KRISTINE'S STORY
Winner of the Houston Press Music Awards, Best Female Vocalist and Best Songwriter, Mills was also nominated for Best Pop Artist, Best Jazz, and Musician of the Year. She was among the 2013 Houston Press Rocks of 100 - Houston’s Most Distinguished Artists and a 2012 Houston Arts Alliance for Established Individual Artists Grant Recipient. Mills wrote the soundtrack for the Gold REMI award-winning documentary film Collector’s Waltz. A member of the Recording Academy, Mills has been recognized for Grammy nomination consideration in several categories for her past releases.
In addition to many appearances at the Metropolitan Room, Duplex and Zinc Bar in New York, Kristine played sold-out shows in theaters and performing arts centers as guest vocalist with the Duke Ellington Orchestra and headliner for the Brazilian International Jazz Festival in Sao Paolo, Recife, Rio, and Belo Horizonte. She also performed at Snug Harbor in New Orleans, The Miami Music Festival, Carnival Latino, Cezanne’s and The House of Blues in Houston. Mills was Artist-In-Residence at Hotel ZaZa Houston, and formerly the Music Director and featured performer at Giorgio's Hotel Granduca Houston. She now includes Piano Smithfield in London and Bert's Jazz Bar in Belfast among her regular venues.
Kristine, after a move to London in summer 2021 has had the pleasure of working with with London-based, acclaimed pianist, writer and producer Janette Mason in performance at Piano Smithfield (14 Long Lane, London EC1A 9PN, p: 020 7796 9777) and Pizza Express along with a list of other fabulous musicians, Darren Beckett, Tom Mason, Simon Little, Sophie Alloway to name a few.
"I just love London!" said Kristine Mills. "I’m enjoying performing and collaborating with a new coterie of London-based jazz and world music musicians for a fresh perspective. The city and its musicians are inspiring."
Mills is known in Houston as being a constant and persisting voice in the jazz scene. With her latest album project, a key moment in her three-decade long career, she received critical acclaim and media support back in the States. She premiered the single “Hold Fast” with Houston CityBook on June 29 (see here for the premiere) and celebrated the premiere with a sold-out show July 1 at Warehouse 72.
"Both songs hold true to the infectiously jazzy sound that has propelled Mills into headliner gigs at events like the Brazilian International Jazz Festival and allowed her to play sold-out shows in theaters and performing arts centers around the world — from Houston to Sao Paolo," said Houston CityBook.
She followed up with two EP release concerts, Thursday, Nov. 4 in Austin, Texas at Parker Jazz Club where she performed with the critically-acclaimed house band, led by Kris Kimura, and Friday, Nov. 12, Houston at Warehouse 72 with a band lead by Chad Wesselkamper. After Kristine’s move to London, she debuted at Piano Smithfield on January 20, 2022 at 7:00 pm.
The new album, as well as her other releases are available on Spotify, Apple Music and all streaming platforms.
“Looking Back. Moving Forward." EP is the retrospective of my songwriting career,” expressed Kristine Mills. “It encompasses songs written at different times in my life, but they share universal truths about love, life, and death that we all can relate to. Many of the songs are collaborations with other artists which then pull from their experiences to enrich the writing and feelings found in the songs.”
This album is different for Kristine, as she pulled from old works that were never released, remixed some of her more popular tunes and collaborated with younger artists and artists who perform in other genres. Songs on “Looking Back. Moving Forward.” were conceived in pairs from various “sessions” recorded in 2008 to the present. The first set of songs, “The HOUSTON Sessions,” were co-produced by Gabriel Santiago, recorded in Houston and mixed and mastered in Brazil. Kristine’s first two singles are a contrast in love - “Hold Fast” was written in honor of her new husband, where “Dip My Toe In The Water” was written amidst the ending of a long marriage. Additional "sessions" recorded in New York and Austin included many well-known musicians such as GRAMMY-nominated American songwriter Jeff Franzel, prolific writer and producer Askold Buk, Sade's touring drummer, Steve Williams, Dave Byrne's tour bassist Paul Frasier, cellist Dave Eggar and Austin-based writer/producer David Rice.
Raul da Gama with World Music Reports says, “Kristine Mills’ talent for songwriting goes well beyond that realm. She is a fine writer of The Song, an even better writer of The Ballad and best of all she writes a compelling narrative. In short, Mills may be considered a complete musician."
“She is a refreshing artist with a contagious spirit that reaches out to her audience with witty and welcoming warmth. She makes her guitar sing like a mockingbird on steroids. She is a force to be reckoned with.”
— the late Russ Weatherford for Times Square Chronicles
Discography
“This album is the retrospective of my songwriting career,” expressed Kristine Mills. “It encompasses songs written at different times in my life, but they share universal truths about love, life, and death that we all can relate to. Many of the songs are collaborations with other artists which then pull from their experiences to enrich the writing and feelings found in the songs.”
This album is different for I'm pulling from old works that were never released, remixing some of her more popular tunes and collaborating with younger artists and artists who perform in other genres. Raul da Gama with World Music Reports says, “Kristine Mills’ talent for songwriting goes well beyond that realm. She is a fine writer of The Song, an even better writer of The Ballad and best of all she writes a compelling narrative. In short, Mills may be considered a complete musician."
Songs on “Looking Back. Moving Forward.” will be released in pairs from various “sessions” recorded in 2008 to the present. The first set of songs, “The HOUSTON Sessions,” were co-produced by Gabriel Santiago, recorded in Houston and mixed and mastered in Brazil. Kristine’s first two singles are a contrast in love - “Hold Fast” was written in honor of her new husband, where “Dip My Toe In The Water” was written amidst the ending of a long marriage.
The "New York Sessions" were recorded in New York from 20215 - 2021 and feature well-known musicians such as GRAMMY-nominated American songwriter Jeff Franzel, prolific writer and producer Askold Buk, Sade's touring drummer, Steve Williams, Dave Byrne's tour bassist Paul Frasier, cellist Dave Eggar.
The "Rice Session" were a collaboration with Austin-based David Rice in sessions from 2008 - 2010 that were recently remixed by Askold Buk in mid-2021.
Kristine’s third album, “bossanovafied,” has received international acclaim and airplay across a spectrum of music formats since it debuted at #46 on Jazz Week’s World Music Album Chart in February 2010. The sultry hot bossa nova collection of all original music was recorded in Rio de Janeiro and was short-listed for the 54th Grammy nomination consideration in the Best Jazz Album with Vocals category. Cuts from the CD made it onto the in-flight playlists of several international and domestic carriers.
In Miami 2010 she was featured in three showcases of the Miami Music Festival. In August 2009 she headlined the Brazilian International Jazz Festival with her Rio-based, “bossanovafied” band in sold-out shows in Recife, Rio, and Belo Horizonte.
““Songbird Kristine Mills has the whole package! Astonishing singing and songwriting talents!””
— Brilliant Magazine
