Biography
Sam Miltich, Jazz Guitarist
Sam Miltich is a self-taught jazz guitarist born and raised in the woods of northern Minnesota. Sam burst on to the hot club jazz scene in his teens, joining Paul Mehling's Hot Club of San Francisco and touring internationally with the world-renowned Robin Nolan Trio. Sam's fluid and instinctive sound has graced hundreds of stages, from small towns on the Iron Range to New York's Lincoln Center. In addition to fronting his own band, the Clearwater Hot Club, Sam frequently performs solo and has recorded and performed with many of the Twin Cities' top jazz artists. Scroll down for full bio.
Honors and Awards
Sam Miltich is a fiscal year 2023 recipient of a Creative Support for Individuals grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board. This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board and a grant from the Arrowhead Regional Arts Council, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.
2023 Minnesota State Arts Board Creative Support for Individuals Grant
2022 Minnesota State Arts Board Creative Support for Individuals Grant
2022 Arrowhead Regional Arts Council Established Working Artist Grant
2022 NEA-American Rescue Plan Grant: Good Treble with Charmin Michelle
2021 Minnesota State Arts Board Creative Support for Individuals Grant: Good Treble with Charmin Michelle
2018 Minnesota State Arts Board Arts Tour Grant: The Improvised Life
2014 Minnesota State Arts Board Artists Initiative Grant: Live at the VFW
2010-2011 Arrowhead Regional Arts Council Fellowship: Big Dipper Jazz Band
2010 Minnesota State Arts Board Artists Initiative Grant: Study with Belgian guitarist, Fapy Lafertin
2008-2009 Arrowhead Regional Arts Council Fellowship: Darn That Dream with Saxophonist, Dave Karr
2007 Dudley Hill Award
2000 Performed at Lincoln Center in NYC for the Django Reinhardt All-Star Tour
Sam Miltich, Jazz Guitarist (Extended Bio)
Sam Miltich is a self-taught jazz guitarist born and raised in the woods of northern Minnesota. Sam burst on to the hot club jazz scene in his teens, joining Paul Mehling's Hot Club of San Francisco and touring internationally with the world-renowned Robin Nolan Trio. Sam's fluid and instinctive sound has graced hundreds of stages, from small town bars on the Iron Range to New York’s Lincoln Center.
Beginning in his early twenties, Sam performed as a duo and toured with Minnesota mandolin master Peter Ostroushko. In 2010, Sam received a grant to study intensively with Belgian guitar icon Fapy Lafertin and has since then received many more regional and state arts grants to further his musical development and creative projects. In addition to hot club swing and traditional jazz, Sam's musical interests include Brazilian choro, French musette, Eastern European tamburitza, and other forms of traditional folk music.
In addition to fronting his own band, the Clearwater Hot Club with his father Matthew Miltich, Sam records and performs extensively with Minneapolis-based jazz singer Charmin Michelle, as well as top flight Twin Cities jazz musicians such as saxophonist Doug Haining, trombonist Dave Graf, clarinetist Tony Balluff, violinist Gary Schulte, pianists Chris Lomheim and Laura Caviani, drummers Nathan Norman and Jay Epstein, and bassist Chris Bates.
Sam chooses to live in northern Minnesota, performing at a very high level while maintaining life in a rural setting. He is committed to bringing world-class jazz to a part of the country where live jazz performances are otherwise quite rare.
Sam has also been featured on National Public Radio's “Weekend Edition,” and performed for Garrison Keillor's A Prairie Home Companion. He also hosted his own radio program "Sam and Friends" which showcased a year of interviews with renown Minnesota jazz musicians for KAXE/KBXE Northern Community Radio.