Traditional POETRY. Presented and spoken theatrically, arranged with live musicians. Not to be confused with slam poetry. Stories are told and music is played. Miller has succeeded in creating a modern voice for the oldest literary tradition.

10 MP3 Songs
SPOKEN WORD: Poetry, SPOKEN WORD: With Music

Show all album songs: Elephants and Ashtrays Songs


Details:
Since its inception, poetry has been a performance art. Poetry is meant to be heard, not seen, and it's a pleasure to hear the words of Ryan Miller. It's true that the poems on this album are selected from Ryan's book, Elephants and Ashtrays, but this is no audio-book. Ryan delivers his lines with all the conviction and character of a stage actor while the musicians behind him support his words and surround them with an acoustical atmosphere that puts you at the center of each poem.
Unlike a typical, voice-over style of pairing pre-recorded music with poetry, Miller worked closely with his musicians, crafting each piece and recording words and music together in the studio. The result is a unique and completely original recording that has the intimate feel of a live show. Elephants & Ashtrays ebbs and flows from the opening track âRunning Away to Catch Herâ with Pat Waters playing delicate, classical guitar, to the final poem âDays, Lives and Usâ, which features the Port City Saxophones. Miller offers a myriad of styles and combinations of instruments, including didgeridoo and piano in addition to guitar and saxophones. Every track takes you by surprise with its inventiveness, while at the same time maintaining a thread of continuity that runs throughout the album.
Ryan Miller has succeeded in creating a modern voice for the oldest literary tradition. This young poet has taken his craft to a new and exciting place, and after listening to his first offering, I am already anxiously awaiting his next.
-"The Village Idiot" CD Review

With So many