“It’s my 30th year singing in Colorado and it’s Inner City Health’s 30th anniversary, so I feel a connection on so many different levels this year!” says Denver singing legend Hazel Miller.
Miller is talking about Jazzed, a benefit for Inner City Health Center on October 16 at The Cable Center. It’s an event Miller helped create four years ago and will be headlining, providing an evening of jazz and fun.
Tickets can be purchased here.
Miller is a patient of Inner City Health, and credits them with saving her life by diagnosing a heart condition she didn’t know she had. She went to the center after losing her health insurance 20 years ago and since then, has steadfastly done all she can to support it. She reflects on that, her career, and how her life reflects Modern Gladiator values.
Q: How do you view your career when you look at it now in 2015?
A: It’s been 30 years now actually playing out and getting paid. I’m putting out a CD to celebrate the anniversary and really feel being here is the greatest gift from God. I was moving and driving through here and my moving truck broke down and I’ve been here ever since.
Q: How is the jazz scene in Colorado today?
A: It is bursting with new young people. There’s this one young lady who I coach. She is only 18 years old and is singing Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald and singing it with real feeling. It’s a jazz talent rebirth. For a while, we were the center of smooth jazz here, but now it’s more “straight ahead, get out of my way” jazz…and it’s amazing. I tell myself to go to The Meadowlark on Monday nights for jazz night; that’s supposed to be off the chain for young talent.
Q: What has changed?
A: Young people today. Music teachers are working musicians now. So now you’ve got kids in middle school that can sit in with professional musicians and hold their own but as far as playing the changes, they know—it’s because of all these new places to go and hear jazz. Paul Romaine has a music school turning out top notch jazz musicians. He’s one of the greatest jazz drummers in this state.
Q: Modern Gladiator is all about living your best life today and every day. What advice do you have for our readers?
A: For women? If I use my life as my example, we have spent our lives trying to be everything for everybody from parents to teachers to children to our mate…but we very seldom take care of ourselves and find we are in bad health and almost embarrassed and we apologize for being sick. Let’s stop what we’re doing and take care of ourselves because without us, our families are kind of lost. They need us and we need us first, to be healthy, happy and to be progressive and constantly learning and reinventing ourselves. Making our lives better because as we do better, we change the world.
For the men? I say learn to look up from whatever it is you’re engrossed in. Whether that’s sports, business, cars etc. and see the women in your life that make your life fabulous! See us, recognize us…and you know what?
Take us on a date—stay in love with us and always remember to date your husband or wife.
About the Author: Audrey Strong
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