Notably, Dave and some of his friends formed a bluegrass trio that played around his hometown of Little Rock, Arkansas, and subsequently moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico, in 1976.
Throughout their tenure (1977–1982), Gumbo was a popular circuit band in Arkansas, Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas, but played venues from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, to Fort Nelson, British Columbia, and all points in between, drawing big, enthusiastic crowds wherever they performed—even as the opening act for such performers as Brenda Lee, Jerry Jeff Walker, and Michael Martin Murphey.
[2] In 2013, after taking a long break from the road, enjoying family life, and having a successful career designing and developing medical products, Dave returned to his roots in performing, songwriting, and entered the world of recording.
Their 40+ year careers, much of it playing together, have included forays into the roots of country and folk rock, foundational Americana, driving banjo-fueled bluegrass, as well as blues and rockabilly—with some jazz even thrown in for good measure.
[2] Dave Miller began playing music at age 13 when his mother bought him a five-string banjo for Christmas the year his father passed away.
The songs you will find here are flavored with the spices, woven with the textures, and animated with the images that remind me of growing up, working, traveling, living, singing, and dreaming in the South and Southwest regions of our beautiful country.
[2] From late 2013 to early 2014, Dave and his long-time picking pal, Pat Hooper, decided to take some of their original tunes into the studio and create a record that reflected the joy they always found in playing and singing together.
[6] As Dave Miller recounts in the liner notes for the album: "Pat and I played together for about 30 years, off and on, touring together in the hillbilly rock fusion band, Gumbo, in the late '70s and early '80s.
Pat performed his entire adult life in countless combos, touring back-up bands, and traveling family shows, and played in venues across the U.S. and Canada.
Without exception, these are premier players and singers that have decades of experience on stage and in the studio and who wanted to be a part of finishing what Pat and I had started.
An independent release, Southern Dreams was recorded and engineered by Don Richmond at Howlin' Dog Studios in Alamosa, Colorado.