Biography of Esther Miller

Esther Miller was born and raised in Port Elizabeth, South Africa's east coast motor city, where she sang in church and school choirs and raided the family Nat King Cole albums for early inspiration.
She studied medicine in Cape Town, but gave in to the lure of jazz.
In a wonderfully back-handed compliment, her alma mater, the University of Cape Town, reflected: "Giving up medicine in favour of Jazz was clearly a wise move."
In South Africa she has worked with some excellent players, including saxophonists Winston Mankunku and Ezra Ngkukana, guitarists Johnny Fourie, Errol and Alvin Dyers, Bassist Basil Moses, to name but a few
But now she's settled in the UK. The hospital patients and jazz club regulars of Cape Town are most definitely the losers.
Esther has honed her technique with classical singing lessons and delved into jazz history to take her inspiration from Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday, Shirley Horn and Blossom Dearie as well as the jazz/pop of Frank and Nat.
Esther’s South African performances include numerous Jazz festivals, (The Grahamstown Arts Festival/ Standard Bank Jazzathon/ etc…) concert halls (The PE Opera House/ the Baxter Theatre/…) and jazz clubs (The Green Dolphin in particular).
She now performs in many different settings most recently, appearances at the 1st Lockerbie Jazz Festival, Scotland, in October 2006 as a guest with Jim Mullen and Alan Barnes, the 2006 Swanage Jazz Festival, 2006 Swindon Jazz Festival, 2005 Silda Jazz Festival - Norway, the 2005 Jazz Divas Festival on the Isle of Wight, 2004 Cork Jazz Festival, Ireland, The 2005, 2004, 2002 & 2001 Birmingham International Jazz festivals where she won universal critical acclaim with sell-out performances. Esther is also a regular performer at venues around the UK (Jagz at Ascot, Birmingham Symphony Hall, The Sands at Gainsborough, The Cinnamon Club, etc…)
Festival appearances for 2007 included the Cape Town Jazz Festival with trumpet star, Jeremy Pelt, the Jazz Divas Festival on the Isle of Wight and a sold –out performance at the Cheltenham Jazz festival with her quintet.
Recorded works include her 2002 album “Invitation”– the 1999 album “Say Hello to Esther” and numerous television appearances in SA.
The third album, “Dream Dancing”, was released in June 2006 and features the magnificent Karen Sharp - tenor sax, Mark Nightingale - trombone, Bryan Corbett - trumpet, Gerry Spencer - piano and arranger, Zoltan Dekany - bass, Neil Bullock - drums and Jez Franks - guitar.
Esther has enjoyed two highly successful Jazz Services sponsored tours of the UK in spring 2003 and 2005.