Year: 2021
Time: 25:30
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 58,5 MB
Art: Front
(4:33) 1. Blue Isn't Blue Anymore
(3:55) 2. Go Fly Away
(4:08) 3. Reach Out To Me
(4:12) 4. Infinite Love
(3:56) 5. Hold Fast
(4:43) 6. Dip My Toe in the Waters
Winner of the Houston Press Music Awards, Best Female Vocalist and Best Songwriter, Mills was also nominated for Best Pop Artist, Best Jazz, and Musician of the Year. She was among the 2013 Houston Press Rocks of 100 - Houston’s Most Distinguished Artists and a 2012 Houston Arts Alliance for Established Individual Artists Grant Recipient. Mills wrote the soundtrack for the Gold REMI award-winning documentary film Collector’s Waltz. A member of the Recording Academy, Mills has been recognized for Grammy nomination consideration in several categories.
In addition to many New York City appearances at the Metropolitan Room, Duplex and Zinc Bar, Kristine played sold-out shows as a guest vocalist with the Duke Ellington Orchestra and as a headliner for the Brazilian International Jazz Festival tour in Sao Paolo, Recife, Rio, and Belo Horizonte. She also performed at New Orleans's Snug Harbor, The Miami Music Festival, Houston's Cezanne’s and House of Blues. Mills was Artist-In-Residence at Hotel ZaZa Houston, and Music Director and featured performer at Giorgio's Hotel Granduca Houston. She now includes Pizza Express, Piano Smithfield in London as well as Bert's Jazz Bar at the Merchant Hotel, Belfast among her regular venues.
Since her move to London in the summer of 2021, Kristine has had the pleasure of working with acclaimed pianist, writer and producer Janette Mason in performances along with other fabulous musicians, Darren Beckett, Tom Mason, Simon Little, Sophie Alloway to name a few.
"I just love London!" said Kristine Mills. "I’m enjoying performing and collaborating with a new coterie of London-based jazz and world music musicians for a fresh perspective. The city and its musicians are inspiring."
Mills is known in Houston as being a constant and persistent voice in the jazz scene. With her latest album project, a key moment in her three-decade-long career, she received critical acclaim and media support back. She premiered the single “Hold Fast” with Houston CityBook (see here for the premiere) and celebrated with a sold-out show at Warehouse 72.
"Both songs hold true to the infectiously jazzy sound that has propelled Mills into headliner gigs at events like the Brazilian International Jazz Festival and allowed her to play sold-out shows in theaters and performing arts centers around the world from Houston to Sao Paolo," said Houston CityBook.
She followed up with two EP release concerts, in Austin, Texas at Parker Jazz Club with the critically-acclaimed house band, led by Kris Kimura, and back to Houston at Warehouse 72 with a band led by Chad Wesselkamper.
The new album, as well as her other releases, are available on Spotify, Apple Music and all streaming platforms.
“Looking Back. Moving Forward." EP is the retrospective of my songwriting career,” expressed Kristine Mills. “It encompasses songs written at different times in my life, but they share universal truths about love, life, and death that we all can relate to. Many of the songs are collaborations with other artists which then pull from their experiences to enrich the writing and feelings found in the songs.”
This album was different for Kristine, as she pulled from previously unreleased recordings. Songs on “Looking Back. Moving Forward.” were conceived in pairs from various “sessions” recorded in 2008 to the present. The first set of songs, “The HOUSTON Sessions,” was co-produced by Gabriel Santiago, recorded in Houston then mixed and mastered in Brazil. Kristine’s first two singles are a contrast in love - “Hold Fast” was written in honor of her new husband, whereas “Dip My Toe In The Water” was written amidst the ending of a long marriage. Additional "sessions" recorded in New York and Austin included many well-known musicians such as GRAMMY-nominated American songwriter Jeff Franzel, prolific writer and producer Askold Buk, Sade's touring drummer, Steve Williams, Dave Byrne's tour bassist Paul Frasier, cellist Dave Eggar and Austin-based writer/producer David Rice.
Raul da Gama with World Music Reports says, “Kristine Mills’ talent for songwriting goes well beyond that realm. She is a fine writer of The Song, an even better writer of The Ballad and best of all she writes a compelling narrative. In short, Mills may be considered a complete musician." https://www.kristinemillsmusic.com/bio
In addition to many New York City appearances at the Metropolitan Room, Duplex and Zinc Bar, Kristine played sold-out shows as a guest vocalist with the Duke Ellington Orchestra and as a headliner for the Brazilian International Jazz Festival tour in Sao Paolo, Recife, Rio, and Belo Horizonte. She also performed at New Orleans's Snug Harbor, The Miami Music Festival, Houston's Cezanne’s and House of Blues. Mills was Artist-In-Residence at Hotel ZaZa Houston, and Music Director and featured performer at Giorgio's Hotel Granduca Houston. She now includes Pizza Express, Piano Smithfield in London as well as Bert's Jazz Bar at the Merchant Hotel, Belfast among her regular venues.
Since her move to London in the summer of 2021, Kristine has had the pleasure of working with acclaimed pianist, writer and producer Janette Mason in performances along with other fabulous musicians, Darren Beckett, Tom Mason, Simon Little, Sophie Alloway to name a few.
"I just love London!" said Kristine Mills. "I’m enjoying performing and collaborating with a new coterie of London-based jazz and world music musicians for a fresh perspective. The city and its musicians are inspiring."
Mills is known in Houston as being a constant and persistent voice in the jazz scene. With her latest album project, a key moment in her three-decade-long career, she received critical acclaim and media support back. She premiered the single “Hold Fast” with Houston CityBook (see here for the premiere) and celebrated with a sold-out show at Warehouse 72.
"Both songs hold true to the infectiously jazzy sound that has propelled Mills into headliner gigs at events like the Brazilian International Jazz Festival and allowed her to play sold-out shows in theaters and performing arts centers around the world from Houston to Sao Paolo," said Houston CityBook.
She followed up with two EP release concerts, in Austin, Texas at Parker Jazz Club with the critically-acclaimed house band, led by Kris Kimura, and back to Houston at Warehouse 72 with a band led by Chad Wesselkamper.
The new album, as well as her other releases, are available on Spotify, Apple Music and all streaming platforms.
“Looking Back. Moving Forward." EP is the retrospective of my songwriting career,” expressed Kristine Mills. “It encompasses songs written at different times in my life, but they share universal truths about love, life, and death that we all can relate to. Many of the songs are collaborations with other artists which then pull from their experiences to enrich the writing and feelings found in the songs.”
This album was different for Kristine, as she pulled from previously unreleased recordings. Songs on “Looking Back. Moving Forward.” were conceived in pairs from various “sessions” recorded in 2008 to the present. The first set of songs, “The HOUSTON Sessions,” was co-produced by Gabriel Santiago, recorded in Houston then mixed and mastered in Brazil. Kristine’s first two singles are a contrast in love - “Hold Fast” was written in honor of her new husband, whereas “Dip My Toe In The Water” was written amidst the ending of a long marriage. Additional "sessions" recorded in New York and Austin included many well-known musicians such as GRAMMY-nominated American songwriter Jeff Franzel, prolific writer and producer Askold Buk, Sade's touring drummer, Steve Williams, Dave Byrne's tour bassist Paul Frasier, cellist Dave Eggar and Austin-based writer/producer David Rice.
Raul da Gama with World Music Reports says, “Kristine Mills’ talent for songwriting goes well beyond that realm. She is a fine writer of The Song, an even better writer of The Ballad and best of all she writes a compelling narrative. In short, Mills may be considered a complete musician." https://www.kristinemillsmusic.com/bio
Looking Back. Moving Forward.
