Anthology

To say SOPHIE MILMAN is a world traveler would be the understatement of the year. Born in communist Russia, Milman’s parents decided to move their family to Israel to escape the uncertainties of life in Russia. The family had very few possessions, but the ones they had shaped Sophie’s life forever. A collection of vinyl jazz bootlegs would become the foundation for her lifelong love affair with jazz.

In Israel, Milman found herself consumed by American jazz musicians like Ella Fitzgerald, Stevie Wonder, Mahalia Jackson, Ray Charles, and Louis Armstrong. At 16, her family made the move to Toronto, and by chance, Sophie was asked to participate in a local jazz series. Her talents garnered much attention, and before she knew it, she had signed a record deal with Linus Entertainment.

With four albums under her belt (and still in her twenties), Sophie has received worldwide critical acclaim and topped the BIllboard jazz charts as well as iTunes, and earned a Juno Award in Japan.

Milman’s recording success led to performances at such prestigious venues as the Hollywood Bowl, the Kennedy Center, the Montreal Jazz Festival, Toronto’s Massey Hall and the legendary Blue Note clubs in New York and Japan. She’s also shared stages and/or collaborated with a varied array of musicians from the jazz, pop and rock worlds, including Randy Bachman, Chris Botti, Gary Burton, Chick Corea, the Manhattan Transfer, Cesaria Evora, Jesse Cook and the Neville Brothers.

Her most recent record, In the Moonlight, is her most elevated release to date. “I wanted to make a lush, warm, romantic record, the kind of record that takes people to an emotional place,” Milman asserts, adding, “I choose songs mostly based on the lyrics; they have to resonate with me emotionally or have something cheeky about them to get my attention. But I’m also drawn to melodies that have interesting twists and turns.”

The record, recorded in New York City with Grammy nominated producer Matt Pierson, features a prestigious collection of musicians including Larry Grenadier, Lewis Nash, Gerald Clayton, Kevin Hays, Chris Potter, Randy Brecker, and many more.

“It was good to take myself out of my comfort zone and throw myself into the New York atmosphere, with musicians I had never worked with before,” Sophie recalls. “That really put me on edge, and I think it resulted in better music. I was nervous, but I was really proud of how I was able to hold my ground and do my thing. The whole experience turned out to be amazingly gratifying. It was fun and scary, which can be a good combination.”

As for her cultural experiences, “My life’s been full of detours, but they’ve led me to a good place,” concludes Milman, who recently revisited her old haunts in Russia and Israel, and recently earned gold medal in commerce from the University of Toronto. “As disjointed as my life feels sometimes, I think I’ve been able to take the best qualities of the three distinct, amazing countries where I’ve lived and integrate them into my personality.

“Moving around the world twice, starting from scratch each time and having to reinvent and reimagine myself in a completely new context and culture—that’s the defining feature of my life. It’s certainly shaped me as a person, and it continues to color my approach to music, informing the kind of songs that I choose to sing and the way I sing them.”