Donald Miller (1958-2024)

[clifford_thornton]

Sorry to read the news that guitarist Donald Miller has passed.

Best known for his work in Borbetomagus (who I was lucky enough to see many years ago), he also performed in Cool & the Clones, Sick Dick & the Volkswagens, and as a solo string wrangler, both electric and acoustic.

RIP and thanks to him for being there and doing what he did.

His recent solo work can be heard here, to brilliant advantage:

https://donaldmiller.bandcamp.com/album/transgression

[mjazzg]

Borbetomagus, a band I read about in the Wire a lot but have never listened to.

Anyone who's in a band called Sick Dick & the Volkswagens deserves to be celebrated and mourned 

I'll listen to the linked music, thanks

[clifford_thornton]

I have a rip of a Sick Dick cassette with Miller that sounds like AMM. Some of the band's music veered into no wave territory as well. I think Sick Dick had at least a few iterations/aesthetics from what I gather. Ditto Cool & the Clones, depending on who was involved.

Borbetomagus were incredible, and the records are uniformly wonderful. I have a particular soft spot for the self-titled black cover album (two were self-titled) and the Zürich double LP, but each one is impressive and nuanced.

I had the distinct pleasure of presenting both Jim Sauter and Don Dietrich in separate concerts in the last several years, albeit not Mr. Miller.

The documentary on Borbetomagus, A Pollock of Sound, is very well done.

[mjazzg]

22 minutes ago, clifford_thornton said:

I have a rip of a Sick Dick cassette with Miller that sounds like AMM. Some of the band's music veered into no wave territory as well. I think Sick Dick had at least a few iterations/aesthetics from what I gather. Ditto Cool & the Clones, depending on who was involved.

Borbetomagus were incredible, and the records are uniformly wonderful. I have a particular soft spot for the self-titled black cover album (two were self-titled) and the Zürich double LP, but each one is impressive and nuanced.

I had the distinct pleasure of presenting both Jim Sauter and Don Dietrich in separate concerts in the last several years, albeit not Mr. Miller.

The documentary on Borbetomagus, A Pollock of Sound, is very well done.

Thanks, I'll educate myself. I very much liked 'Transgression'.