Reviews

Biscuit Miller: “Blues With A Smile’ – BlueBass Entertainment
Yeh this baby is titled correctly, ‘Blues With A Smile‘. If any of you have seen Biscuit perform you know thats what it is all about. I had some doubts whether or not that ‘energy’ or ‘smile factor’ would translate to a cold oil based product like a CD, that’s difficult to do and often dooms many an otherwise decent release. Well, have no fear this baby had us dancing in the car (oh yeh we made it thru the check points OK). Come on now, with songs such as ‘Belly Up Some Blues’, ‘Sleeping in the Dog House‘, and, personal favorite, ‘Butter My Biscuits‘ this release…

 

 
Biscuit Miller: “Blues With A Smile’ – CD Review Blues Blast Magazine
Dave “Biscuit” Miller is a bass player and singer originally from Chicago, now living in Indianapolis. He spent ten years with Lonnie Brooks and also worked with Anthony Gomes before setting out on his own. I believe that this is his second solo CD and this one is all his own work as he wrote all the tunes and produced the album.
Biscuit’s touring band is called The Mix and there is a real mix of material here. I had expected a lot of funk and there is some here, but the CD is far more varied than that label might suggest. Biscuit has also drawn on friends from the blues world to assist, so we have performances from a wide variety of guests, including Billy Branch on harp, Ronnie Baker Brooks and Shawn Kellerman on guitar and Andrew “Blaze” Thomas on drums. The regular ‘Mix’ is Kyle Bledsoe on guitar, Bobby Wilson, also on guitar, Deryl Coutts on keyboards and Dr Love on drums.
The CD opens with “Belly Up Some Blues” which features….

 

 

“The group’s newest cd, aptly titled Blues With A Smile, will put a smile on folks face and a spring in their dance steps.  Biscuit is a flamboyant bass player who fronts his own high energy, entertaining funky party band that’ll rival any stage show the club has seen.  The band hails from Chicago where Biscuit spent 10 years as the bassist for the legendary Lonnie Brooks.  He later toured and recorded with Anthony Gomes for five years before heading back out on his own.  The band combines blues, funk, R&B and rock ‘n roll for a HIGH energy show, layin’ down serious dancin’ and partyin’ tunes.  The charismatic Biscuit is joined by Kyle Bledsoe on guitar; Myron ” Doctor Love” Robinson on drums, Bobby ” Bobby B” Wilson on guitar.  These guys know how to put on a show.  Guaranteed to be a great time.  Ain’t nuttin’ but a party with Biscuit leading the way with some mighty fine musicians keepin’ folks on the dance floor.  Attitude on and off the stage!  If you have never seen Biscuit at the BBC with the Mix or Anthony Gomes, you know he puts on a show to behold”
– Gary Anton
– Bradford Blue Club
 

 
Biscuit Miller: Blues With a Smile – (Blue-bass 10; 52:49 ★★★1/2)
Indianapolis singer-bassist Miller, a practicing optimist who worked a long time with Chicago guitarist Lonnie Brooks, projects overtones of blues, funk and soul that lend unstudied conviction to a program of a dozen original tunes. He’s a real crowd-pleaser, quick with sensual come-ons, as on the metaphor-feast “Butter My Biscuits” and the dreamy, tender-hearted “Blow A Kiss.” His deepest plunge into hard-core, non-smiling blues is “Never Seen It Coming,” where his vocal is equaled in force and poignancy by the electric guitar of Bobby Wilson. Joined by a choir, Miller stomps his way to gospel ecstasy in “Sing For The People.” He should make a full album of exciting worship music.

– Down Beat Magazine
– June 2011