“Whether he’s at a piano or a Fender Rhodes keyboard, Rochester pianist Ben Miller is a formidable player and inventive improvisor”
-Ron Netsky, Rochester City News
“Undoubtedly, his background and exposure to musical influences have fuelled his artistry.”
-David Emmanuel Noel, Occhi Magazine
“…full of an almost youthful enthusiasm which unrolls a jazz of today well anchored in the roots of the genre.”
-Yves Dorison, CultureJazz (France)
“Feathers of Ma’at is the sophisticated and essential album everyone’s been waiting for,”
-WIndout Magazine (Italy)
“Ben is hands down one of the most exciting young talents on the piano today!”
-Chris DiGirolamo, Two For the Show Media
“In Miller’s compositions, it is possible to hear traces of not only bebop, post-bop and other jazz styles, but also the effects of mysticism.”
-Turgay Kantürk, Dark Blue Notes (Turkey)
“His approach to the piano is a bit out of the ordinary and really riveting,”
-Mike, Adult Music Podcast
Jazz pianist, composer, and producer Ben Miller was born in the Philippines, raised in Peru and upstate New York, and educated in Montreal and New York City. His reverence for jazz and classical tradition resonates in his creative explorations of contemporary harmony.
In addition to leading his own trio, Ben is a member of the Orbiting Human Circus Quartet, Taru Alexander Quartet, Jesse Collins Quartet, and several other bands. He is a former member of the Williamsburg All-Stars at the Williamsburg Music Center in Brooklyn.
Ben’s debut trio album Feathers of Ma’at (Feathers of Ma’at EPK) was released on June 30, 2023 on Truth Revolution Records. It is available for sale at https://trrstore.bandcamp.com/album/feathers-of-maat. Themed around ancient mysticism, it consists entirely of his own originals and features Taru Alexander on drums and Joseph Lepore on bass. He is also leading a 25-piece ensemble project of his own compositions called Dweller on the Threshold featuring fine talent from Rochester and beyond. For both projects, Ben is heavily involved in the production, from recording to mixing and mastering. If you would like to donate to the large ensemble project fund, please visit: https://www.gofundme.com/f/dweller-on-the-threshold-large-ensemble-jazz
Ben has had the privilege of sharing the stage with many acclaimed musicians, including Taru Alexander, Joseph Lepore, Jesse Collins, Julian Koster, Hanka G, Emilio Modeste, Tom DiCarlo, Niklas Lukassen, Miles Griffith, Stanley Banks, Kevin Dean, Adi Meyerson, Kris Monson, Ryan Sands, Josh David Barrett, Dominic Duval, Marco Cirigliano, Jake Leckie, Daryl Johns, George Delancey, and the list goes on.
On November 17, 2023, The Orbiting Human Circus Quartet, a jazz project led by indie rock star Julian Koster (The Music Tapes, Neutral Milk Hotel, Elephant 6), released Quartet Plus Two on Merge Records (order here: https://www.mergerecords.com/product/quartet_plus_two). Ben joined this band when they recorded music for Julian’s hit fiction podcast The Orbiting Human Circus (of the Air) produced by WNYC Studios and Night Vale Presents.
Ben’s interest in composition and film scoring has led him into the world of digital music production and orchestration. His work as a producer, film composer, and audio engineer has been featured in podcasts such as WNYC Studios and Night Vale Presents’ The Orbiting Human Circus (of the Air), Wondery’s The Next Big Idea, Mensch Media’s Living Downstream, films such as Balk and Farm and Red Moon, as well as in political ads for Priorities USA.
Performances and residencies
Smalls Jazz Club, Williamsburg Music Center, Mezzrow Jazz Club, Shrine World Music Venue, 55 Bar, The Sheen Center for Thought and Culture, Rue B, Anyway Cafe, Tomi Jazz, Legion Bar, Tsion Cafe, Greenfield Hall, Troost Bar, Miller Hall, Denise Bibro Fine Art, The Red Room at KGB Bar, Ronald McDonald House, New York Athletic Club, Neidorff-Karpati Hall (New York City); Maison de la culture Maisonneuve, Upstairs Jazz Bar and Grill, Pollack Hall, L’Absynthe, Solin Hall, Tanna Schulich Hall, Gert’s Bar, Molson Hall, Redpath Hall (Montréal); L’Angelus (Montpellier, France); UUU Art Collective, Flour City Station, RBTL Auditorium Theater, RIT City Art Space, The French Quarter, Parcel 5, Exotic Roots Hydro, the Little Theater, U of R Audio Engineering Lab, Bar Abilene, Perlo’s Restaurant (Rochester, NY); Zebu Club at ILRI (Nairobi, Kenya); Bezanson Recital Hall, (Amherst, MA); Daños Heuriger, Lodi Historical Society (Lodi, NY); Geneva Country Club (Geneva, NY); WMC North Jazz Lounge (Elmira, NY); Bailey Hall, Community School of Music and Arts, The Warehouse at Argos, South Hill Cider, The Dock, The Kitchen Theater, Ithaca Commons Main Stage, Buffalo Street Bistro, Six Mile Creek Winery, The History Center, Corks and More, Willard Straight Hall, Collegetown Bagels, Agava, The Carriage House Loft, First Unitarian Society of Ithaca, The Range, Hockett Recital Hall, Longview, The Shop, The Hangar Theater, Moosewood, Monks on the Commons, Lot 10, The Lost Dog, Kulp Auditorium (Ithaca, NY); Funk N’ W
affles, Al’s Wine and Whiskey Lounge (Syracuse, NY); Sterling Stage (Sterling, NY); Seneca Falls Heritage and Tourism Center, Damiani Wine Cellars (Burdett, NY); Brookton Market, Brooktondale Community Center; (Brooktondale, NY); Lafayette Park (Watkins Glen, NY); Mill House Market, Grindstone Farms (Pulaski, NY); Lake Drum Brewing, Microclimate Wine Bar (Geneva, NY); Seneca Falls Heritage and Tourism Center, Concerts in the Park Series (Seneca Falls, NY); Canales Restaurant (Oswego, NY); and many other venues, restaurants, bars, wineries, clubs, art galleries, private functions, etc.
Festivals and shows
Geneva Jazz Festival, Sterling Stage Festival, Fulton Jazz Festival, Cornell Summer Concert Series, Crossing Borders Live, Apple Harvest Festival, Ithaca Festival,
Newark Backyard BBQ Series, RBTL Stars of Tomorrow, McGill University Battle of the Bands (member of winning band Busty and the Bass), Arch Ballet Pointe in Motion World Premier, Young at Art, Williamsburg All-Stars at WMC, Rob Ingram and Friends (prod by Exotic Roots and Flour City Station), Ithaca All-Star Jazz Invitational, Jazz in July @ UMass Amherst, Porchfest, Ithaca Teen Cabaret, The Fabulous Fable Factory, Kevin Dean’s Next Generation, and various dance, cabaret, and theatrical productions.
Education
Manhattan School of Music (Harlem, NY)
Masters Degree in Jazz Performance
McGill University Schulich School of Music (Montréal, QC)
Bachelor’s Degree in Jazz Performance
Check out Ben’s studio Third Motion Studios!
If you’re interested in any services or collaborations, send a message in the Contact page.