Allison Miller, Michelle Dorrance & More Bring 'Rivers In Our Veins' To 92NY

The 92nd Street Y, New York will present acclaimed drummer/composer Allison Miller for a matinee performance of her immersive multimedia work Rivers in Our Veins.

The performance includes as special guest the award-winning dancer Michelle Dorrance and features three additional dancers – Claudia Rahardjanoto, Maleek Washington and Luke Hickey – and live video projections by Todd Winkler. 

Rivers in Our Veins is in 92NY’s Kaufmann Concert Hall on Sunday, February 2 at 3pm and the livestream is available for 72 hours following the initial broadcast. Tickets are available here.

A song cycle embracing the concept of flow and renewal, Rivers in Our Veins is inspired by what writer Rebecca Solnit calls “human geography” – a perspective encompassing indigenous communities who depend on rivers and the vital role waterways play in their survival. Miller celebrates the history and cultural diversity of some of the North America’s great rivers – the Hudson, Potomac, Delaware, Susquehanna and James – and the conservation movement dedicated to reclaiming them from pollution. This innovative, vibrant Americana work combines original jazz with percussive tap, modern dance, and video projections in a unique arts experience.

About Allison Miller

NYC-based drummer/composer/teacher Allison Miller engages her deep roots in improvisation as a vehicle to explore all music. Described by Paste magazine as a “Modern Jazz Icon in the Making,” Miller has released 17 albums as a leader/co-leader and has collaborated with artists such as Myra Melford, Derrick Hodge, the Oakland Symphony, American Ballet Theater, Michelle Dorrance, the One O’Clock Lab Band, Toshi Reagon, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Jenny Scheinman, Artemis, Ben Allison, Ingrid Jensen, Todd Sickafoose, Brandi Carlile, Indigo Girls, 8G Band - Late Night with Seth Meyers, Marty Ehrlich, Camille A. Brown, Natalie Merchant, and Ani DiFranco. Her most recent release, Rivers in Our Veins (2023), is an immersive multi-media conservation song cycle, featuring original music, tap dance, contemporary dance, and live video projections. Rivers in Our Veins has received critical acclaim, winning Chamber Music America’s Interdisciplinary Collaboration of the Year Award, NPR’s 50 Best Albums of 2023, and NPR’s 10 Best Jazz Albums of 2023. Miller has also released five albums with her longtime band, Boom Tic Boom. Named Jazz Journalist Association’s Small Ensemble of the Year, the band has toured extensively throughout the US and Europe as well as being featured on such programs as NPR’s Fresh Air with Terry Gross, Tiny Desk with Bob Boilen, WNYC’s Soundcheck and New Sounds with John Schaefer, and Jazz Night in America with Christian McBride.

Two of Miller’s most notable co-led projects include Blue Note recording supergroup, Artemis, and Lux Quartet with Myra Melford, Scott Colley and Dayna Stephens. Artemis was recently named Jazz Group of the Year in Downbeat magazine’s 88th and 89th Annual Reader’s Poll. Miller teaches at the Peabody Institute at Johns Hopkins, The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music, NYO Carnegie Hall, and is the Artistic Director of Jazz Camp West. She endorses Yamaha drums, Zildjian cymbals, Vic Firth sticks, and Evans drumheads.

Band:

Allison Miller -drums and composition
Jenny Scheinman - violin
Carmen Staaf - piano
Jason Palmer - trumpet
Ben Goldberg - Bb clarinet and contra-alto clarinet
Rashaan Carter - bass

Dancers:

Special guest - Michelle Dorrance - tap dance
Claudia Rahardjanoto - tap dance
Maleek Washington - contemporary dance
Luke Hickey - tap dance

Live video projections: 

Todd Winkler