Bluesman Derek Miller: Rock and Redemption

Talent, drive, a passion for perfection, and a carefree, devil may care persona. Derek Miller is a mass of contradictions and a bluesman like no other. On stage he’s a cool drink of water in a pinstriped suit and a confident swagger. He pounds on his guitars and sizzles with a slide looking like he’s channeling every great bluesman to ever put a finger to a string. He’s got wit, humour, a slightly devilish gleam in his eyes, and a smile that could charm all the birds out of their trees. Yet he’s also about as genuine, easygoing, and self-effacing a person as you could ever hope to meet.

Career-wise, the past few years have been almost ludicrously busy. The 1999 Sketches EP earned him the Canadian Aboriginal Music Award which he followed by helping produce 2000’s Fingermonkey with Keith Sceola and The Wild Band of Indians. In 2002 he won his first Juno with his soulful CD Music is the Medicine and of course most recently released the smoking hot The Dirty Looks.

Miller has crisscrossed North America playing everything from bar gigs to festivals and even leading the musical tribute to Robbie Robertson at Roy Thompson Hall in Toronto last June. Along the countless road trips he has picked up several awards, accolades, and well deserved nods and kudos, including Year’s Best from New York’s Village Voice, Top Ten of the Year in the Detroit Metro Times critic’s poll, and Best Blues/Jazz Recording at the 2003 Native American Music Award. To put the cherry on his ice cream, on the heels of re-releasing The Dirty Looks with EMI, Miller added Juno number two to the awards shelf (or vault or hallway closet… wherever it is artists keep their shiny baubles).

Somewhere in that hectic schedule he also found time to head to Austin, Texas to record a new CD with the legendary Double Trouble, not to mention have one of his songs feature the old outlaw himself, Willie Nelson. “Pretty cool to hear him sing some words I wrote … Willie is the coolest dude.” Followed by a film crew since January, the entire Austin experience was recorded for a documentary about his life and his music.

Article Author: Nathalie Vanderheyden

Nathalie Vanderheyden is a fan of everything creative. She's an independent writer and blogger trying to find her voice in a loud world. She lives in "the Hammer" with her family and dog.

Visit Nathalie Vanderheyden's author page — Nathalie Vanderheyden's Blog