I now have a fully-GDPR-compliant mailing list and to celebrate, I will be holding a prize draw for anyone that signs up before Sunday! There are five copies of my debut CD to be won - and if you already have a copy, I can substitute a later release for this - there'll be an album in September and another one for my quartet, hopefully next year, or the following at the latest. I would love to keep you informed about these, and other exciting gigs and touring - including the London Jazz Festival this year, Royal Festival Hall foyer, and touring in Denmark, Switzerland, Malta and the UK. Here is the sign-up link: https://www.tommillar.com/#contact
Really looking forward to continuing the tour, which has been going fantastically so far. I'm just about to drive from London to Leeds and I'm particularly excited about the launch gig at Pizza Express Jazz Club, Soho on Wednesday!
I'm extremely happy that my debut album under my own name, Unnatural Events with my band Tom Millar Quartet, has been sent to the factory, both as CD and Vinyl record. You can preorder from the link above (Listen/Buy). Special thanks to Catia Lanfranchi (catialanfranchi.com) for the beautiful cover artwork! The album launch gig is on September 20th at Pizza Express Jazz Club, Soho, London and we are touring the UK and later, Europe.
I'm looking forward to my first London gig this year, the launch of drummer and composer Ollie Howell's second album, Self-Identity, which will be on Friday, April 7th at Rich Mix. I'm taking the place of Matt Robinson, who recorded the album. I played this music for six out of the twelve weeks of Ollie's residency in Dubai and Quincy Jones' Q's Bar at the Palazzo Versace, between November '16 and January '17. I'm also really happy to be catching up with the other band members: Henry Spencer, Ant Law, Max Luthert and Duncan Eagles.
I'm delighted to announce that my debut album, Unnatural Events, will be appearing on Spark! Label in September 2017. I recorded it with my quartet at Giant Wafer studio in Wales, with singer Alice Zawadzki guesting on two tracks. I'm currently spending a lot of time booking the release tour and have commissioned an artist to make the artwork and posters, as well as booking in the pressing (CD and vinyl!) You can listen to the first track above (scroll up to 'Listen') or here on Soundcloud.
On Friday I'm playing at the Jazzwerkstatt Bern, on the occasion of the festival's ten-year anniversary, with a brand-new project: Lisa Hoppe's Ambush. Lisa is a fantastic bass player and composer and we're playing a concert of her music, especially written for the occasion. The band is made up of Lisa (Germany) on bass, myself on piano, Phelan Burgoyne (also from England) on drums, Yumi Ito (Switzerland/Poland/Japan) vocals and Yehonathan Cohen (Israel/USA) on sax. Click on jazzwerkstatt.ch for more info!
This month I'm spending a lot of time in one of the most beautiful Swiss cities, Lucerne, playing a solo piano gig most nights, in the bar of the Hotel Schweizerhof. I had already been here before, almost a year ago, rehearsing for the Philipp Fankhauser/Margie Evans Unplugged Tour. There's a lovely Yamaha grand piano and the surroundings are quite inspiring - Richard Wagner finished composing Tristan and Isolde here in 1859. The food's pretty great too! I'm also really looking forward to playing at the Jazzwerkstatt in Bern with Lisa Hoppe's Ambush, on which more later.
NEW WEBSITE!
I arrived back in Europe a week ago, after a very enjoyable six weeks over Christmas, playing in Dubai with Ollie Howell's quartet at Quincy Jones' first ever jazz club: Q's bar at the Palazzo Versace, including two launch nights in front of the man himself, as part of a double bill with phenomenal Swedish band Dirty Loops. I now have a new website to keep you informed about upcoming projects for 2017 and beyond.
Saturday April 17th, 2021
Way out West Jazz Collective with Special Guest Henry Lowther and the Julian Costello Quartet.
17th April 2021 at 7.30 pm, London UK.
LIVE Streamed from the Riverhouse Barn Arts Centre, Walton
Following the sad news of our friend Neil's death from cancer towards the end of last year we are presenting an evening of music in his memory at the Riverhouse Barn Arts Centre, Walton on 17th April.
Neil's vision for the concert was to include fun, funky, uplifting music, so expect tunes by Stevie Wonder, Cannonball Adderley and exciting originals.
Way Out West: Tim Whitehead, Tony Woods, Tom Millar, Dave Jones, Gary Willcox with Special Guest Henry Lowther
Julian Costello Quartet: Julian Costello, Patrick Naylor, Dave Jones, Eric Ford.
The concert will be streamed on Facebook. Here is the link:
https://www.facebook.com/RiverhouseBarnArtsCentre/live_videos/
Please feel free to share the link and details of this event particularly with any friends of Neil’s who you think might like to share this special evening with us.
If you would like to donate to the St Raphael's Charity that supported Neil in his final days here is the link:
https://www.straphaels.org.uk/donate/donate/10/credit-card
Please fill in the comments field when making your donation in-memory of Neil.
We look forward to hearing from you all on Facebook Chat on the 17th of April at 7:30pm!
Past Concerts 2020:
January 10th - Ilja, Lichtspielhaus Gloria, Immendingen, Germany
January 11th - Ilja, Luke, Ludwigsburg, Germany
January 13th - Ilja, Schön Schön, Mainz, Germany
January 14th - Ilja, Jazz Ohne Stress, Freiburg, Germany
January 15th - Ilja, Zollyfon, Zollikofen, Bern, Switzerland
January 16th - Ilja, Bird’s Eye, Basel, Switzerland
January 18th - 20th - Ilja Album recording, Powerplay Studio, Switzerland
January 27th - Lunchtime Concert with Tim Whitehead and Miriam Ast, St. Thomas’s Hospital, London, UK
February 29th - Brasserie Zedel, Picadilly, London, UK
March 4th - Tom Millar Solo, St. Mary’s Church, Perivale, London, UK
March 6th - Way Out West, Horace Silver/Blue Note Tribute, Cafe POSK, London, UK
March 15th - Jam Session, the Half Moon, Herne Hill, London, UK
July 15th - Duo livestream with Alex Hitchcock, saxophone: Clock Tower, Kings Cross, London UK
November 13th - The Songs of Stevie Wonder with Way Out West, EFG London jazz festival Livestream
PAST CONCERTS 2019:
January 17th - duo with Sonia Maclean, Hotel Bosco, Surbiton, London, UK
January 25th - duo with Sonia Maclean, Thames Ditton, UK
January 27th - Scott Willcox Group, Walton-on-Thames, UK
February 8th - Tom Millar Quartet, All Saints Church, Fulham, London, UK
February 10th - Way Out West, Barnes’ Home Guard Association, East Sheen, London, UK
February 20th - Tom Millar Quartet, Bull’s Head, Barnes, London, UK
March 1st - Ilja, Gerbestock Kerzers, Switzerland
March 2nd - Ilja, House Concert, Steffisburg, Switzerland
April 5th - Trio with Sonia Maclean, Epsom, UK
May 3rd - Trio with Sonia Maclean, Epsom, UK
May 15th - Tom Millar Quartet, St. Bart’s Pathology Museum, London, UK (1pm)
May 17th - Tom Millar Quartet, Corn Exchange, Newbury, UK
May 26th - Tom Millar Quartet, Apollo Theatre, Newport, Isle of Wight, UK
June 7th - Ilja, Schützenmatte, Bern, Switzerland
June 8th - Ilja, Pasinger Fabrik, Munich, Germany
June 10th - Ilja, KOHI, Karlsruhe, Germany
June 11th - Ilja, Jazz ohne Stress, Freiburg am Breisgau, Germany
June 12th - Ilja, Palisanto, Lucerne, Switzerland
June 13th - Ilja, Farel Bistro, Biel/Bienne, Switzerland
July 23rd - Tom Millar Solo, the Wallace Collection, London, UK
November 16th - LONDON JAZZ FESTIVAL, Way Out West at Cafe POSK, Hammersmith, London, UK
November 17th - LONDON JAZZ FESTIVAL, London Jazz Orchestra, Vortex, London, UK
November 26th - Andrew Linham Big Band, Queen’s Theatre, Hornchurch, UK
November 28th - Paul Riley, the Ned, London, UK
November 30th - Black Cat Cabaret, Brasserie Zédel, London, UK
December 7th - Andrew Linham Christmas Extravaganza, Vortex, London, UK
December 14th - Black Cat Cabaret, Brasserie Zédel, London, UK
December 18th - Way Out West, Bull’s Head, London, UK
December 31st - Tom Millar Swiss Trio, Hotel Alexander, Weggis, Switzerland
PAST CONCERTS 2018:
January 2nd-3rd - 21st Century Orchestra, KKL Lucerne, Switzerland
January 12th - Tom Millar, Dave Jones, Duncan Eagles, Dave Storey @ Cafe POSK, Hammersmith, London
January 16th-31st - Tom Millar Solo, Hotel Montana, Lucerne, Switzerland
February 9th - Lauren Bush, Hampstead Jazz Lounge, London
February 23rd - Ilja, Chäsi Gysenstein, Konolfingen, Switzerland
February 25th - Hauskonzert, Eglisau, Zurich, Switzerland
February 26th-28th - Ilja album recording, Hardstudios, Winterthur, Switzerland
March 4th - Andrew Linham Big Band, Peterborough Jazz Club, UK
March 8th - Henry Spencer's Juncture, Sherborne, Dorset, UK
March 13th - Tom Millar Soho, Cecil Court, Kew, London, UK
March 19th - Ollie Howell Quartet, 606 Club, Chelsea, London, UK
March 23rd - Tom Millar Quartet, Riverhouse Barn, Walton-on-Thames, UK
March 30th - Way Out West, Clock House, Teddington, London, UK
April 5th - University College Hospital, Tom Millar Solo, London, UK
April 6th - Wobbly Rail Five, Café POSK, Hammersmith, London, UK
April 18th - Andrew Linham Quartet, Forest Gate, London, UK
April 22nd - Tim Whitehead Duo, Rincon, Richmond, UK
May 8th - Mornington Lockett Duo, The Troubadour, London, UK
May 9th - Dave Jones/Tom Millar Sextet, Bull's Head, London, UK
May 11th - Andrew Linham Quartet, London, UK
May 15th - Mornington Lockett Duo, The Troubadour, London, UK
May 17th - Tom Millar Solo, UCH, London, UK
May 17th - Dave Jones/Tom Millar Sextet, Ram Jam, Kingston, UK
May 25th - Way Out West, the Clock House, Teddington, UK
June 7th - Tom Millar Solo, Moorfield's Eye Hospital, London, UK
June 14th - Tim Whitehead Duo, The Mount, Sussex, UK
June 19th - Mornington Lockett Duo, The Troubadour, London, UK
June 20th - Way Out West Presents the Music of Sonny Rollins, Bull's Head, London, UK
June 29th - Way Out West, The Clock House, Teddington, UK
July 5th - Way Out West Allstars, Ram Jam Club, Kingston, UK
July 18th - Tom Millar Quartet, Bull's Head, London, UK
July 22nd - Way Out West, The Clock House, Teddington, UK
August 22nd - Way Out West, Bull's Head, London, UK
August 24th - Black Cat Cabaret, Underbelly, London, UK
August 29th - Andrew Linham Big Band, London, UK
September 6th - Ilja, Jazzclub Aarau, Switzerland
September 11th - Duo with Mornington Lockett, Troubadour, London, UK
September 12th - Dave Jones/Tom Millar Sextet, Bull’s Head, Barnes, London, UK
September 13th - duo with Sonia Maclean, Hotel Bosco, Surbiton, London, UK
September 15th - Ilja, House Concert, Copenhagen, Denmark
September 17th - Ilja, Mandagsklubben, Copenhagen, Denmark
September 18th - Ilja, Vortex Jazz Club, London, UK
September 19th - Black Cat Cabaret, Underbelly, London, UK
September 20th - Ilja, Ram Jam Records, Kingston, London, UK
September 21st - 23rd, 25th - 30th - Black Cat Cabaret, Underbelly, London, UK
October 4th - duo with Darren McCarthy, Brasserie Blanc, Battersea, London, UK
October 10th - Henry Spencer's Juncture, Spice of Life, London, UK
October 11th - duo with Sonia Maclean, Hotel Bosco, Surbiton, London, UK
October 13th - Black Cat Cabaret, Crazy Coqs @ Brasserie Zedel, London, UK
October 20th - Black Cat Cabaret, Crazy Coqs @ Brasserie Zedel, London, UK
October 25th - Jam Opener @ the Fox, Twickenham, UK
October 26th - the Lyric Ensemble @ the Clockhouse, Twickenham, UK
November 5th - Ilja, Villa Irniger, Zurich, Switzerland
November 6th - Ilja, Lokal, Biel/Bienne, Switzerland
November 8th - Ilja, Mokka, Thun, Switzerland
November 12th - Ilja, Lokal, Basel, Switzerland
November 13th - Ilja, Radio Espace2, Lausanne, Switzerland
November 13th - Ilja, Duke's Bar, Lausanne, Switzerland
November 14th - Ilja, Esse, Wintherthur, Switzerland
November 15th - Ilja album launch, BeJazz, Berne, Switzerland
November 16th - Tom Millar Solo, Las Pampas Festival, Eglisau, Switzerland
November 18th - with Chris Biscoe, the Oval Tavern, Croydon, UK
November 21st - LONDON JAZZ FESTIVAL, Way Out West, Bull's Head, London, UK
November 22nd - LONDON JAZZ FESTIVAL, Tom Millar/Dave Jones Sextet, Ram Jam Club, Kingston, UK
November 25th - LONDON JAZZ FESTIVAL, Tom Millar Quartet, Ram Jam Club, Kingston, UK
November 28th - Scott Willcox Ensemble Album Launch, Bull’s Head, Barnes, UK
November 30th - Tom Millar Quartet, Royal Festival Hall Foyer, London, UK
December 2nd - Sonia Maclean Duo, Rincon, Richmond, London, UK
December 6th - Tom Millar Solo, UCH Foyer, London, UK
December 9th - Way Out West, Barnes Home Guards Club, London, UK
December 16th - Andrew Linham Big Band, Vortex Jazz Club, London, UK
December 19th - Tom Millar Solo, Moorfield’s Eye Hospital, London, UK
December 19th - Way Out West Christmas Celebration, Bull’s Head, Barnes, UK
December 21st - Hattie Whitehead Band, German Kraft Beer, London, UK
December 31st - Tom Millar Swiss Trio, Hotel Alexander, Weggis, Switzerland
PAST CONCERTS 2017:
Nov 28th 2016 - Jan 6th 2017: Ollie Howell Quartet, Opening Quincy Jones' Q’s Bar, Palazzo Versace, Dubai, UAE
January 12th - Jam Session Opener, Louis Bar, Hotel Montana, Lucerne, Switzerland
January 19th - Jam Session Opener, Louis Bar, Hotel Montana, Lucerne, Switzerland
January 26th - Jam Session Opener, Louis Bar, Hotel Montana, Lucerne, Switzerland
January 31st - Jam Session Opener, Cinqième Etage, Bern, Switzerland
February 3rd-6th - Solo Piano at the Schweizerhof, Lucerne, Switzerland
February 11th-18th - Solo Piano at the Schweizerhof, Lucerne, Switzerland
February 20th-21st - Solo Piano at the Schweizerhof, Lucerne, Switzerland
February 24th - Lisa Hoppe’s Ambush, Jazzwerkstatt Bern @ PROGR, Switzerland
March 7th - Jam Session Opener, Mehrspur, Zurich, Switzerland
March 9th - Jam Session Opener, Louis Bar, Hotel Montana, Lucerne, Switzerland
March 30th - Jam Session Opener, Louis Bar, Hotel Montana, Lucerne, Switzerland
April 7th - Ollie Howell Quartet album launch, Rich Mix, London, UK
May 2nd - Ilja, Podium Basel, Switzerland
May 4th - Ilja, Lebewohlfabrik, Zurich, Switzerland
May 6th - Ilja, Bärechäller, Aarburg, Switzerland
May 11th - João Carvalho, HKB Auditorium, Bern, Switzerland
May 13th - Henry Spencer's Juncture, Calstock Arts, Cornwall, UK
May 14th - Henry Spencer's Juncture, Ashburton Live, Newton Abbott, UK
May 18th - Jam Session Opener, Louis Bar, Hotel Montana, Lucerne, Switzerland
May 24th - Ilja, Pyramidstage Bern, Switzerland
June 10th - Andrew Linham Jazz Orchestra, St. Luke's Church, Upminster, London, UK
June 18th - Tom Millar Quartet, the Pumphouse, Aldeburgh Festival, UK
June 23rd - Michael Wyss Big Band - private concert, Lenzburg Castle, Switzerland
June 28th - Lukas Thoeni and Trigger Big Band - Alte Fabrik, Rapperswil-Jona, Switzerland
July 1st - Philipp Fankhauser, HOG Main Stage, Lugano, Switzerland
July 16th - Hauskonzert, Eglisau, Zurich, Switzerland
July 23rd - Tim Whitehead and Alice Zawadzki, Rincon, Richmond (London), UK
August 10th - Jam Session Opener, Louis Bar, Hotel Montana, Lucerne, Switzerland
August 17th - Tom Millar Solo, Live Music Now, UCH, London, UK
August 25th - Wattwil Big Band featuring Goran Kovacevic, Lokremise, St.Gallen, Switzerland
August 26th - Wattwil Big Band featuring Goran Kovacevic, Stadtsaal Kreuz, Jona, Switzerland
August 27th - Wattwil Big Band featuring Goran Kovacevic, Thurpark, Wattwil, Switzerland
September 6th - Tom Millar Solo, Live Music Now, Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, UK
September 7th - Tom Millar Quartet, Matt and Phred's, Manchester, UK
September 8th - Tom Millar Quartet, Cafe Lento, Leeds, UK
September 10th - Tom Millar Quartet, The Lighthouse, Deal, UK
September 12th - Lisa Hoppe's Ambush, HKB Auditorium, Bern, Switzerland
September 14th - Lisa Hoppe's Ambush, Milchhüsli, Basel, Switzerland
September 15th - Tom Millar Quartet, HKB Auditorium, Bern, Switzerland
September 16th - Lisa Hoppe's Ambush, Wankdorf Festival, Switzerland
September 17th - Tim Whitehead Duo, Rincon, Richmond, UK
September 18th - Tom Millar Quartet, Sproggit's, Leeds, UK
September 19th - Tom Millar Quartet, Basement Jazz Bar, York, UK
September 20th - Unnatural Events album launch party, Pizza Express Jazz Club Soho, London, UK
September 21st - Tom Millar Quartet, Jazz at Future Inns, Bristol, UK
September 22nd - Tom Millar Quartet, Hot Numbers Cafe, Cambridge, UK
September 24th - Tom Millar Quartet, Herts Jazz, UK
September 25th - Jazz FM session with Chris Philips
September 27th - Tom Millar Quartet, Bull's Head, London, UK
September 28th - Tom Millar Quartet, Davenham Players' Theatre, UK
September 29th - Chris von Hoffmann band, Louis Bar, Hotel Montana, Lucerne, Switzerland
October 2nd - Tom Millar Quartet, Kenilworth Jazz Club, UK
October 5th - Tom Millar Quartet, Cafe Jazz, Cardiff, UK
October 6th - Tom Millar Quartet, Burdall's Yard, Bath, UK
October 8th - Sonia McLean, Rincon, Richmond, UK
October 12th - Jam Session Opener, Louis Bar, Hotel Montana, Lucerne, Switzerland
October 15th - Andrew Linham Jazz Orchestra Album Launch, Pizza Express Jazz Club, London, UK
October 16th - Tom Millar Solo, Live Music Now, Stanmore, UK
October 19th - Tom Millar Quartet, Keble College Music Society, Oxford, UK
October 20th - Tom Millar Quartet, Chichester Jazz Club, UK
October 24th - Tom Millar Quartet, Jazz at the Spotted Dog, Birmingham, UK
October 25th - Tom Millar Quartet, Swing Unlimited, Bournemouth, UK
October 26th - Tom Millar Quartet, Ram Jam Club, Kingston-upon-Thames, UK
October 31st - Jam Session Opener, Cinqième Etage, Bern, Switzerland
November 2nd - Jam Session Opener, Louis Bar, Hotel Montana, Lucerne, Switzerland
November 3rd-5th - 21st Century Orchestra, KKL Lucerne, Switzerland
November 9th - Alice Zawadzki duo, Black Opium Coffee, London, UK
November 12th - Tom Millar Solo, Jazz-Matinée, Paul Klee Centre, Bern, Switzerland
November 15th - London Jazz Festival with Tom Millar Quartet, Green Note, London, UK
November 17th-19th - 21st Century Orchestra, Theatre du Beaulieu, Lausanne, Switzerland
November 25th - Perico Sambeat and Trigger Big Band - Rapperswil, Switzerland
November 26th - Perico Sambeat and Trigger Big Band - Cham ZG, Switzerland
November 30th - Jam Session Opener, Louis Bar, Hotel Montana, Lucerne, Switzerland
December 1st-3rd - 21st Century Orchestra, KKL Lucerne, Switzerland
December 7th - Way Out West All Stars, Inventions and Dimensions, Ram Jam Club, Kingston-upon-Thames, UK
December 12th - Jam Session Opener, El Barrio, Lucerne, Switzerland
December 14th - Jam Session Opener, Louis Bar, Hotel Montana, Lucerne, Switzerland
December 21st - Christmas Celebration, Tom Millar Solo, Live Music Now, Moorfield's Eye Hospital, London, UK
December 29th-31st - 21st Century Orchestra, KKL Lucerne, Switzerland
Tom Millar is a London-based jazz pianist, composer and bandleader.
Since his quartet’s debut album release, Unnatural Events, in 2017, he has taken the band on a 20-date UK tour, and received extensive radio play including BBC Radio 3, Jazz FM and London Jazz Radio. He was made a City Music Foundation Artist in 2018, which will support the band’s second album recording in 2019. Previous awards include an ‘Emerging Excellence’ Award from Help Musicians UK, the Jazz Services Recording Support Scheme, Arts Council England funding for the album tour, and a successful Kickstarter campaign.
In 2018 he appeared on Swiss national radio, and toured Denmark, Switzerland and the UK with guitarist Dimitri Howald. Venues where he has performed include the Wigmore Hall, Pizza Express Jazz Club, Vortex, 606 Club, the London Jazz Festival, Jazzwerkstatt Festival Berne, KKL Lucerne, and Paul Klee Centre, Berne. He toured England and Wales with the Lyric Ensemble, performing the music of Michael Garrick; with Ollie Howell’s quintet; with Duncan Eagles’ quartet; and has recorded albums with Dimitri Howald’s Ilja, the Tom Smith Septet and Andrew Linham Big Band. Further afield, he has played in the USA, Europe and Qatar, including a nationwide tour with Swiss blues star Philipp Fankhauser and venerable singer Margie Evans from Shreveport, Louisiana. He played for the opening residency in Quincy Jones’ first ever jazz club, Q’s bar, at the Palazzo Versace, Dubai, during the winter of 2016/17.
Tom previously ran the monthly jam session and gig at the Green Note, Camden, as well as playing a monthly duo concert there with some of his favourite singers. He is also a member of Way Out West musicians’ collective, for which he has created various different projects including a sextet with Gareth Lockrane, Duncan Eagles, Stefanos Tsourelis, Dave Storey and Dave Jones, and a nonet playing his compositions and arrangements with Jim Hart, Tim Whitehead, Tony Woods and Laura Jurd, among others.
After reading Music at King’s College, Cambridge, Tom studied Jazz Piano and Composition for a Masters at the Royal Academy of Music, London, and later with Django Bates in Berne, Switzerland.
Selected press quotes:
"Millar's writing is part of a lineage of polished modernism whose building blocks are to be found in the holy trinity of Herbie, Chick and Bill Evans, but whose additional masonry has pleasing echoes of their scions, namely Pat Metheny and Brian Blade. At its highpoint the performance reaches a poetic, pastoral grace." Kevin Le Gendre, Jazzwise
'beautifully articulated piano lines … Millar's percussive composition 'Rain in Rio' [was] an audience favourite' Jazzwise
'Ambitious young band … exploring sophisticated original material' Time Out, London
'Tom's music is full of strong melodies, quirky rhythmic hooks and unusual forms' Londonjazznews.com
'Finely crafted tunes and thoughtful improvisations' Tim Whitehead
Photo credits: Aga Tomaszek (1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 9), Sabine Burger (8), Pascal Steiger (3), Monika S. Jakubowska (4), Gonyukov (Gvitaly) at Dubai Night (9)
Please contact me at tom [at] tommillar [dot] com
Please add yourself to my mailing list below.