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.”
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