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Mike
Phillips
You Have Reached Mike Phillips
By Steven Fullwood
Mining
new terrain in contemporary jazz is no easy feat. Most journalists say
that with the exception of an uncommon talent here and there, the
genre is dead. The smugness of those writers, who normally sit at a
desk plunking out reviews, is unnerving and almost certainly not based
on visiting the clubs, classrooms or streets where young cats are
honing their skills, playing, touring and forging new sounds on the
music scene. One such talent is Mike Phillips and his debut "You
Have Reached Mike Phillips" marks the official arrival of a jazz
musician to watch.
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On the title track Phillips walks the
groove along a steady beat, a comfortable blend of sax and funk,
whereas on "Just One Take" the saxophonist bounces succulent
notes up and down on a soft Hip-Hop beat. The song serves as a center
of the 14 songs that fill the disk, one that seduces and delights.
"Baby Calls" mixes a bit of contemporary R&B styling
with an unmistakable jazz foundation. The right mix of guitar, vocals
and sax captures the best of what Phillips' offers - urban sensibility
coupled with an enduring musicianship. "Love is a Drug"
rates among the best of the tunes here and allows the saxophonist to
get a little intergalactic on us.
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Phillips's forerunner,
David Sanborn, concocted much of the same genre-busting music brimming
from this young saxophonist - only this time it's Hip-Hop, jazz and
soul that share soundspace. As far as brews go, Phillips is a
masterful cook.
M
August 2002 |
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