"Open mindedness, hard work and dedication to your craft, gratitude, humility and confidence. It’s all about the hang, and being in the present moment. Taking time to talk with the people you meet. Whether you’re at home practicing, traveling at all hours of the night or on the stage."

Scottie Miller: Words, Notes, and Music

Carnival Cocoon is a debut poetry collection by musician Scottie Miller. His poems are arranged into five, distinct and vibrant chapters that revolve around the human condition. Lyrical, free verse, improvisational and beat styles soar with vivid imagery. Miller's kaleidoscopic and musical perspective fill this collection with wondrous and spontaneous prose. This modern-beat-poet writes about interaction with dreams, nature, the spirit world, his disdain for war, greed and the abuse of power. Other chapters reveal sensuality, love/loss, a risqué sense of humor and autobiographical tales from the musician's life on the road. “Scottie Miller’s latest ‘project’ is a performance art gumbo of original poetry and music breathed life by his creativity. The poetry has the mellifluous lilt of a songwriter/lyricist while imbuing significant substance born of the adroit observations of a witness/commentator on the path of his life. The book and soundtrack will fill a much needed spot in your collection.” —John Hammer (Publisher Blue Monday Monthly and Producer/Host of Hammered By The Blues radio)

(Scottie Miller / Photo by Jim Vasquez)

This ambitious body of work reaches even greater heights, as Miller has set 23 of these poems to music and song on the album version of Carnival Cocoon (2023). The compositions, often completely improvised, are set in blues, jazz, and folk styles. Scottie's classical influences are discovered too, with gorgeous string-quintet arrangements. With the spotlight on Miller's voice and his articulate piano playing, both spoken and sung' word take us where the beat poets gather. As if you're listening in on a discussion of the human condition over a coffee (or whiskey) with Tom Waits and Willie Nelson; where Jack Kerouac reads while Steve Allen plays piano.

Interview by Michael Limnios                    Archive: Scottie Miller, 2017 interview

How has the Beats and music influenced your views of the world and the journeys you’ve taken?

Ginsberg, Kerouac, Ferlinghetti, Robert Duncan; all these great poets give me a sense of relief when I read them. Let’s me know I’m not the only one feeling and thinking in these directions about life and the world around us. Ferlinghetti’s “Little Boy” is inspiring with its giant run-on novel of his life arcing through 100 years of images, experiences, world wars and his perspectives that hide between the lines. This book and his voice affected me greatly.

I’m inspired by poetry when it comes from a place of pain and discontentment over things like disparity, homelessness, addiction, mental illness, inequality, the environment, the government, abuse of power. I’m deeply inspired the lucid, jazz/blues beat poetry of Kerouac/Allen recordings, or Ken Nordine’s brilliant perspective. Light or heavy, the pulse of the world lays in these writer’s hands.

The rhythm and flow in the writing’s of Kerouac, Ferlinghetti, Dylan, or Langston Hughes are steeped in blues, jazz, folk, Americana. They’ve inspired me to go deeper into my writing, and my musical responses changed as I started improvising on piano while reading my poems. Reacting organically to the pieces I was writing, then sculpting those ideas.

What characterize your poetry philosophy? Where does your creative drive come from?

I have often felt I write with a cathartic approach to my music and words. It feels like a place to vent, observe, celebrate or mourn, with true freedom. In music and art there is a relatability miracle that can happen when someone reads or hears something you wrote and identifies with it in some way. The poetry helps me paint a visual perspective and the music stretches that out even more.

My creative drive comes from an overwhelming need to express what I’m feeling and observing, and to release that energy. There’s nothing I can do about it, it’s in my bloodstream and genetic makeup. I think inspiration to express is what drives me in every new creative venture.

"Ginsberg, Kerouac, Ferlinghetti, Robert Duncan; all these great poets give me a sense of relief when I read them. Let’s me know I’m not the only one feeling and thinking in these directions about life and the world around us. Ferlinghetti’s “Little Boy” is inspiring with its giant run-on novel of his life arcing through 100 years of images, experiences, world wars and his perspectives that hide between the lines. This book and his voice affected me greatly." (Scottie Miller / Photo by Jim Vasquez)

Why do you think that the Beat Poetry continues to generate such a devoted following?

Ezra Pound , Malcolm-Jamal Warner or Robert Duncan, the tantalizing freedom of Kerouac, or the humor and wit of Nordine or Ferlinghetti. The new and the old. Listen to a variety of new music: It’s filled with beat, Hip-hop, blues, rap, R&B, jazz, old, new and in between. It’s all fair game and high time to express ourselves in an ever changing world. To speak our truth. To speak out about injustice and what we see out there and how we translate that. Words and the imagery we carry have a huge effect on this world. Inside ourselves and outward. I think people crave expression. Poetry and music are great vehicles for that whether you create or listen.

How did the idea of poetry book and new album come about? If you had a question you would like to ask Waits & Kerouac what would it be?

Before the pandemic hit I was putting together a collection of my poems and planned to release a ‘zine in a casual way, but then I met my editor Candelin Wahl and she ran through hundreds of my poems and we saw a book taking shape. As the book went from a concept of a zine’, to a Chapbook, ultimately deciding instead on releasing a full-collection, I began improvising on piano as I read the poems down. I also thought I’d “casually” release some piano/poetry music during the pandemic. However, when I discovered how liberating this music and word combination was, I decided to produce a full-length album and reached out to my friend and engineer Steve Kaul at Wild Sound Studios in Minneapolis. Steve recorded my “Rise Up” album. Then, I connected with my violinist/string arranger Cierra Alise Hill, and she arranged certain pieces for string quintet. We brought together Bex Gaunt, Jesse Kellermann and Greg Byers to fill out the string section.                                                     (Scottie Miller / Photo by Kathleen Tauer)

I also reached out to a couple friends I’ve always wanted to record with: drummer JT Bates and bassist Jeff Bailey. We recorded a third of the album with jazz/blues trio; the other third; solo-improvised piano-vocal; and the remaining third with string quintet.

I was introduced to veteran book designer Lynn Phelps and his son William Phelps who created the book/album design and color illustrations. It kept evolving and has been an immensely rewarding project.

If I could sit and chat with Waits or Kerouac I would first ask Tom if we could write or record together, or if I could open for a show. Then I would follow with your excellent previous second question: "What characterizes your poetry philosophy? Where does your creative drive come from?

What has been the hardest obstacle for you to overcome as a person and has this helped you become a better musician and poet?

I’d have to say one of the hardest things I have overcome was alcohol and drug addiction, and my on-going dance with chronic depression and anxiety and other human conditions. Above it all, recovery has given me clarity and gratitude and helped me sustain a successful career in music. It has enabled my words and music to be more genuine, and to take more risks being transparent with my vulnerability in a creative and social sense.

What moment changed your life the most? How do you want your music/poetry to affect people?

Recovering from drug and alcohol addiction was a major, life-shift. I hope my music and poetry affects people in a way that pulls out emotion, illicit’s a feeling of relatability, enables a positive energy exchange from the stage and leaves people feeling love, hope and inspiration.

What are some of the most important lessons you have learned from your experience in the music paths?

Open mindedness, hard work and dedication to your craft, gratitude, humility and confidence. It’s all about the hang, and being in the present moment. Taking time to talk with the people you meet. Whether you’re at home practicing, traveling at all hours of the night or on the stage.

Do you think there is an audience for jazz/blues music in its current state? or at least a potential for young people to become future audiences and fans?

There’s a huge audience for jazz and blues. It’s thriving, and most young musicians I know are very well versed in these idioms. The technical abilities in some young players I am hearing are amazing. Sometimes however, the only thing missing is space, and more soul. Technical proficiency is invaluable, but soul will outlast it all.

Scottie Miller - Home

(Scottie Miller / Photo by Jim Vasquez)