MP3 Mikel Miller - The Key
Singer/songwriter mixes Ramblin'' Jack Elliott and Jerry Jeff Walker and somehow manages to fuse it into his own style. Likes to feature songs by Norm Hacking.
10 MP3 Songs in this album (38:12) !
Related styles: COUNTRY: Country Folk, FOLK: Alternative Folk
People who are interested in Bill Staines Jerry Jeff Walker Townes Van Zandt should consider this download.
Details:
Mikel Miller is a man locked in a capsule of almost forgotten times and his music reflects the strength and character of the working man. The magic lies in its down to earth honesty and heart, and the power comes from its melodic simplicity. He enters your world, not with a crash of noise, but with a whisper of hopes, dreams, times good and bad and thoughts not easily spoken. These things and more Mikel gives in his performances. Late nites, good friends, maybe a cold one, swapping lies, tales of roads traveled, before they were paved - all these things and hidden but shining, the ever present humor! These things are Miller and his music. In the tradition of Woody Guthrie and Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Mikel, armed with only his guitar for protection sings his songs of the land, its people with their hopes and dreams and late night wishes.
Mikel Miller was born in Toronto, lived 30 miles north in a town where gypsy’s used to stop in, that was his first glimpse of a life, somewhere else. He would listen to their stories and tales of where they had been and he longed to go there himself. When the gypsy’s passed through twice a year, his father always knew where he was when he was late for supper. He jumped his first freight train at 14, thumbed out west and east when he was 16, most of the Trans-Canada Highway was still being built, some of it was finally being paved (they were still blowing out Rogers Pass). When he finally finished school, he figured his future lay either in Vancouver or Halifax, so, he headed for both. Knowing this little about him can explain a lot.
Busking on street corners in the 60’s, to the folk clubs of the late 60’s, early 70’s, to the bars and honky tonks, they say this where he’s been, but to those that know him, he’s been further than all those journeys combined. Influenced by a time spent with Phil Ochs another with Townes Van Zandt, combined with the free-wheelin’ style of Jerry Jeff Walker and Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Mikel has somehow managed to fuse these together to achieve the sound that is his today. Performing mainly with his guitar, he weaves a memorable musical experience laced with country that is responsive, reflective yet invigorating.
During the 80’s, Miller settled in northern climes and made the Yukon his home, playing the local clubs and festivals throughout the Yukon and Alaska, this enabled him to slow his wandering down and allowed him to figure out just where he’d been. In the late 80’s he released a self titled album (featuring Bruce Bergman) and a 6 song demo album, "No More Trains" (both on vinyl). In the early 90’s, he was recorded (along with other northern artists) by the CBC on their northern series, for a double CD titled "Another Day In Paradise". In ’94, he began a project that would have many starts, but, in the spring of ’96 he completed, "the KEY", this recording reflects Mikel as a songwriter and features many of the Yukon’s best musicians.
In August ’98, while on tour in Ontario, Mikel along with friend and guitarist Kevin Bell, gathered some friends old and new and wandered into SOUNDAROUND STUDIOS INC in Toronto, owned and operated by Jerry Tupis. This time Mikel walked out with 15 songs, some featuring his writing, a couple of Norm Hacking tunes plus some covers. This album ranges from an A Cappella song to a full band that rocks and things in between. He called this "Rounders’ Road". In the fall of 2000, it once again found Mikel in Ontario, Jerry Tupis invited him back in, this time just Miller and his guitar. They were there for 3 hours, recorded 27 tunes, Miller came back to the Yukon, sat in a studio there and with Bruce Bergman and Amanda Leslie recorded 4 more songs. The result of these recordings is his new album released in 2002 titled "All Roads".
These days we find Miller hitting the road once again, playing the clubs, coffeehouses and festivals across Canada. The road is where he feels the most calm, feeling and hearing the wheels roll him along, traveling this vast country, writing and performing along his way, to him it’s the best way.