DISC-OVERIES
Chasing Rainbows in the Dark (Blue Muze)

On the first blue Avengers CD, "In From the Cold," the Millers tackled a diverse group of soul, pop and rock covers: Gershwin, Marvin Gaye, Isaac Hayes, Sheryl Crow. This time around, the Millers showcased their songwriting skills.

If there's a lyrical theme running through the disc's 11 tracks, it's a sense of hopefulness - of better days dawning, or better days ahead, or at least the possibility of better days - and its partner, freedom. It's seen in the disc's first lines, "Ride the winds of love/ Let them carry you away/Fly as free as a bird in the spring" ("Winds of Love"), and its final, "We'll never be lost again/ If we only feed the flame" ('Feed the Flame') and throughout. Even if it's just the palpable relief and sense of new possibilities that come from disentangling oneself from a soured relationship, as in "Dahlia's Getting Married," written from the perspective of a woman who's finally finalized a long, painful divorce at the same time her friend is launching a new life with her man: "I've been down the aisle so I understand/The way if feels when you see the promised land/It may be paradise or prison that you're in/Dahlia's getting married and I'm free again."

Hence the album's title: In the bleak times there's a rainbow to be found if you're willing to chase it. "My husband and I have both been through divorces, and we know that once you've gotten through, once you're finally past the pain, there is hope for a better future," says Alana.

"We've both been adults for awhile, and you get knocked down fairly regularly," Bob says. "We're both kind of big on getting up."

The tracks feature some of Rochester's most prolific players: Chris Ott (also of Lane & Ott Duo) on keyboards; Chris Northington (Bacci, Tinted Image) and Mick Sarubbi on bass; Kristen Shiner McGuire (Stone Ojo, jazz trio Elle, etc.) on percussion and vocals.

L. David Wheeler, Steppin' Out, Stayin' In Magazine, Canandaigua, NY, May 22, 2008

The positive vibe of the first track, "Winds of Love," reflects the season, and also showcases the immense talents of lead singer, Alana Miller and guitarist Bob Miller. The sassy, soulful pipes of Alana mingle perfectly with Bob's steadfast fret work throughout, with jazzy blues appeal.

This, their sophomore effort, features sophisticated songwriting from the husband/wife team, tackling a mixture of topics, from the love-gone-wrong scenario on "Gone Like a Bad Dream" and the story of dreams crushed on "Corporate Refugee."

The Blue Avengers' diverse palette of styles is what truly sets them apart. Hear for yourself as they celebrate the release at High Fidelity on Saturday, April 26th (7pm).

Michelle Picardo, Freetime Magazine, April 23, 2008

Frank De Blase, City Newspaper, April 23, 2008

The band, formed in 2004, consists of five musicians, including Alana Miller on lead vocals and husband Bob Miller on guitar and vocals.

Readers might remember Alana Miller in her roles at Digital Rochester and, later, High Technology of Rochester Inc. She resigned the latter position several years ago to devote more time to music, her first love. Bob Miller continues as president of the Rochester Group, a software firm.

Unlike the band's first album, 2005's "In From the Cold," "Chasing Rainbows in the Dark" is made up entirely of originals.

With my ability to focus just on the music business, we have had more time to write our own material,” Alana Miller says. Most of the songs are about life, love and observations. "I'm a reflective and poetic person, so that's how I'm inspired," she says. "My husband is more analytical than I am and really works on developing a story. I am more poetic, and he is more storytelling."

C.A.N., Rochester Business Journal, April 14, 2008

Michelle Picardo, Freetime Magazine, March 9, 2007

Margo Lee Perine, Rochester Woman Magazine, July/August 2006

The Blue Avengers dropped off their latest, In From the Cold, and it certainly helped warm up the office a bit! The sweet-toned Alana Miller leads the six-piece through some jazzy R&B, all sultry and cool, on an eclectic mix of covers, some more traditional like "Summertime" and "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy," and some more contemporary, including a soulful version of Sheryl Crows' "My Favorite Mistake." Hear some much needed sunshine with the bright sounds of Blue Avengers as they play an early show at Milestones on Saturday, February 25th.

Michelle Picardo, Freetime Magazine, February 15th, 2006

'Yeah they have "blue" in the name, but there's a whole lotta soul going on here. The Blue Avengers offer a passionate blend of blues and Motown; vocalist Alana Miller's voice is the epitome of sultry and smooth.'

Frank De Blase, City Newspaper, January 6th 2006

Blending Standards And Style

The Blue Avengers figured they'd pulled of a big coup last summer while playing at the WCMF stage at he Park Avenue Festival. They slipped a copy of their CD, In From the Cold, to an employee of the radio station, with instructions to get it to Brother Wease. "The very next morning, less than 24 hours later, he's bashing us on the air," says lead singer Alana Miller. "It hurt ... but you've got to pick up and keep going."

And the Blue Avengers are doing just that Saturday at Milestones.

A Rochester native, Miller sang with local '80s rockers Outcast before moving to New York City to try her hand at a few things, including off-Broadway shows. That included a work by French playwright Moliere. "I didn't know how to speak French," Miller says. "One night, I got stuck on one French word until somebody bailed me out."

Miller returned here for a job helping young companies get established, but this spring left it for two full-time jobs: raising two children with her husband and guitarist, Bob Miller; and running the Blue Avengers.

In From the Cold is heavy on standards. The Gershwin classic "Summertime." And contemporary stuff from Isaac Hayes and even Sheryl Crow.

Live, the Blue Avengers are drummer Paul Hiscutt, bassist Gary Opipari and keyboardist Tom Folan. Folan is an intriguing addition. Founder of Rochester's early music group, The Publick Musick, he's pursuing a fantasy that doesn't come readily to musicians specializing in Bach. "Our keyboard player has been waiting for some time," says Miller, "for women to throw their panties at him."

Jeff Spevak, Democrat & Chronicle, January 5th, 2006

'The worst crap I ever heard.'

Brother Wease, WCMF, September 20th 2005

True Passion

Alana Miller recently stepped away from the corporate world to focus on music making.

She is pursuing her true passion as lead vocalist with The Avengers, a five-person band that performs classic R&B. Her husband, Robert Miller, president of the Rochester Group and a graduate of the Berklee College of Music, plays guitar in the six-member band. The other musicians work in teaching, banking, information technology and industry.

Miller enjoyed her work as program director for High Technology of Rochester - and earlier as executive director of Digital Rochester.

But musical performance was never far from her mind. Miller graduated in 1983 from SUNY College at Brockport with a theater degree, then spent the next decade supporting herself with waitressing and ad agency temp work to sing in small Manhattan nightclubs.

"I feel blessed to be pursuing my passion," says Miller, who with her husband is recording a CD that will include tunes such as "Summertime," "Ain't That Peculiar" and "You've Got Me Hummin'."

"If I had to do it over again, I definitely would have taken some business courses in college. You can have all the talent in the world, but if you don't know how to market yourself, then you won't succeed."

Debbie Waltzer, Rochester Business Journal, May 27th, 2005