Crafty, Charismatic Chamber Jazz of Allison Miller’s Boom Tic Boom

New York-based drummer Allison Miller is also a composer, teacher, and the leader of the band Boom Tic Boom, a group featuring violinist Jenny Scheinman, cornetist Kirk Knuffke, clarinetist Ben Goldberg, bassist Todd Sickafoose and pianist Myra Melford, who celebrate ten years of working together this year.

Miller's experience in leading this specific group of improvising collaborators, along with the openness in her compositions, gives each member of the band space to shine. And shine they do - from the skilled interplay between cornetist Kirk Knuffke and clarinetist Ben Goldberg, dynamic rhythms and exploratory runs from pianist Myra Melford, the way that violinist Jenny Scheinman explores the frisky possibilities of the violin on "Malaga", Todd Sickafoose’s well-chosen melodic low-end, where he is sometimes joined by Goldberg on bass clarinet, along with Miller's own propulsive, playful grooves; there’s a healthy amount of what she calls “organized chaos” as well as cinematic beauty. Allison Miller and Boom Tic Boom join us in-studio to perform tunes from the 2019 release, Glitter Wolf.
- Caryn Havlik

Here's a tune called "Malaga":