Denver & The Mile High Orchestra

 

 

It may not be the 1930's, but when Denver and the Mile High Orchestra take the stage, the audience is taken back to a time when big band was in full swing! But this is not just a bunch of kids playing garage rock with horns masquerading as a retro band. This is the real deal-well educated and highly skilled musicians filling the bandstand and delivering a massive sound unlike anything previously recorded in the contemporary Christian industry.

As a backing musician on Christafari's studio recordings and their "Valley of Decision" tour, Denver Bierman realized his calling to pioneer another vintage genre. Denver and his Mile High Orchestra were formed at Belmont University in Nashville, TN (former stomping grounds of the likes of Steven Curtis Chapman). Although they began during the resurgence of swing, their multi-genre musical presentation exceeds far beyond a mere passing fad. It is big band music played by a BIG band (12-15 on stage). With a little R&B, a dash of Rockabilly, a touch of Dixieland, and even some Latin influence, this high energy dance band wails syncopated horn lines with complex harmonies and features the essential jazz-rooted element of true improvisation.

A tremendous horn section that can scream notes a mile high leads this compelling jazz orchestra. With trumpet in hand, reminiscent of the great Louis Armstrong, Denver sings unadorned vocals, influenced by vintage crooners such as Harry Connick Jr., Brian Setzer, and Frank Sinatra. His music defies standard age demographics reaching both the old and young alike. For some, Denver's sound is a step into the past while for others, it is an introduction to a new musical dimension.

The Mile High Orchestra band members have collectively played for some of the biggest names in music including: Carmen, Truth, Jaqui Velasquez, Sandi Pattie, Debbie Boone, Chet Atkins, Ron Kenoly, Benny Goodman Tribute Orchestra, Phil Driscol, Lu Lu Roman, Dan Akeroid, Tower of Power, Guy Lombardo, Ralph Carmichael, Ben Peterson, Jonathon Pierce, Wes Montgomery, Greg Long, and Christafari.

If you've listened intently to any television commercials lately, you've heard big band music. This style is growing in popularity and this is the only nationally marketed Christian group performing and recording in the big band style with a distinctly Christian message. Anyone wanting a Christian alternative in this genre will be looking for this group.

Over the past two years, Denver has created quite a buzz in the industry, playing festivals, showcases and conferences. Performances have included the "Best of the Best Showcase" at the legendary Ryman Auditorium, Billy Graham pre-crusade rallies in Nashville, and the Lifeway single's pastors conference (NASAM) in Washington D.C. D&MHO gained worldwide attention playing five shows in Salt Lake City, Utah during the 2002 Winter Olympics, and has already been scheduled to play for the 2004 Summer Olympics in Greece. The band has earned standing ovations and rave reviews for their powerful stage show and profound Christian lyrics.

Formed by a group of friends at Nashville’s Belmont University in 1999, this exceptional group of musicians is comprised of three trumpet players, three saxophone players, two trombone players and a rhythm section. In the five years since their inception, the group has traveled around the globe, performing at churches, conferences, festivals—even at the Olympics—taking their electrifying horn-driven sound to the masses. The big band sound of the 30’s and 40’s had long intrigued Denver, who had played the trumpet for 16 years , so he assembled a group of musicians—friends to reinvent the style for the modern age. “I grew up listening to hip-hop, rock and pop, to all those genres,” says Denver, who is also the group’s lead vocalist and music arranger. “So I wanted to take the best of today and the best of yesterday and mix ‘em up.”

“In an age when new bands come and go with the wind,” bandleader Denver Bierman says, “the only way you can explain that a Christian ‘big band’ is still going strong after five years is that God must be up to something. So our job is just to keep moving forward and make sure He gets all the glory.”

 

 Act The Scat

Act The Scat: Webster's Dictionary defines "Scat" as "Jazz singing with nonsense syllables". To me the title "Act The Scat" is a creative big-band way of asking "Can you walk the talk?" It is crucial in these times of overwhelming Christian hypocrisy that we challenge believers to practice what they preach, and singers to live out what they are singing about. We must be doers of the Word. Why This Record? Christian music is presently starving for something new, fresh, and exciting. My group has all of these components in our big band sound. This record is an outpouring of 2 years of prayers, struggles, and dreams. It combines a timeless sound with honest words from the heart that people of ALL ages can relate to and enjoy... I believe this record is here not just to fulfill a tremendous need in Christian music, but to touch the lives and hearts of people of all ages and backgrounds for Jesus Christ. - Denver Bierman

To hear samples/purchase CD visit here!
 

Other CD's/Products By Denver And The Mile High Orchestra

                                                                                            

To preview/purchase CD visit here!                To purchase Denver's Big Band Charts!                To preview/purchase CD' visit here!
Swing CDGood to Go Album Cover                       

www.denvermho.com

 

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