BIOS
Roy "Chip" Miller – Guitar
Chip Miller has been the bandleader for several jazz projects throughout the Baltimore Metropolitan area since 2004. He studied under noted jazz guitar legend Steve Yankee at the Peabody Preparatory School Adult Music Focus Program in the early 2000’s and later Brian Kooken of the famed Greg Hatza Organization. In 2004, Roy started a straight-ahead group called the Jazz Encounter with bassist Bill Pedro and notable musicians J.T. Abercrombie, Larry Harper, and Randy Nelson Jr. This group enjoyed performing at local nursing home facilities and festivals throughout the mid 2000’s. He is also the brainchild of the Chip Miller Fusion, The Chip Miller Group, and the Jazz House Trio and has performed at such venues as Artscape, An die Musik and Terra Café to name a few. Chip is a child of the sixties and seventies, so jazz, funk, motown, and later jazz fusion was a part of his daily listening diet. His playing style reflects a strong influence of fretboard heavyweights George Benson, Larry Carlton and many others.
Ron Walker – Keyboard, vocals, and pocket trumpet
Ron is a multi-instrumentalist and native of Baltimore. Educated in the Baltimore City Public School System, he graduated in 1982 from Morgan State University with a degree in Music Education. Ron went on to teach in Baltimore’s Public School System where he retired as a music educator. Over the years, he has performed with many of the city’s top musical acts such as First Class, the Softones, Cisum, Kemet, the Stan Rouse Quartet, BTown, Impromptu and The Derek Amin Quartet. Ron's philosophy is, "Music is Love and Love is God."
Nate Stevens – Drums
Nate is a veteran groove master, and well versed in the rhythmic styles of jazz, funk, R&B, gospel and soul genres. He is a native of Baltimore and began playing drums in high school at Walbrook High School, where he performed with the jazz and classical bands. After high school, he continued to perform with a local R&B group called Magnum Force as well as other local talent. Nate is a retired U.S. Postal Office worker, where he also played for the Glee Club. His musical influences are local legend Dennis Chambers, Nirada Michael Walden, and famed George Duke drummer and producer Gordon Campbell. Nate also performs regularly in his church and with other local groups in the area.
Ken Scott – Bass
Ken has performed with artists such as Lee Pierce, Ford Johnson, Ollie Wright, Benjamin Collins, Joyce Scott, Kevin Powel, and a host of others. Besides playing bass guitar on Sundays with the "Power of Faith" choir, Ken appeared with Ron Gaither on "Don't be a Drunken Driver" in 1986. In 2003, he paired with Corinthean Cromwell on the "Stick it in Your Ear" album while also playing together with the band, Upfront of Baltimore. A play entitled Walk a Mile in My Drawers brought Ken together with artists such as Jimmy Wilson, James E. Johnson, Jr., Joel Holmes, K. Salim Ajanku, and Kariz Marcel (who produced the Jayu CD). You can hear Ken's bass line on Kidd-Kidd-New Warleans ft. Juvenile from 2012. His musical influences include Stanley Clark, Chaka Khan, and Chick Corea.
Jerold Baker – Saxophone
Jerold graduated from Baltimore Polytechnic Institute (Poly), where he played in the school band, He went on to graduate from the University of Pittsburgh with a minor in music. As a student, he enjoyed playing various bands in and around campus. His musical influences are Grover Washington Jr., David Sanborn, and Pharaoh Sanders. He is currently an employee of the City of Baltimore.