Skip to content

Canadian duo hit Victoria stage

Don Ross and Brooke Miller play Hermann's Jazz Club March 9.
77279oakbayDonRoss-BrookeMillerM9PFeb0812
Don Ross and Brooke Miller light up the stage during a performance in Hemsbach

Take one legendary solo guitarist and add one of Canada’s finest new songwriters and you have an evening to remember.

By the age of 10, guitarist Don Ross was playing less with a pick and more with his fingers. He was fascinated by the possibility of playing several lines at once: melody, middle voices and bass line.

To achieve some of the musical ideas he had in mind, he started retuning the guitar to suit them, inventing new tunings that made things easier at first. But he also realized that he could expand the range of the instrument to make the low strings lower and the high strings higher. The possibilities he creates have been endless.

Brooke Miller’s career began on Prince Edward Island in a loud punk band as the lead guitarist and vocalist at the ripe old age of 12.

She later connected with music by the likes of Bruce Cockburn, Rickie Lee Jones and Joni Mitchell. She has flourished into a road warrior, touring throughout Canada, the U.S., Europe and Japan. Miller has just released her fourth CD, Brooke Miller.

The album features Miller on acoustic and electric guitars and vocals with an array of guest musicians.

Together, Ross and Miller present a diverse and funky show that highlights both of their many talents. Miller’s voice is authentic and familiar as she weaves creative and complex melody lines, while Ross’ fingers play with true passion. The two are able to quickly develop a rapport with their audience, engaging them with stories about their music and world travels.

Ross and Miller perform March 9 at 8 p.m. at Hermann’s Jazz Club. Advance tickets, $20, are available at hightideconcerts.net, Lyle’s Place and Ditch Records. For more information, go to hightideconcerts.net.