Denver and the Mile High Orchestra
There’s a long stretch of highway between commercial success and audience impact. For some artists, “making it in the music industry” is the ultimate pursuit. But for artists like Denver & The Mile High Orchestra, the goal has never been “to arrive,” but rather being ”good to go” wherever the road leads.
“In an age when new bands come and go with the wind,” bandleader Denver Bierman says, “the only way you can explain that a Christian ‘big band’ is still going strong after five years is that God must be up to something. So our job is just to keep moving forward and make sure He gets all the glory.”
Formed by a group of friends at Nashville’s Belmont University in 1999, this exceptional group of musicians is comprised of three trumpet players, three saxophone players, two trombone players and a rhythm section. In the five years since their inception, the group has traveled around the globe, performing at churches, conferences, festivals—even at the Olympics—taking their electrifying horn-driven sound to the masses. The big band sound of the 30’s and 40’s had long intrigued Denver, who had played the trumpet for 16 years, so he assembled a group of musicians—friends to reinvent the style for the modern age. “I grew up listening to hip-hop, rock and pop, to all those genres,” says Denver, who is also the group’s lead vocalist and music arranger. “So I wanted to take the best of today and the best of yesterday and mix ‘em up.”
Good To Go, Denver & The Mile High Orchestra’s third and most diverse project to date, is a virtual deluge of sound. You’ll hear a fusion of swing, jazz, pop, R&B, and funk that all add up to an undeniable excitement and energy that can only be fully experienced live. “There’s just something about our sound and style that puts a smile on your face,” Denver says. “There’s a joy in it that reaches across demographics. We simply draw on all our musical influences to make it more contemporary, fresh and musically relevant. And when we play live, there’s so much energy when the horns are blaring in the aisles and people of all ages are clapping. We’re all in it together, and people really need that.”
The high entertainment factor is a given with D&MHO’s live events, but the band’s top priority is their message. With a strong emphasis on finding purpose and meaning in Christ, Good To Go takes a worshipful turn, encouraging listeners to respond to the calling and gifts God has given to leave a legacy of honor to Him. “When people are entertained, they are able to let their guard down, to let go of their preconceived notions about Christianity,” Denver continues. “And that’s when God speaks to them about what’s really at the heart of their lives. All we try to do is create a warm and inviting environment that makes it easier for people to respond to Him.”
If audience response and impact is the ultimate litmus test of success among Christian artists, this is one band that’s having more than their share. “Some people have told me, ‘Man, this cannot work. This will never fly in the industry. You’re crazy. Go home.’ But nothing could be further from what our audiences are saying,” Denver says.
“People who have gone to church for 30 years have told me that, for the first time, they can see a greater purpose for their lives. I’ve had people who normally don’t go to church or listen to Christian music come to our concert and say, ‘Hey, I love what you’re doing here. I’ll be thinking about what you said.’ God has taken the music and done something with it that’s bigger than any plan I could’ve had for us. That’s all the motivation and all the success I need.” |
