The charismatic drummer, bandleader, and composer Allison Miller has been the rhythm machine behind artists from Brandi Carlile, Sara Bareilles, and Natalie Merchant to Dr. Lonnie Smith, timekeeper for jazz supergroup Artemis, bandleader of Boom Tic Boom, and more. On Sun, Feb 2, she brings her jubilant multimedia jazz suite Rivers in Our Veins to 92NY with special guest Michelle Dorrance — the MacArthur “genius” award-winning tap dancer and dancemaker — and a sensational ensemble of musicians and dancers. Ahead of the performance, we talked with Miller about what inspired Rivers, her love of tap and awe of Dorrance, sparking change through joy, and more.
Tell us about Rivers in Our Veins and the inspiration behind it.
I’ve always been drawn to rivers. I grew up near the Potomac, and my memories of discovery and exploration all come from being close to this river and its tributaries. As a drummer, I actually spend a lot of time conceptualizing how to sound more like water on my drum set(!). I’m fascinated by the unpredictability of a river – how the water flows, how it can simultaneously flow at different rates. It can seem like complete chaos, but it’s not – it’s a delicate harmony. A beautiful chaos. Nature works. It only stops working when humans get involved.
I wrote Rivers in Our Veins to honor and raise awareness around our nation’s rivers, and to highlight how essential we are for each other’s survival. It’s a distinctly American work, meant to feel like a journey down a river through various parts of our country – through the social movements that were birthed along them, the workers of the shipyards, historical civil rights moments that have occurred along our rivers, and of course the natural and wild flow of a grand river. Musically, the piece is a melting pot of genres, just like the cultural diversity that makes up America. It features folk, jazz, blues, rock, Americana, Appalachian music – all American music birthed throughout its complicated history. Together with tap dance, it’s like a soundtrack to migration in America. And a central part of that migration is our rivers.
Why did you choose to make tap dance a featured element of Rivers?
As part of my research for this project, I traveled the five rivers the work celebrates (the Hudson, the Susquehanna, the Delaware, and the James along with the Potomac), interviewing locals, scholars, and riverkeepers along the way. I came to realize I couldn’t capture my idea with only music. There needed to be visual motion on stage that would represent not only the energy of moving water, but of human activity along the rivers. I landed on tap dance because I’m a drummer and have always been very drawn to tap dancers. They are incredible movers, improvisers, musicians, and rhythm makers … all while balancing their body weight. It’s miraculous! When I’m around dancers like Michelle, it’s like I’m around a rock star. They do with their feet what I need four limbs to do!
Let’s talk about the brilliant Michelle Dorrance. How did the two of you first connect, and what is it like working with her?
Michelle and I met back when I was touring with Ani DiFranco. We were introduced backstage through a mutual friend on the crew. I didn’t know who Michelle was, and someone told me she’s a tap dancer. Cool, I thought. Months later, I found myself at her tap studio on the Lower East Side, getting my hair cut by our mutual friend(!). There was a drum set in the studio and Michelle asked me if I wanted to trade (take turns improvising solos). I thought, could she really know how to do that? We started trading fours back and forth and my jaw dropped. She was quoting Max Roach, she was quoting Art Blakey – all of my heroes. And with her feet!! That was the beginning of our creative relationship.
Anything Michelle does is unique. She has her own distinct voice – as a choreographer, and in the sound she produces. It’s like with drummers. When I hear Elvin Jones, I know within two beats that it’s him. It’s the same with Michelle. It’s a combination of where she places the beat, her crisp, nuanced sound, and her phrasing – light and bouncy, like all of my favorite jazz drummers. It’s a beautiful thing to work with. I just jump on the Michelle Dorrance rhythm train and enjoy the ride!
Rivers also features a phenomenal group of musicians and other dancers. Tell us who else will be onstage.
There are six in the band, all incredible musicians and bandleaders in their own right, not side musicians: violinist Jenny Scheinman, pianist Carmen Staaf, Ben Goldberg on contra-alto and Bb clarinets, trumpeter Jason Palmer, and bassist Rashaan Carter. Each band member is essential to Rivers In Our Veins, elevating the music and concept. Jenny sounds like nature when she plays. Ben invokes fog horns and seagull sounds on contra-alto clarinet. And more. And there are three wonderful dancers in addition to Michelle. Tap dancer and choreographer Claudia Rahardjanoto, tap dancer Luke Hickey, and contemporary dancer Maleek Washington, who represents the flow of water. There’s also a video artist, Todd Winkler, who improvises with us, projecting captivating imagery in real time.
The spirit of Rivers is one of celebration and joy, which can come as a surprise in a work with conservation at its core. Can you talk about the choice?
Absolutely. I want to attract people towards the rivers. And I believe powerful messages can be conveyed through positivity and joy. I’m also an entertainer, so in delivering my message, I still want people to be moved and entertained. And I want them to grasp a renewed sense of activism, to feel we are on this beautiful planet together, we are good people, let’s come away from this concert and go do good work. That’s what this music is all about for me. Jazz is about activation, movement, energy, passion, and … let’s go!
Rivers in Our Veins is dedicated, in part, to Pete Seeger. Seeger and other iconic American musicians and environmental activists, including Woody Guthrie and Joan Baez, performed at 92NY in the 1940s, 50s and 60s. How does it feel to be presenting this project on a stage with that history?
I wasn’t aware of that! I’m beyond thrilled to be presenting this piece at 92NY. To perform Rivers at a major New York venue renowned for its presentation of cultural diversity and work that pushes boundaries is so meaningful to me. And now that I know about Pete Seeger, I’m even more excited.
What do you hope the audience takes away from the performance?
I hope people take away a feeling of reconnection. Of falling back in love with their local river and with nature. This show is in NYC – a city surrounded by water, and a city that wouldn’t exist without its rivers. There’s a reason why NYC was founded where it is – it’s a grand port. I hope they’re moved by the work. The music is beautiful, accessible, and melody driven. I want people to leave humming the melodies and to head directly to the Hudson!
Allison Miller’s Rivers in Our Veins with special guest Michelle Dorrance, co-presented by Tisch Music and Harkness Dance Center – Sun, Feb 2, 3 PM. Tickets and details here.