Sam Miltich to Perform Legends on Lomond Concert Series August 12 at 4:00 pm

Rain or Shine

Feel free to bring your own lawn chair - some folding chairs provided.

Sam Miltich is a self-taught jazz guitarist born and raised in the woods of northern Minnesota. Sam burst on the scene in his teens as a young lion of gypsy jazz, joining Paul Mehling's Hot Club of San Francisco and touring internationally with the world-renowned Robin Nolan Trio. Sam's fluid and instinctive sound has graced hundreds of stages, from small town bars on the Iron Range to Lincoln Center.

In addition to fronting his own band, the Clearwater Hot Club, Sam records and performs extensively with Minneapolis-based jazz singers, Connie Evingson and Charmin Michelle; legendary Twin Cities saxophonist Dave Karr; and Dutch swing violin maestro, Tim Kliphuis. Sam has also collaborated with mandolin virtuoso Peter Ostroushko and classical guitarist Joan Griffith. In 2010, he received a grant to study intensively with Belgian guitar icon Fapy Lafertin and has since then received many more regional and federal arts grants to further his musical development and creative projects. In addition to gypsy swing and traditional jazz Sam's musical interests include Brazilian choro, French musette, Eastern European tamburitza, and other forms of traditional folk music.

By choice, Sam lives in northern Minnesota, performing at a very high level while maintaining life in a working class, small-town setting. Sam is committed to bringing world-class jazz to a part of the country where live jazz performances are otherwise quite rare. In addition to a busy touring schedule, Sam also hosts a weekly Jazz at the VFW night in his home town of Grand Rapids, MN where audiences can expect to see frequent cameo appearances by well-known musicians from the Twin Cities and beyond. He also organizes the Itasca Orchestra String Program Summer Jazz Camp which teaches young classically-trained musicians how to improvise.

Sam has also been featured on National Public Radio's "Weekend Edition," and performed for Garrison Keillor's A Prairie Home Companion. He also hosted his own radio program "Sam and Friends" which showcased a year of interviews with renown Minnesota jazz musicians for KAXE radio. "

Honors and Awards

• 2014 Minnesota State Arts Board Artists Initiative Grant: Live at VFW CD

• 2010-2011 Arrowhead Regional Arts Council Fellowship: Big Dipper CD and Promotional Materials

• 2010 Performed at Lincoln Center in NYC for the Django Reinhardt All-Star Tour

• 2010 Minnesota State Arts Board Artists Initiative Grant: Gypsy Jazz Study in Europe with Belgian guitarist, Fapy Lafertin

• 2008-2009 Arrowhead Regional Arts Council Fellowship: Darn That Dream CD with Saxophonist, Dave Karr

• 2007 Dudley Hill Award

This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota, through a grant from the Region 2 Arts Council, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.