Acclaimed pianist, composer, and bandleader Andy Milne has received a JUNO Award nomination in the category of Jazz Album of the Year: Group for his latest release, Time Will Tell, recorded with his ensemble Unison. This marks Milne’s third JUNO nomination, having previously won the award twice—first in 2019 for The Seasons of Being with Dapp Theory, and again in 2021 for The reMission with Unison.
For Milne, Time Will Tell is more than just a musical achievement—it is a deeply personal exploration of identity, belonging, and self-discovery. The album chronicles his lifelong journey to uncover his birth family history, a quest that remained unresolved until 2018, when a DNA test led to an unexpected breakthrough.
While the album does not provide a direct, track-by-track retelling of his experience, Milne acknowledges that his compositions became a subconscious reflection of his journey. “I met my birth mother days before I composed a lot of this music and quickly recognized that this would be a significant throughline in those pieces,” he explains. “I essentially allowed it to flow and envelop my process.”
The theme of family extends beyond the personal to the artistic, as Time Will Tell features key collaborators who bring depth and richness to the recording. The album introduces koto virtuoso Yoko Reikano Kimura, whose unique string textures appear on several tracks, including the evocative “Lost and Found”, a piece that encapsulates the search for connection and meaning. Saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock also lends her expressive voice to four tracks, further expanding the album’s sonic landscape.
Milne’s Unison trio, features bassist John Hébert and drummer Clarence Penn, who also contribute original compositions, reinforcing the collective spirit that defines Unison’s sound.
With Time Will Tell, Milne merges his personal and musical journeys into a singular, transcendent experience—one that is now being recognized with yet another JUNO Award nomination. As he reflects on this latest honor, he acknowledges the deeper resonance of the moment: “This nomination is incredibly meaningful, not just because of the music itself, but because of the story behind it—the idea that, through music, I could process and share such a profound chapter of my life.”
The 54th Annual JUNO Awards will take place March 30, 2025 in Rogers Arena, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
