Milton, the modern-day troubadour with the distinctive voice and one-name moniker, is the leader of a lively, rootsy collective known for their soul-stirring live shows. Meet Milton and you will meet a tall, bookish optimist who will tell you about the "heavy" new group that he heard in a club last night and the old folk recording he listened to this morning with equal enthusiasm. The folksinger has developed a grassroots foll...owing for the warmth and spontaneity of his live shows, with a playlist that includes traditional folk, blues and country songs with old time harmonies. Earning comparisons to many of his heroes—Van Morrison, Nick Lowe, The Band—singer-songwriter Milton has distinguished himself with his unique voice and lyrics, a compelling mix of grit and grammar.
Described as a writer's writer, capable of elegantly simple narratives about the complex wonders of life, Milton says, "I never make any rules when I write, I just follow whatever I'm writing to its end. If I write another country song or another blues song, so be it. All of my favorite American songs drew from all of the different root forms we have in this country."
Milton's latest CD Grand Hotel, recorded with Grammy-nominated producer Bo Ramsey (Lucinda Williams) and engineer Tom Tucker (Prince, Mavis Staples), and released in fall of 2008, establishes Milton's reputation as a singer and songwriter to be reckoned with. A narrative of a dozen stories, songs painting vivid moving pictures of American life, the album has received critical raves. NPR featured Milton's song "Booker" about legendary New Orleans piano great James Booker as Song of the Day, hailing "the one-named folksinger knows what he's doing." Blurt magazine called Grand Hotel "a soulful blend of literate, street-smart NYC folk and free-wheelin' Texas troubadour-styled alt-country."
Milton's distinctive voice has been the subject of much praise—from "sweetly gruff" to "like a big rig downshifting when the highway curves into a small town." Hailed by the NY Daily News for its "gnarled charm" that "will take a tug on your heart," SonicBoomers.com raves, "his voice has a timeless magic the greats are born with," "with a soulful catch in it that cannot be forgotten."
With a busy live performance schedule, Milton's warm and welcoming live show is what separates him from the pack. As an opener, Milton has shared bills with artists including James Hunter, Norah Jones, Jamie Cullum, Ron Sexsmith, Shelby Lynne and Pete Seeger. As headliners, Milton and the band have played multiple sold-out shows at New York's Joe's Pub, including kicking off the release of Grand Hotel with two sold-out nights at the prestigious venue. Playing out every week, Milton can often be seen at NY's Living Room, where he crams in loyal Milton fans on a regular basis, including an annual monthlong winter residency.
Soon after he released his 2003 debut CD Scenes From the Interior, Milton first came to the attention of a wide audience when the exuberant track "In The City" from the record, which a critic described as "one of the happiest, saddest, most vivid, most visceral rock songs," became a college radio hit, receiving substantial airplay on influential stations including New York's WFUV as well as handpicked by tastemaker Nic Harcourt for LA's KCRW "Morning Becomes Eclectic." Legendary concert promoter Ron Delsener became an instant fan when he heard "In The City" playing on the radio in a limo he was riding in and tracked down Milton. Delsener took Milton under his wing, arranging opening spots at NY venues including Irving Plaza. Milton's grassroots following continued to grow steadily after the release of Milton's self-titled second album in 2006 delivered the popular track "Her Place Uptown" which received regular radio airplay. Along the way, Milton has garnered many loyal fans including celebrity chef and restauranteur Tom Collichio, of television's Top Chef. Milton and Collichio have even performed live shows to benefit the Food Bank for New York City, as well as appearing together on television's CBS Sunday Morning.
Milton's musical journey began in the suburbs of New York City, where he was the youngest of many music-playing brothers in a musical family. As a boy, Milton realized his music tastes leaned in a different direction than his peers, preferring to watch MTV for "Closet Classics" to get a glimpse of artists like Richie Havens more than anything else on the channel. As a teenager, Milton fled to the city whenever possible to meet as many strange characters and hear as many kinds of music as he could. Way gone on Bob Dylan, old R&B and the classics of Western Literature, Milton began in earnest his own quest to compose the well-made song. And so is the story of Milton, like one of his worn copies of a Western Lit classic in the bottom of his messenger bag, you'll have to wait until he writes the next chapter.
