| Paddy Milner | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Background information | |
| Born | August 20 1980 |
| Origin |  Edinburgh, Scotland |
| Genre(s) | Blues Jazz Classical |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter |
| Instrument(s) | Piano & Vocals |
| Years active | 2001–present |
| Label(s) | Bronze Records |
| Website | www.paddymilner.com |
Paddy Milner (born 20 March 1980, Edinburgh) is a British performer and composer.
Contents |
History
After living for a short while in Scotland, Paddy Milner spent most of his youth in Dorset, England. It was here that he was exposed to music from an early age and learnt to play the piano. Initially studying classically, it was the blues and boogie-woogie that captured his imagination and this provided the base for his musical development through jazz and back to classical music. In the year following his graduation from Kings College with a music degree, Paddy was introduced to Gerry Bron, signed a deal with Bronze Records and recorded the highly original album Walking On Eggshells. This, his second album, was recorded mainly at Gallery Studios with encouragement from the studio's owner and Roxy Music guitarist Phil Manzanera. Taken from the album, the first single "Unsquare Dance" is a riotous and truly original arrangement of Dave Brubeck's classic, and has received accolades all around. Brubeck himself said, "I love it wouldn't change a note". The video to the single "You Think You're So Damn Funny" gained coverage on French and German T.V., helping to propel the album to the No.1 Bestselling Jazz/Blues album in France in May 2005. As well as Paddy's songs and arrangements, the album features five songs co-written with iconic lyricist Pete Brown, most well known for his collaborations with Cream. His most recent album, Based On A True Story, was released in May 2007. The album includes the rarely covered Beatles classic "Hey Bulldog" and a characteristically quirky reworking of the Violent Femmes' "Blister In The Sun."
Style
Paddy Milner's music shows many influences ranging from pop/rock through to jazz, classical and British folk. '21st Century Boogie' shows his attention to blues/boogie-woogie, while 'Based On A True Story' shows much more of an Indie-piano leaning.
Discography
Albums
| Album Cover | Album Information |
|---|---|
 |
21st Century Boogie |
Walking on Eggshells
|
|
| Based on a True Story |
Singles
| Year | Single | Album | UK Singles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | "Unsquare Dance" | Walking on Eggshells | - |
| 2005 | "You Think You're So Damn Funny" | - | |
| 2007 | "Bob (Based on a True Story)" | Based on a True Story | - |
Reviews
- 'Impressive and Original' THE TIMES, London
- 'I love it, wouldn't change a note' Dave Brubeck on Paddy Milner's arrangement of Unsquare Dance
- 'Brilliant songs, stunning musicianship' TimeOut, London
- 'The best blues piano player in Europe' Blues Access, USA
- 'It sounds, in short, like its got the makings of a hugely enjoyable live set' BBC Music [1]
