Mike Miller: Bio

Mike Miller - Leader

Mike fell in love with the tenor sax in middle school and has been playing it ever since. He toured the Northeast in the 19th Army Band with such luminaries as Grover Washington, Jr and Billy Cobham. At that time he studied in NYC with jazz great Joe Henderson.
Mike considers it great good fortune to have worked with such legendary local groups as Junior and The Classics, The Esquires, and Vic Pitts and The Cheaters.
From there Mike traveled on the road with many groups including Jackie Wilson. While performing with Motown recording artist Chuck Jackson, he played shows with Gladys Knight, David Ruffin and Dianna Ross and The Supremes.
Mike's travels have taken him to Germany, Paris, India, Miami Beach, and Myrtle Beach where he met and became friends with soon to be stellar bass player Steve Bailey.
Along the way he added flute, clarinet and all the other saxophones to the list of instruments for performing and teaching.
Presently, besides playing with the super talented people in The Mike Miller Group he teaches privately and at Milwaukee Public Schools.

Joel Freisinger - Piano, singer, bass player

Joel is originally from La Crosse,WI. He started piano lessons at age four. In high school he played drums with many bands which contributed greatly to his rare ability of playing piano and the bass part of a song silmultaniously with unerring rhythm.
Joel's preformances have carried him all over the world including USO tours in Vietnam and other Asian countries, Canada and the Midwest.
He studied at Viterbo College in La Crosse and Berklee School of Music in Boston. Also, he studied arranging with Hal Crook.(the Tonight Show arranger)
Before moving back to Wisconsin Joel called San Diego home where he performed extensively with a variety of orchestras and bands.
Now back in Milwaukee for twelve years Joel is much in demand with numerous bands including The Mike Miller Band.