Drummer, singer, and bandleader Sammy Miller and his band, The Congregation, maybe be full of fun, but they also showed how seriously they take their music when they came to the KNKX Studios in 2017.
"When we're in a room with people playing music for them ... it matters, and we have a job, and the job is to make people feel a little bit better," Miller said.
The six-piece band from New York also includes pianist David Linard, John Snow on bass, Alfonso Horne on trumpet, Ben Flocks on sax, and tall Sam Crittenden on trombone. They're on a mission to have and spread fun, and Miller's life in music began early, when having fun was at a premium.
"In kindergarten, I was five years old, I started a family band with my siblings, my two older sisters [played] piano and guitar, and my brother played upright bass, and my little sister was three, singing and dancing, and trying to figure it all out too," he said.
Miller discovered the joy in music, and how each song tells a story. The close-knit connections of his family band showed him that delivering the message of the song was even more important than the skills of the musician.
"We were always making music together, and at that age when you're learning an instrument to be always learning songs rather than technique, which now I probably regret a little bit," he said. "But, you're learning how to tell stories and you're learning how to make music for other human beings."
Miller also takes inspiration from early jazz stars like Louis Armstrong and Dizzy Gillespie, who incorporated humor and theatrics into their performances.
"For thousands of years, the best way to relate to a human being is stories, that's the ritual of art. So, we are always thinking about why we're playing a song and how to best get across the feelings of the sentiment of that piece, whether it's an original song or an old folk song," he said. "It's not about us, we're trying to do something with us and the people in the room, even if it's six here today, or seven, or two bajillion people."
When you listen to them perform, you can heard that this band is having a blast, and they bring their audience along for the ride. They are a dedicated jazz band, but Miller understands that the word jazz isn't what gets the kids excited these days.
"This is our music, and we love it, and we love how it makes us feel, but a lot of our peers, they have a negative connotation with the word, so we actually have to create something that's so powerful that not only do they like it, they have to tell somebody about it," he said.
Miller continues to preach musical fun for everyone. He launched the Musical Education Platform Playbook in 2020 and his congregation released the album Joyful Jazz at Lincoln Center in 2023. In 2026, the band released a new EP, My Soul.
Songs heard in this episode:
- "Ain't Misbehavin'"
- "Swing Low Sweet Chariot"
- "Antonio"
