With its wonderful acoustics and exemplary cultural and creative vibe, housed within the exceptional architecture at the heart of vibrant, dynamic King’s Cross, tonight’s evening at Kings Place was particularly memorable.
If Kings Place had to choose one performer, one musician to encapsulate their ethos, their vision, their raison d’etre; we think it would possibly be Dominic Miller .
It’s that certain slant of light and shade, that particular sound of jazz, classical, funk, pop, South American and more that Dominic has created, that embodies that magical (but often elusive), truly diverse, communal and inclusive breadth that Kings Place promises to deliver. Tonight was twinkly perfection.
Dominic Miller, arguably most usually known as Sting’s guitarist, is an exceptional, world-class musician who has composed, played, recorded and performed with an impressive line up of equally stellar players. Born in Argentina, he came to London’s Guildhall College of Music and Drama to study music (and guitar playing in particular). It’s fair to say he has been enchanting the world with his talents ever since.
This evening’s music was truly exceptional, highlighted by Dominic’s stunning playing and the breathtaking performances by all the musicians on stage, including his daughter, Misty Miller. Her two songs were delivered with such purity, authenticity, and beauty, creating an intimate and immersive experience for everyone present (more on that later).
Emerging onto the stage with musicians Jason Rebello on keyboard, Ziv Ravitz on drums, and Nicolas Fiszman on bass, it feels almost as if we were in Dominic Miller’s sitting room or basement-such was the ease and genuine feeling of friendship and excitement as the four settled down to, well, ‘riff’ basically.
The quartet grows, swelling as each player becomes more insistent before a natural diminuendo back to single notes and a deliciously blurry cymbal finish…"
Their cohesive, improvised performance immersed us in an intricate and engaging tapestry formed from percussive sounds, accents, hints of rhythm and order before a single note, rhythmically plucked and then ascending and descending up and down the scale in tones and semitones shimmered over Hall One. Slowly, gently and ever so atmospherically, notes appear from the piano and bass and all is peaceful and beautiful in here. Melody envelops us from each instrument, each part. The quartet grows, swelling as each player becomes more insistent before a natural diminuendo back to single notes and a deliciously blurry cymbal finish… we were hooked from the first moment.
Then comes a segue into a strong beat as the style changes and there’s funk on bass guitar, interspersed by a jazzy, lyrical guitar melody from Miller. The two parts to this piece pass back and forth between guitarists in perfect symbiosis.
you can’t practice and hone this kind of connection without hours, days, and years of shared time."
Dominic reveals that the four haven’t played together for a long time, adding, “We’re going to jam tonight… have a go… have an evening in the hour of improvised jazz.” He explains there’s no setlist—something that seems to be the norm this week, as just three days ago, a couple of miles down the road, 40 Watt Sun also performed without one. Transitioning effortlessly into a classical-style riff of such beauty that we barely have time to recover, Fiszman follows with a truly great bass solo—a thing of gravitas, power, and extraordinary substance. Without pause, we are treated to a piano solo of unparalleled mastery, all the while underpinned by exceptional drumming and percussive shaping. These four might not have played together for a while, but they clearly know each other; you can’t practice and hone this kind of connection without hours, days, and years of shared time.
There’s a delicious tension as each of the four players battle for the lead, the power, the control; and with this comes the versatility and individual style of each musician, be it Samba, Latin American, classical Spanish, funk; light, shade, tone and timbre surge, ebb and flow all the time and always in the spirit of jazz. There’s humour here too through this easy, shared knowledge of each other’s style and personality. Miller thanks us for coming to this, his last night of the tour, the last show of 2024. Watching this seemingly largely improvised concert is like a perfectly balanced meal as dish after dish of contrasting but sublime offerings are presented: McCartney’s Blackbird emerges from an impossibly skilled guitar solo that uses every centimetre of the frets, followed swiftly and comfortably by a jazzed up JS Bach-style fugue (Miller is fond of Bach), this in turn slowing to become the famous Valium, its changing key signatures and keys shaping the Celtic-style tune.
The Shape of my Heart is universally known and loved, and the famous chord progressions comprising the ostinato are started by Miller on guitar, continued by bass before the piano and synth overlap, the wonderfully layered instrumentation creating a richly atmospheric and comfortingly familiar soundscape that draws us listeners in even closer.
Her full control over dynamics, breathing, pitch, and vibrato, combined with her distinctive, original, and mature style, creates a stand-out moment tonight."
After this, Misty Miller tentatively and unassumingly joins her dad on stage to perform two songs, accompanied by Rebello. The first, a brave and bold choice, is The Carpenters’ “Every Sha La La La.” By the time she transitions to Ella Fitzgerald’s “Misty,” her voice is fully warmed up, and she appears completely at ease—and what a fabulous voice it is! The song perfectly suits her gorgeous, jazzy, velvety tone. Her full control over dynamics, breathing, pitch, and vibrato, combined with her distinctive, original, and mature style, creates a stand-out moment tonight. How proud her dad must be.
Dylan Fowler joins Dominic on stage, and after a brief explanation of how the two began their careers together at the Edinburgh Festival, their guitars intertwine in finger-picking perfection. “This is fun,” exclaims Miller, as the original four return to the stage for the funky “Ripped Nylon,” featuring intricate, fast-paced playing and an exceptional bass solo. True to the spirit of this gig, the style shifts effortlessly into classical Spanish, which then transforms into The Beatles‘ “A Day in the Life,” complete with a gloriously chaotic climax.
They love what they do and so do we."
The pleasure, intensity and joy of this evening’s music builds as Kings Place’s near perfect acoustic is fully empowered and despite Miller’s (and the audience’s) obvious reluctance to finish – “I’m having too much fun playing music!” he declares- there is a passion-infused finale with a little bit of everything for us. There are broad smiles on stage – and we are on our feet for a standing ovation. They love what they do and so do we.
Dominic Miller played Kings Place in London on Dec 21, 2024