Sorry for my english, but I have to tell the old NPG freaks about the show I just saw last saturday night (february 10th). It was in Creteil a city in the very close suburb of Paris. It was the closing show of the 3 weeks "sons d'hiver" festival (that you can translate by "winter sounds" festival), it was advertised as a first creation: Minneapolis aka Michel Portal an old french jazzman and his supergroup: Tony Hymas, Vernon Reid and ... Michael B. and Sonny T. Ticket price was 120 FF (18 USD). First I must say that I was a little bit disapointed with the record I bought a week ago. You know, Michel Portal is, like Sun Ra or Miles Davis in the 70's, an adept of free session with the band jammin for hours with a recorder on and then you just cut some moments for an album. I think it's certainly great and full of freedom for a musician but the result on this record was too strange and lack unity for me. So I went to the show because of Michael B. and Sonny T., but with no idea of what it will sound like on stage. And in fact it was just very cool. Much more solid than the record: it was a real band with very talented musicians playing together. The show was sold out and the venue was packed with approximately 1 200 people. The audience was much more like jazz audience (30 to 50 years old, seated and very, very polite) than the usual funky freaks but there was also a bunch of Prince fans screaming from time to time at Sonny T to play "days of wild" (I must admit ... I screamed too!). Michael B. had a red shirt and orange sun glasses, Sonny T. was in black jeans, black tee shirt (my god, he's quite fat now), his hair in a black hat. He was seated near the drums during the whole show. They played the entire album. Sonny T. sang 2 songs the one he sings on the minneapolis album: "M.P. on the run" and another one (a very nice ballad) I didn't recognize. I never realized how great was his voice, for example, he can really sing very high. He was amazing and these two songs were a really cool moment. The crowd was very pleased and I must say that here in France, this show has had quite a lot of press and everybody was aware that the band was exceptionnal and in particular these two former Prince sidemen. There was 3 encores and at the end everybody was not really groovin' but let say, movin' and even the serious Mr Michel Portal seemed to have great fun on stage. Sonny T. was as usual very loud and great but Michael B. was really, really incredible. He was smiling all the time, laughing with Sonny T. or Vernon Reid and he played like he had 3 or 4 arms. Really incredible. In fact he stole the show, and I don't say that because I'm a fan. He got the maximum of the applause and Michel Portal himself was looking at him with admiration. In fact playing jazz seems quite natural for him and, this is my opinion, drives him to much more creativity than playing Prince tunes. How he played reminded me an aftershow in the "rex club" in paris in 93, that night he was not only powerfull but also very precise and inspired. Well guys, it was quite long but this Michael B. really deserved to be praised. If, let's dream a bit, he joined back the NPG now, he will push the limits and Prince really need that kind of influence (and not only play old Family Stone songs).