Sammy Miller and the Congregation

Sammy Miller and the Congregation are on a mission, crisscrossing the country like a vaudevillian revival show with evangelical fervor for music. The seven-piece band is pulling people out of their solitary lives and putting them in the moment with a bracing dose of joyful jazz performed with infectious theatricality. Led by Miller, a Juilliard-trained and Grammy-nominated drummer, the Congregation is a community of adventurous and charismatic musicians who are conservatory-trained but haven’t lost their childlike wonder and awe for playing music.

Since the band’s inception, the Congregation has played nonstop all over the world including the Lincoln Center, White House, and Newport Jazz Festival, where the group received a standing ovation. While individual band members have performed and recorded with notable artists like Lady Gaga, Wynton Marsalis, Lizzo, Jason Mraz and Beyoncé, collectively they have chosen to stick together to spread joy and build community.

This performance is part of the Bill Stroecker Jazz Series.