Limited vinyl LP pressing. Sting, in whose band Dominic Miller has been a permanent member since 1991, describes him as my right and my left hand. That's why he has been involved in every Sting production since The Soul Cages in 1991, is on every tour and makes a significant contribution to Sting's sound aesthetic with his gentle and unobtrusive creativity. Together they composed the song Shape Of My Heart, which became a hit. In addition to Sting, he has also enhanced the productions of other stars such as Tina Turner, Paul Young, Phil Collins, The Pretenders and Steve Winwood, to name but a few. But Miller is not only active as a sideman. In 1995, he released his first solo album First Touch, which was to be followed by eleven more up to date. Gradually, the trade press and the public were also impressed by the qualities of the guitar all-rounder. He received euphoric reviews in which terms such as grace, gracefulness and sensuality were among the descriptors. When he has the time, he is increasingly touring the world with a high caliber band. Many of his fans still consider his debut album First Touch, which Miller released on his own at the time, to be his best.
Hecho en Cuba is Dominic Miller's and Manolito Simonet's innovative new album featuring Dominic's compositions, arranged in a brand new crossover salsa/ Latin American style. The nine tracks were recorded in Manolito's studio in Havana, Cuba back in 2012 (Manolito is founder of the legendary salsa band "Manolito y su Trabuco") and mixed in Tenerife, Spain in 2013. "Hecho en Cuba" includes re-arranged classics like "Shape Of My Heart", "La belle dame sans regrets", "Lullaby to an anxious child", "Tokyo", "Embrace", "Chanson I", "La Boca" and a new composition by Manolito he calls "D'Pronto". Here to tease you and please you is a pre-release version of "Lullaby To An Anxious Child". Enjoy!
The active support for "ad hoc "he has gathered around himself by using outstanding masters of their craft whilst trying to crack this latest musical puzzle has paid off for Miller. With them at his side he has created an open-minded new work, which should delight fans of rich and diverse sounds everywhere. Those working at the frontiers of their art don't care about traditional genre barriers and in titles like " Exiting Purgatory", written in an intricate 7/8, the tender and melodic "Eva", the meditative " Shavasana " and " Moroccan roll " reminiscent of Weather Report's World Jazz, he has transcended all style barriers. What is special with this album is that he doesn't just stop at the mere crossover of time signatures, close together, sometimes wide apart, it's the combination of modern jazz, electronica, acoustic folk, contemporary classical and world music combined " ad hoc" style that leads to something entirely new. There isn't yet an appropriate genre term for such a symbiosis, it's yet to be coined, any suggestions anyone'
On 5th House, Miller includes fantastic, dreamlike soundscapes where he creates harp-like sounds on his acoustic guitar ("Angel"); then again he produces galvanizing guitar sounds reminiscent of The Police ("If Only"). "Embrace" is a convincing soft-jazz track, whereas "Waves" is carried by the flair of Bossa Nova sounds, and classicist-sounding guitar arpeggios ("Catalan") alternate with full-volume band rock sounds ("Dead Head").
'November' offers plenty of space for the electric guitar. Some of the tracks show the more rock-oriented side of Miller, with an at times astonishingly powerful sound. Living proof are tracks like the literal slammer 'Rippled Nylon' or 'W3', steeped in fuzz.
As part of Sting's band, guitarist Dominic Miller sometimes gets overlooked. Even though the 40-year-old has the looks of a lean, shaggy-haired, Strat-toting youngster, he seems to get a little taken for granted in his role as guitar factotum. Nowhere was this more apparent than in the recent string of Sting gigs at the Albert Hall in which he was also accompanied by such jazz luminaries as keyboardist Jason Rebello and trumpeter Chris Botti. Now Miller's second solo album has arrived and it's time for him to take the spotlight. 'Second Nature' shows a very different side of this versatile Buenos Aires-born musician. Although Miller may have spent years playing rock'n'roll as a session player, his own music owes a huge debt to his Brazilian heroes Antonio Carlos Jobim and Baden Powell, and as a result the 12 songs here sing of South America - ringing, lyrical numbers plucked and strummed by a guitarist who remains true to his roots. The Time
