Mulgrew Miller with Wingspan

Born in 1955 in Greenwood, Mississippi, Mulgrew Miller played country, gospel, R&B for dance bands, and the blues, until he saw “The Oscar Peterson Trio” perform on television at age 15. Although he also studied classical piano and formed a trio while in high school, Miller immediately dedicated himself to becoming a jazz musician.

Said Miller in an interview with AllAboutJazz.com, “When I saw him [Peterson], I realized there was a way to do something with music -- and do it with integrity and in a way that demanded virtuosity but wasn't classically oriented.”

Pivotal to Miller's transition to jazz was his studies at Memphis State University with Donald Brown and James Williams, pianists who would later work with him in the late ’80s & early ’90s as part of ‘The Contemporary Piano Ensemble” (along with a very young Geoff Keezer and Harold Mabern), dedicated to the music of Memphis’ native son Phineas Newborn.

“So that’s where I really began to seriously learn jazz,” said Miller.

One of Miller’s earliest jobs was as pianist for “The Mercer Ellington Orchestra.” Then Cedar Walton introduced Miller to Betty Carter, and he moved to New York, spending the next eight months with the great vocalist/educator. Following his tenure with Carter, Miller performed with Woody Shaw, Johnny Griffin, Art Blakey, and seven years with Tony Williams.

Miller was also a frequent collaborator with Joe Lovano in the late ’80s, turning his priorities to his own trio and other ensembles in the ’90s while still performing or recording with such artists as Diane Reeves, Rene Marie, Steve Turre, Kenny Garrett, Joe Lovano, and Gary Burton. He also collaborated with the late Niels Henning Orstad Pedersen on a recording and series of performances in tribute to the great piano/bass duos of Ellington and Blanton. Over the years Miller has worked nearly 400 recordings and moves easily from jazz standards to Brazilian to bebop to his own compositions.

Miller’s recent focus has been on the quintet “Wingspan,” and his current trio, which consists of bassist Derrick Hodge and drummer Karriem Riggins.

“I don’t only think of the piano as a piano,” said Miller. “I think of it as an orchestra, other times as a voice, and yet at other times a horn. Pianists have a challenge of making the instrument do something that it doesn’t want to do. It doesn’t want to scream, or bend notes, or exclaim something very emotionally. You have to reach deep inside of yourself to get the piano to express these things,” he reflected.