Sammy Miller and the Congregation, one of the bands that aroused greater sympathy from the Festival audience, returns to Umbria Jazz after a few years. They made their intention clear: “We play joyful jazz – music that feels good. It is a style that entertains, enriches, but most of all uplifts”. Miller, a native of Los Angeles, aims to engage the jazz audience in a cheerful, serene and soothing dimension by playing great music. The musical substance behind the group is considerable because percussionist, producer and composer Miller has a Master from Julliard and a Grammy nomination, and the individual band members have played with artists such as Wynton Marsalis and Joshua Redman. The key feature of the band is its programmatic manifesto in the name of the joy of making music together. This band has been one of the Festival’s revelations.
