Mike Phillips’ Saxophone Sounds Off The Wall For Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour

posted:

11/04/2012

During the 3-continent tour, the band is recording a live album

Honoring the King of Pop through a hybrid performance of rock concert and Cirque Du Soleil acrobatics, Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour continues to showcase the late icon’s style, music and mind-blowing performances across the globe. Saxophonist Mike Phillips clips on HARMAN’s AKG C519ML microphone to his instrument, while monitoring the show through AKG’s IVM4500 IEM in-ear monitoring system for the current second-largest grossing world tour.

“This show is loud – a lot is going on musically and visually, so it’s important to ensure all aspects of the music are picked up and heard clearly,” stated Phillips. “When I signed on to THE IMMORTAL World Tour, I told my producers I could only use AKG; I needed that reliability and quality to ensure the great Michael Jackson’s music was held to a level of precision that would make him, his family and fans proud.”

With such a visual show every night, Phillips finds himself moving all around the set, which has multiple pieces from the actual set of the tragically cancelled “This Is It” tour. Utilizing AKG’s WMS4500 wireless system, his mic provides a clear sound from his WMS body transmitter anywhere on stage. “We’re not stationary in any aspect,” Phillips continued. “Throughout the show, I am on the sides of the stage, on top of the sets running around constantly. The AKG WMS system is very reliable and doesn’t cut out when I’m moving. It’s one less worry while performing.”

During the 3-continent tour, the band is recording a live album. According to Phillips, the AKG C519ML mic does a great job picking up his saxophone, preventing bleeding from the other instruments in the band.

On off-nights, Phillips books smaller jazz shows in the cities where he performs to keep his solo career moving. With three solo albums, all of which debuted in the top five on Billboard’s Contemporary Jazz Charts, Phillips has sold more than 500,000 albums. With his own separate, personal arsenal of AKG, including an additional C519ML and IVM4500 monitoring set, he can easily drop into jazz clubs across the world, plug in and play.

“The reliability, durability and quality of AKG is apparent whether I’m performing solo or with the IMMORTAL tour,” Phillips said. “AKG is my go-to system and I couldn’t imagine my sound the way it is with another mic or wireless combination.”