Adam Miller is a professional guitar player, but as a soloist who travels the world, the job involves a lot more than just playing music.

Miller proudly calls Newcastle home and always has.

The first time he played for money he was a teenager in a band called Liquifaction playing SJ's Hotel in Hamilton. "We were kind of like the Chili Peppers. We made $100 to split among four people."

He was much younger, eight years old in fact, when he heard the music that inspired him most of all. It came from Tommy Emmanuel, the legendary Australian fingerstyle guitarist.

"He made it all seem possible," Miller says.

Now, at 33, Miller's just released his sixth album, Shifting Units, and is preparing for a quick tour in September to Europe, covering Denmark, Sweden, Germany and France.

The instrumental album has two CDs, one featuring Miller playing 13 original solo compositions, the other of the same songs played with a band.

"It shows the two different ways of arranging. It was kind of fun," Miller says.

The band side of the album was recorded over a week in late April, while Miller worked on the solo side at his home studio in Cardiff at night "when the neighbourhood was quiet and the freight trains would stop".

When Miller launches the album on Tuesday at the weekly jazz sesson at The Grand Hotel in Newcastle he will be backed by Lachy Doley on organ, Mitch Cairns on bass and Dom Borzestowski on drums.

The album is all about the music, of course. Miller does not sing.

"I can say a lot more with 12 notes than 26 letters," he says. "I can take one idea and expand on it for eight or nine minutes."

Miller's partner, Holly Clayton, plays piano on a couple of songs on the album. There is one in particular, that she's fond of, called Blues for Bert.

The song is about Miller's grandfather.

"It's just this little idea I wrote on a Sunday afternoon after I hung out with my grandfather and ate Darby's pies and drank Oak chocolate milk with him. He's 93. I don't know if he'll like it. He always says 'why don't you play this song, like How High The Moon?' It's just a happy little song. I was in a great mood, just hanging out with my grandpa."

Of course, Miller once played with the musician who made the best-known recording of How High The Moon, guitar legend, Les Paul, in Paul's New York club.

There is nothing simple about Miller's story.

His international touring is sponsored by multiple suppliers, particularly Jeff Traugott Guitars and Two-Rock amplifiers.

Miller plays a custom-made Traugott acoustic guitar. Made by Jeff Traugott in Santa Cruz, California, they are valued at $26,500 each. Traugott makes about 14 a year and the waiting list is five years.

Two-Rock lists 40 guitarists who back its products including Michael Franti, John Mayer, Joe Bonamassa and . . . Adam Miller.

Of course, Miller also plays electric guitar, and has worked with many artists over the years, from touring Afghanistan as a member of Ben Gillies' Bento project to standing in as Jenny Morris's lead guitarist on a couple of hours notice.

He also plays with Holly Clayton's band, Holly Who, which is gaining traction with its original blues sound.

He also teaches - he's a lecturer in jazz and contemporary guitar at the University of Newcastle.

And he works part-time at Jack's Music in New Lambton.

Adam Miller, much more than a guitar player.

The Shifting Units album launch is Tuesday, September 2, at The Underground at The Grand Hotel, Newcastle.