Grew's Tune' and the bluesier numbers would slot unnoticed into the Williams library."

1995–2013

For several years after he had turned 40, Miller concentrated on composing and playing his own music. He reduced his recording and club appearances, as well as one-day associations. The stimulus for this change had built gradually from Miller's first studio recording in 1981: "my recording activity increased and by the time that it got into 1986–87 I was on so many records it was unbelievable until eventually it became rather overwhelming and stressful, so I had to cut back." He did continue to record, often with musicians he had established relationships with: in 1996 he reunited with Williams to appear on what became the drummer's final recording, ''Young at Heart''; further albums led by

Kenny Garrett Kenny Garrett (born October 9, 1960) is an American post-bop jazz musician and composer who gained recognition in his youth as a member of the Duke Ellington Orchestra and for his time with Miles Davis's band. His primary instruments are alto and ...

, Nelson, Reeves, and others were made in the period 1997–99. In 1997, Miller toured in Japan with 100 Golden Fingers, a troupe of 10 pianists. He joined bassist

Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen (, 27 May 1946 – 19 April 2005), also known by his abbreviated nickname NHØP, was a Danish jazz double bassist. Biography Pedersen was born in Osted, near Roskilde, on the Danish island of Zealand, the son of ...

in 1999 to record '' The Duets'' an album based on 1940s performances by

Duke Ellington Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous jazz orchestra from 1923 through the rest of his life. Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Ellington was based ...

and

Jimmy Blanton James Blanton (October 5, 1918 – July 30, 1942) was an American jazz double bassist. Blanton is credited with being the originator of more complex pizzicato and arco bass solos in a jazz context than previous bassists. Nicknamed "Jimmie," Bla ...

. The two men toured Europe the following year, with drummer Alvin Queen added for some concerts. In 2002, Miller's discography as leader began to expand again, as

Maxjazz Maxjazz (corporately styled MAXJAZZ) was an American jazz record label founded in 1998 by investment banker Richard McDonnell. Maxjazz recordings are generally regarded as a "straight-ahead" acoustic style of jazz. It was based in St. Louis, Mis ...

started to release recordings. A series of four concert recordings were released over the following years: ''Live at The Kennedy Center Vol. 1'' and ''Live at The Kennedy Center Vol. 2'' (recorded in 2002), with

Derrick Hodge Derrick Hodge (born July 5, 1979) is a composer, musical director, bandleader, producer bassist and advocate. To date he has been awarded two Grammys, named a Sundance Composer Fellow, received a Motif Award; one of world's highest honors for ...

(bass) and Rodney Green (drums); and ''Live at Yoshi's Vol. 1'' and ''Live at Yoshi's Vol. 2'' (recorded in 2003), with Hodge and

Karriem Riggins Karriem Riggins is an American jazz drummer, hip hop producer, DJ and songwriter. Biography Riggins was born in Detroit, Michigan, United States, son of keyboardist Emmanuel Riggins. As a child, he would often watch his father perform with G ...

(drums). In 2002 Miller joined bassist Ron Carter's Golden Striker Trio, with guitarist Russell Malone.Cook, Richard and Morton, Brian (2008) ''The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings'' (9th ed.). Penguin. The trio occasionally toured internationally for the next decade. In 2003, Miller was commissioned to write a score for the

Dayton Contemporary Dance Company Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, which was founded in 1968 by Dayton, Ohio native, Jeraldyne Blunden, is the oldest modern dance company in Ohio, and one of the largest companies of its kind between Chicago and New York City. History The Dayt ...

; after writing ''The Clearing in the Woods'' and having it choreographed by Ronald K. Brown, Miller and his band played the piece for performances by the company. In the mid-2000s, Miller joined bassist

Dave Holland David “Dave” Holland (born 1 October 1946) is an English jazz double bassist, composer and bandleader who has been performing and recording for five decades. He has lived in the United States for over 40 years. His extensive discography r ...

's band, changing it from a quintet to a sextet, and adding gospel and soul elements to the group's sound. Around this time, Miller had two regular bands of his own: a piano trio, and a quintet featuring saxophone and vibraphone. He also became heavily involved in music education: Miller was the Director of Jazz Studies at

from 2005, and was the Artist in Residence at

Lafayette College Lafayette College is a private liberal arts college in Easton, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1826 by James Madison Porter and other citizens in Easton, the college first held classes in 1832. The founders voted to name the college after General Laf ...

in 2008, which was two years after it had awarded him an honorary doctorate in Performing Arts. Miller's only solo album, a 2000 concert recording entitled ''

Solo Solo or SOLO may refer to: Arts and entertainment Comics * ''Solo'' (DC Comics), a DC comics series * Solo, a 1996 mini-series from Dark Horse Comics Characters * Han Solo, a ''Star Wars'' character * Jacen Solo, a Jedi in the non-canonical ''S ...

'', was released in 2010 and was well received by critics for the imagination and harmonic development in Miller's playing. Also in 2010, Miller joined guitarist

John Scofield John Scofield (born December 26, 1951), sometimes referred to as "Sco", is an American guitarist and composer whose music over a long career has blended jazz, jazz fusion, funk, blues, soul and rock. He first came to mainstream attention in th ...

's new band. That year, Miller had a minor

.Fordham, John (May 31, 2013
"Mulgrew Miller Obituary"
''The Guardian''. After this, he took medicine, changed his diet and lost weight; he also reduced his touring and recording. In February 2012 he traveled to Denmark to play with

Klüvers Big Band Klüvers Big Band is a Danish big band. It was formed in 1977 by a group of young music students under the leadership of Jens Klüver. Since then the orchestra has worked with a long line of international and Danish soloists. It has recently to ...

; selections from one of the five concerts were released under Miller's co-leadership as ''Grew's Tune''. In autumn 2012, he performed as a piano duo with

Kenny Barron Kenny Barron (born June 9, 1943) is an American jazz pianist, who has appeared on hundreds of recordings as leader and sideman and is considered one of the most influential mainstream jazz pianists since the bebop era. Biography Born in Philadel ...

, continuing an association that had begun some years earlier. In the winter of that year he toured Europe as part of a quintet led by reeds players

Yusef Lateef Yusef Abdul Lateef (born William Emanuel Huddleston; October 9, 1920 – December 23, 2013) was an American jazz multi-instrumentalist, composer, and prominent figure among the Ahmadiyya Community in America. Although Lateef's main instruments ...

and

Archie Shepp Archie Shepp (born May 24, 1937) is an American jazz saxophonist, educator and playwright who since the 1960s has played a central part in the development of avant-garde jazz. Biography Early life Shepp was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, but ...

. On May 24, 2013, Miller was admitted to

Lehigh Valley Hospital–Cedar Crest Lehigh Valley Hospital, also known as Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest, is a hospital in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Lehigh Valley Hospital is the largest hospital in the Lehigh Valley metropolitan region and the third largest hospital in Penns ...

Allentown, Pennsylvania Allentown (Pennsylvania Dutch language, Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Allenschteddel'', ''Allenschtadt'', or ''Ellsdaun'') is a city in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. The city has a population of 125,845 as of the 2020 United ...

after suffering another stroke.Unger, Amy (May 30, 2013
"Mulgrew Miller, Noted Jazz Musician Who Lived in Easton, Dies"
. wfmz.com. He died there on May 29. Miller made more than 15 albums under his own name during his career,Tamarkin, Jeff (May 29, 2013
"Pianist Mulgrew Miller Dead at 57"
JazzTimes. and appeared on more than 400 for other leaders. His last working trio consisted of Ivan Taylor on bass and Green on drums. Bassist

Christian McBride Christian McBride (born May 31, 1972) is an American jazz bassist, composer and arranger. He has appeared on more than 300 recordings as a sideman, and is an eight-time Grammy Award winner. McBride has performed and recorded with a number of j ...

commented on the day of Miller's death: "I sincerely hope every self-respecting jazz musician takes this day to reflect on all the music Mulgrew left us."

Personal life and personality

Miller was survived by his wife, son, daughter, and grandson.Chinen, Nate (May 29, 2013
"Mulgrew Miller, Influential Jazz Pianist, Dies at 57"
''New York Times''. Miller married on August 14, 1982."Mulgrew Miller: Obituary"
''Lehigh Valley Live''. Reprinting from ''The Express Times''. Retrieved November 4, 2013. He was quiet and gentle,Szlamowicz, Jean (May 29, 2013
"Mulgrew Miller"
''Jazz Hot'' 664. and was "a modest man, with a self-deprecating sense of humour".
(June 2, 2013) ''The Daily Telegraph''. Miller described his own attitude towards music in a 2005 interview:

I worked hard to maintain a certain mental and emotional equilibrium. It's mostly due to my faith in the Creator. I don't put all my eggs in that basket of being a rich and famous jazz guy. That allows me a certain amount of freedom, because I don't have to play music for money. I play music because I love it.

Style and influence

Ben Ratliff, writing for ''The New York Times'', commented that, "As a composer, Mr. Miller is difficult to peg; like his piano playing, he's a bit of everything." Critic Ted Panken observed in 2004 that Miller the pianist "finds ways to conjure beauty from pentatonics and odd intervals, infusing his lines with church and blues strains and propelling them with a joyous, incessant beat".Panken, Ted (2005) "Mulgrew Miller: No Apologies". ''Down Beat''. Reprinted a
"Mulgrew Miller, R.I.P. (1955–2013) – A Downbeat Article and Several Interviews"
(May 29, 2013) tedpanken.wordpress.com.

John Fordham John Fordham (died 1425) was Bishop of Durham and Bishop of Ely. Fordham was keeper of the privy seal of Prince Richard from 1376 to 1377 and Dean of Wells before being named Lord Privy Seal in June 1377. He held that office until December 1381 ...

in ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'' commented that Miller's "melodic fluency and percussive chordwork ..recalled Oscar Peterson ..butwith glimpses of the harmonically freer methods of McCoy Tyner", and that Miller was much more than the

player that he was often stereotyped as being. The obituary writer for ''

DownBeat ' (styled in all caps) is an American music magazine devoted to "jazz, blues and beyond", the last word indicating its expansion beyond the jazz realm which it covered exclusively in previous years. The publication was established in 1934 in Chi ...

'' observed that "Miller could swing hard but maintained grace and precision with a touch and facility that influenced generations of musicians."Brown, Hillary (August 2013) "Pianist Mulgrew Miller Dies of Stroke at Age 57". ''DownBeat''. p. 18. Miller had a strong reputation with fellow musicians. Pianist

Geoffrey Keezer Geoffrey Keezer (born November 20, 1970) is an American jazz pianist. Keezer was playing in jazz clubs as a teenager, playing piano for Art Blakey at age 18 and touring with Joshua Redman, Benny Golson and Ray Brown in his 20s. He has toured w ...

was convinced that he wanted to be a pianist after attending a performance by Miller in 1986. Vibraphonist Warren Wolf stated that Miller helped him early in his career, including by being a link to jazz history: "you're getting that experience of playing with Art Blakey, that attitude of 'Yes, it's my band, but you have to give other people a chance to shine.'"

Robert Glasper Robert Andre Glasper (born April 6, 1978) is an American pianist, record producer, songwriter, and musical arranger with a career that bridges several different musical and artistic genres, mostly centered on jazz. To date, Glasper has won fou ...

also cited Miller as an influence, and wrote and recorded "One for 'Grew" as a tribute. Speaking in 2010, Miller commented on his approach to playing standards, which was more conservative than that of many others: "I believe in giving due respect to the melody, playing it as true as possible, ..a solo is a creative process that improves the melody."Lutz, Phillip (July 25, 2010) "Jazz Piano Giants Spanning the Years". ''The New York Times''. p. CT10. He almost never transcribed recordings (something that jazz musicians are typically taught to do); Miller credited this with slowing his learning process, but also with allowing him to express himself more freely, as he reached his own understanding of the compositions he played. Miller explained the lack of critical attention he received as follows: "Guys who do what I am doing are viewed as passé." He also contrasted his own approach with that of performers who produced "interview music": "something that's obviously different, and you get the interviews and a certain amount of attention".

Discography

References

External links

Discography as leader
by Michael Fitzgerald.
"The Folk Element Is Intact: (Four Mulgrew Miller Solos)"
by

Ethan Iverson Ethan Iverson (born February 11, 1973) is a pianist, composer, and critic best known for his work in the avant-garde jazz trio The Bad Plus with bassist Reid Anderson and drummer Dave King. Biography Iverson was born in Menomonie, Wisconsin. ...

. * {{DEFAULTSORT:Miller, Mulgrew 1955 births 2013 deaths American jazz pianists American male jazz musicians American male pianists Hard bop pianists The Jazz Messengers members Jazz musicians from Mississippi Jazz musicians from Pennsylvania Landmark Records artists Mainstream jazz pianists Modal jazz pianists Novus Records artists Musicians from Easton, Pennsylvania People from Greenwood, Mississippi Post-bop pianists Superblue (band) members Stunt Records artists