EDUCATI0N, MEDITATI0N, INSPIRATI0N

Pat Donaher and Allison Miller first got to know each other in 2018, when the former invited the latter to be that year’s guest artist at Lexington High School outside of Boston, where Donaher is the jazz instructor. During her weeklong residency, Miller took over all the classes usually taught by Donaher. The drummer was impressed by what she calls “one of the most nourishing high-school jazz departments in the country.” She especially liked that Donaher had both his big band and his combos playing her compositions.

“I always appreciate bandleaders who expose their kids not only to the classics but also to modern music that they might not otherwise hear,” Miller says, “to give them a broader sense of jazz. I liked the camaraderie in the program; during lunch hour, they’d all come to the band room. That was my experience in high school.”

Miller also admired Donaher’s high-caliber work on the alto sax. “I loved his openness, his meticulousness, his intonation,” she adds. “His main gig is teaching, but he’s able to jump on the other side and really pull it off. He’s also a yogi”—more on this later—“and because of that he’s able to take his time and let the music develop.”

So when the two musicians met up at the Newport Jazz Festival the following year, Donaher blurted out, “Hey, Alli, I’m thinking of making a new album; if I do, will you play on it?” She not.