2022 – Scottie Miller
By Phillip Smith; July 29, 2023
Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com
Carnival
Cocoon, the latest release from Minnesota
poet/pianist Scottie Miller, has me gob-smacked with amazement and delight. This companion set features an eighty-three-page
book of poetry coupled with a twenty-three track album featuring those poems eloquently
set to music with a classic beat-inspired delivery. Miller, a three-time inductee of the Minnesota
Blues Hall of Fame has toured with Bo Diddley and currently tours
with Ruthie Foster. With Miller
on vocals and piano, he is joined by JT Bates on drums, Jeff Bailey
on electric and double bass, Cierra Alise Hill on violin 1, Bex Gaunt
on violin 2, Jesse Kellerman on viola, Greg Byers on cello, and
double bass. As a bonus, there is a special
appearance by Ruthie Foster.
The album opens with a flowing beat as Miller recites “Ah, New York”, a fast-passed from-the-street lyrical treat from which the title Carnival Cocoon is birthed. I can smell the smells and hear the sounds of traffic, automotive and pedestrian both. With “Whiskey, Coffee”, my thoughts effortlessly drift toward Tom Waits. This track swims among my favorites. As ear-worms go, this is the most welcome. Hearing Miller reminisce about his days at “Berklee” certainly bring back college-days memories of my own. “Adrenalina” lives up to its name, breaking through with staggering words and a surging riff. The Bukowski-esque “Bleecker Street” paints a bleak vision of homeless folks and hopeless alcoholics lining the street in Greenwich Village. An air of somberness hovers over “A Better Way to Cope” while it rings out like a long-lost Bob Dylan song. Ruthie Foster joins along for “Stay” an anthem against injustice. Miller vocalizes this one with a cadence reminiscent of Eminem, and tops it with a chill beat and smooth R&B hook. “Beggar, Banker, Fisherman Pay” is nested in a Celtic tradition and beautifully performed. The recording comes to its end suited up in full gonzo attire with “24 Hours in Mexico”. Miller condenses a day’s worth of debauchery in Puerto Vallarta into eight minutes of freewheeling fun.
Carnival Cocoon is an unexpected masterpiece. It is unlike anything I have ever read or heard. I will certainly be revisiting this one for a very long time.
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For more information about Scottie Miller or to purchase Carnival Cocoon, visit his website at: https://www.scottiemiller.com/
