We had already posted the DAT-sourced audio to this concert, the band’s only gig of 1994, a release party of sorts for the “Recent Discoveries” album recorded the previous year. As it happens, the vaults also included a transfer of a video recording of the same gig, but with inferior sound from the camera’s own microphone.
26.12.22
Watch part three of Aymeric Leroy’s interview with Theo Travis.
HERM
04.12.22
Watch part two of Aymeric Leroy’s interview with Theo Travis.
HERM
06.11.22
Since we published the last OPUS page we have added two new videos. These have come from the Phil Miller Prize competition winners. On the Phrygian Blues page you will find the version performed by Leo Marland and on the Eastern Region page which we are publishing today you will find the version performed by Oliver Canham and Adam Roberts.
HERM
04.06.22
The prize of £1000 is offered to students of the RBC for a solo or duo performance of a composition by Phil Miller to demonstrate their understanding of his oeuvre.
On Thursday 19th May the Phil Miller Guitar Prize took place in the Eastside Jazz Club at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. This event has been postponed for the last two years because of the disruption caused by the Covid pandemic. It was in danger of being postponed for a third year when at the last minute we were offered this date. We were unprepared for it as we had been hoping to stage the event later in June but decided to accept this date and put on a pared-down version rather than missing out until 2023.
In spite of the short notice we had a good response resulting in six performances: three duos and three solos.
Fred Baker provided additional entertainment with his trio: our special guest of the evening Mark Fletcher on drums, Mickey O’Brien on Bass and himself on guitar playing some of Phil’s pieces.
The First Prize was won by Leo Morland on guitar with a fabulous performance of Phrygian Blues and the Second Prize was won by a duo performance from Oliver Canham on guitar and Adam Roberts on electric bass with a great rendition of Eastern Region.
We are posting all the performances of the evening starting with the first and second prize winners.
HERM
28.05.22
This week we are showing episode one of Aymeric’s interview of Simon Picard. Simon joined in Phil’s band In Cahoots in July 2005. You can watch him playing in the Phil Miller Tribute Concert on this site on Miserable Man, Fool’s Meeting, Nowadays a Silhouette, Second Sight and Nan True’s Hole.
HERM
21.05.22
Today we are posting a performance of In Cahoots on their 1990 Italian tour.
HERM
16.04.22
I recently came across this photo of Hugh that I took when Hugh brought his wife and their new daughter Rose to visit us many years ago. Today in fond memory of Hugh, we are showing a video of highlights from the benefit concert for him which was held at London’s 100 Club on 14th December 2008.
Herm
21.01.22
This week we are showing the concluding episode of Aymeric Leroy’s interview with Fred Baker: the erstwhile bass player with Phil Miller’s band In Cahoots and now the new bass player with Soft Machine. This photo was taken on 5th January this year on the eve of the Soft Machine concert in New Cross Gate, London the next day. Look out for a surprise video of Fred next week giving an update on his work with Phil’s music at Birmingham University’s Royal Conservatoire.
Herm
14.01.22
This week we are featuring Fred Baker again with episode two of his three part interview with Aymeric Leroy. Pictured here is a shot of Fred, well wrapped up against the cold, taken from Phil and Fred’s Russian Duo tour in 1993.