Not sure if this has been mentioned or not, but Mike Phillips was missing during the second Detroit show (he was in the house the first night), and several reviews I have read since then state that Prince had a three-peice horn section (I'm assuming this means Maceo, Candy, and Greg Boyer). Was Mike at Milwaukee and the first Chicago gig???

I think Mike Phillips performs when Maceo can't. Both of them are listed in the tour book, but no - only Maceo was at the Chicago show last Friday.

Anxiety said:

Mike *and* Maceo were both at the first Detroit show.

Who cares? Eric blows BOTH they asses away.

theblueangel said:

well, there IS that.

They were both (Mike and Maceo) here in Dallas.

Anxiety said:

Up until the second night in Detroit Mike had performed at every show, even those with Maceo (who didn't join the tour until mid-April).

Just wondering what happened is all...

I hope you didn't take my enthusiasm for Eric's playing as a dig on you, uptown1. I'm also interested to see what happens with Mike Phillips in the future...he's really not a bad sax player by any means (leagues above Najee!!), and he's much more, uh...concise than Maceo. He definitely got me excited about the saxophone like I hadn't been in a decade or so seeing him at recent concerts.

At the NPGMC, on of the PP's said that musicians like Mike Phillips are kinda like special guests. They perform on the tour as their schedules allow.

(leagues above Najee!!), and he's much more, uh...concise than Maceo. He definitely got me excited about the saxophone like I hadn't been in a decade or so seeing him at recent concerts.[/quote]
s

Don't understand what you mean by "concise" ... think it's great for anyone to get into the saxophone but comparing Mike Phillips to Maceo is like comparing a shrub to a tree...
Maceo tells a story everytime he plays, and to be honest fits more with Prince as he is part of the source sound of where Prince comes from.

Having said that I have never understood why Prince would have three alto players and if a third saxophonewere to be added again Eric would make a better choice being an tenor player.

I can't wait til MSG myself...

Rebeka said:

s

Don't understand what you mean by "concise" ... think it's great for anyone to get into the saxophone but comparing Mike Phillips to Maceo is like comparing a shrub to a tree...
Maceo tells a story everytime he plays, and to be honest fits more with Prince as he is part of the source sound of where Prince comes from.

Having said that I have never understood why Prince would have three alto players and if a third saxophonewere to be added again Eric would make a better choice being an tenor player.

I can't wait til MSG myself...[/quote]
maceo doesn't know when to stop.

SassyBritches said:

i know what you're talking about, but he's not THAT indulgent. there was one small point in his solo friday night where i was like "enough with the sax melisma already", but there were many other moments where i was loving what he was doing.

but then, i confess that i'm biased because i will gladly cut anyone involved with the recording of "groove is in the heart" miles of slack.

4 in ATL

Anxiety said:

i just think back to the one night alone tour...good grief, there was no stopping him, lol! he's a great player and all but i prefer candy's style. her playing gets me hot...maceo doesn't do that for me.

Anxiety said:

Yeah, I don't know why Maceo's playing has never really moved me...he's got some pretty good solos in some studio tracks, but when he's allowed to just go off, my ass gets OH so tired. It's odd, b/c I know I should be like worshiping at his feet or something. Oh well.

By saying that Mike Phillips is more "concise," I guess I meant that I haven't yet had to sit through eons and eons of soloing with Prince shouting, "Mike, blow your horn!!! Mike, blow your horn!!!" I dunno.

theblueangel said:

Because when Prince shouts "Maceo blow your horn" he is paying tribute to the years of James Brown doing that and therefore making a link to a musical heritage of which he (Prince) is part. And Maceo is a legend, there is magic in the air when he plays. I heard people complain about sitting through Mike's smooth jazz solos... so often it's what you are accustomed to listen to.
I've also seen comments in the press where people would rather hear more Maceo and less Candy...who is really playing more than anyone on the current shows.
However, it's probably a question of where you come from musically. To hear what Rebeka is talking about you have to have a bit of an outlook which is not just "Princeprinceprince", to hear Maceo really all you have to do is open your ears, if you don't hear it today or this year; then sometime someone will jump on you and say: "You saw Maceo with Prince back in 2004!!! you were really lucky..."!!!
UNFORTUNATELYtoday's music business is so concerned with pop stars that our ears have been trained to hear a lot less, a bit like eating junk food all the time... people identify with a "smooth jazz" sound coz they are forced to listen to it all the time. There are people who can't listen to Coltrane or Miles because it's not part of their diet...
This is basically what Prince seems to be saying with Musicology. To his utmost credit he is trying to open ears, to give you a bit of a better diet.

Mike Phillips did such an amazing solo at the june 18th show. He held a single high note for almost 2 minutes. It was one of the highlights of the show.

props mike...

FelixtheCat said:

Wow Felix, thanks for opening my eyes. I guess I just don't know my music outside of Prince ... I know Maceo is a legend, and in that regard he's great to see (and even more to be able to SAY that you saw), but his playing bores me. Eric Leeds for example is a MUCH more colorful sax player with a much wider range. Maceo's solos all sound just the same.

And yes, I know what Prince is referring to when he yells "Maceo blow your horn." Why is it that everytime someone doesn't like a certain style or musician that Prince plays with everyone assumes that they just don't know their music history? I've been a music fiend since I was born, and I played saxophone for many years, and I think Maceo's playing is boring. Sorry.

i shouldn't even be on this thread because i hate saxophones to begin with. well, that screechy smooth jazz kenny g. shit, anyway. i like eric leeds' playing - it's almost like cartoon noir goth jazz or something, kinda dark and sick. i like when maceo's playing along and building the rhythm with his playing, but i don't go nuts for his solos. i know mike is very skilled and that's great, but all that chimpy noodling makes me nervous.

of course, i like when david bowie plays sax, but that's just because i like watching him blow something.

theblueangel said:

So Blueangel as a sax player that surprises me hugely that you don't dig Maceo (all the sax players I've met or read about rever Maceo)... however each to his own, who do you like then besides Maceo? and who do you listen to?
Do you have any Maceo albums or have you ever been to one of Maceo's shows?
I'd be interested to hear who your mentors are, who inspired you in your playing and whether you just hear a bit of the same with Maceo because of hearing him with Prince where he does limit himself...

Eric Leeds is the reason I picked up a saxophone.

Don't get me wrong, I understand why people go on about Maceo, and listening to the old James records I can certainly understand, but he just sounds so conventional to me, never surprising.

I've also been known to like Grover Washington Jr. and John Coltrane quite a bit. Eric has always remained my favorite sax player, period.

I'll stop ragging on Maceo. He's a legend, and deservedly so.

Part of the problem is that I like the tone of a tenor sax over an alto any day...just much less "chirpy."

Man, if I ever get to see Prince play with Eric Leeds on sax my blood will turn purple. (I think that would be a good thing.)

that's interesting about Eric
he'd probably cite Maceo as one of his influences!!!

Mike WAS at the 2nd Detroit show. I talked to him after I left the stage that night. I had given him flowers the first night for the band. The second night, I asked him if he had taken the flowers backstage, and he said he had. He was on one side of the stage helping the ladies down.

Peace.

theblueangel said:

No offense taken at all...just wondering if anyone knew what was up!

markusmom said:

He was NOT onstage during the concert at all...I was in the first row and my girlfriend noticed it too. Are you sure it was Mike you spoke to or a roadie?? The only horn players there were Greg Boyer, Maceo, and Candy.

Apparently, from other posts, he was not at the Milwaukee or first Chicago show, eiter...