Mike Phillips - Baby Calls/Forever My Lady/Computer Love (Live in Nashville)

This is my first jazz video. It's probably the most ambitious project I've taken on - it's certainly my longest video, to date. Mike Phillips' show was amazing. The night flew by and there was a consistent Valentine's Day theme (seeing as it was 2/13, that makes lots of sense). Jazz is different from other genres I've posted. My background and training is in the written word, so that's the analogy I'll make. Most popular music is like a series of short stories (with some longer or more complex than others). Jazz is like stream of consciousness writings, be it a book or poem. Notes, instruments, words all intermingle and meander throughout the evening. Musicians all playing together but adding their incredible individuality to make an wonderful whole. The keyboard player also served in the role of music director (you'll hear a solo from him in this video) and he wanted to ensure there was a set list. Mike, while stating a confident "yes," knew it was merely a framework and that the atmosphere, emotions and sense of the evening would direct the flow of the music. For this reason, it can sometimes be tough to select beginning and endpoints for jazz performances. Sometimes these are clear, but others it's sort of like trying to determine where one Grateful Dead song ends and another begins. Clearly, they took this inspiration from the great musical category we label "jazz."

Enjoy!