A 20 plus minute big band, huge horn section version of “Pick Up The Pieces.” All is right with the world now.

I was really happy to find this today. I had no idea this was a thing. Phil Collins had this big band as a side project for a few years in the late nineties. This is from the 1998 Montreux Jazz Festival. An extended and highly arranged version, by Arif Mardin, of Average White Band’s classic, Pick Up The Pieces.

Get this video rolling, get ready to groove, and TTSU – TURN THAT SHIT UP!

Lots of great pickers in this line-up and it’s 20+ minutes of groove with highlights on top. Lots of saxophone solos, each one as good as the last. 

Then you get to George Duke’s solo, which we’ve been waiting for for several minutes. And it make you realize how much we miss him. Especially us Frank Zappa fans. George Duke, we miss you buddy. Then after the last sax solo, an explosive one from the classy due in the suit, we get to see Mr Mardin’s arranging chops and the horn section.

I’ve never been that big of a Phil Collins fan, but he did us all a great service here. The Phil Collins Big Band was only around for a few years and just a few gigs. They released one album, A Hot Night In Paris. Of course, they covered some Genesis hits and Collins did some singing, but they did mostly other stuff. Check out The Los Endos Suite, conducted by Quincy Jones. Tasty stuff.

So we have this awesome version of a great song, 20 minutes of groove with a smokin horn section and he gave it to us with no drum solo!! Bravo, Mr Collins and God Bless You.