great artist, singer, and music
I will make this short but the people who say this is rip off big band are idiots, and the people who say his voice, and solo cd's are garbage have little understanding of music,because there brains can't percieve it or also there afraid there friends will make fun of them to listening to compassionate songs of love, peoples lives, and world events, it just shows there bland taste in music like many in america have today, considering both big band and jazz, and classical are the heritage of this country. These are insecure people with themselves, who cannot percieve great musicianship, singing, and writing, and as far as his voice , not everyone has a high range like a chaka khan, or steve perry, it does not mean he has no talent, your corney for saying that and your comments reek of basless fact, phil with genesis, his solo cd's, and other production, and sessions, and films, he has sold nearly 300 million records, over 100 just on his own, no one in todays music besides maybe celine dion, or a few others that have been around for sometime will sell that many and be that popular, most of todays commercial artists are not good singers, songwriters, or good musicians, its too much about the money, and the image, selling records based on that will not influence everyone including a great international following, the music industry is a joke, and I have many points to make on that at a future time, virtually no one from the 90's on up till today will make an impact on music like phil collins, his music is the soundtrack too many lives, please do not run musicians in the ground, or singers that you know little about or just on the fact of there talents, I would love to hear some of you people demonstrate your music abilities, and try to be that successful, no not in the money sense, but on sheer success, have a nice day and open your minds up more to different styles of music, and artists, maybe you will see the light and appreciate music as an art form instead as a piece of fast food based only on technology (most rap, and r and b, and pop), or fast, over distorted music, that reeks of evil lyrically, that is not the only sound out there, 5 stars to phil collins, and his big band, phil is one of my music heroes, and keeping big band and jazz out there for more generations to open there ears, up to the great underground music scene, for many styles, including traditional jazz, jazz-fusion, and prog rock, and others like the above styles made day in and day out by fantastic l.a, new york, and international session players.

Good - But don't get just to hear Genesis and Phil Covers
One reason why Phil Collins departed from the group Genesis was to focus more on his own projects. These projects probably included (for good or bad) his own solo career, his film/soundtrack career, and a Big Band Project. "A Hot Night in Paris" represents a collection of Phil's Big Band recordings that were done live (I'm assuming Paris, but it never gives a date or specific location - the liner notes say he took the band out in the USA and Europe). This collection was released in 1999 and it marks something different that Phil Collins had done. "A Hot Night in Paris" is an instrumental collection and Phil focuses his efforts on the drums. Although this is something different, it isn't radically different. For most of Phil's career he has worked with a horn element in his music and with the Big Band, this allows him to focus the horn element in slightly different way. For the collection, Phil teams up with legendary Jazz Sax player Gerald Albright (who actually gets the second billing in the credits behind Phil Collins). There are 10 selections included on the CD. For the majority of the songs, Phil dives into his own library by using 4 Genesis ("That's All", "Invisible Touch", "Hold On My Heart", and "Los Endos[Suite]") songs and 3 of his solo songs ("Sussudio", "I Don't Care Anymore", "Against All Odds"). There also is one Albright song ("Chips and Salsa"). There also are 2 'external' cover songs - Miles Davis' "Milestones" and Average White Band's "Pick Up the Pieces". What is surprising is for the most part it is the cover song and the Albright song that really make the impact on this album and not Genesis or Phil Collins solo stuff.

If you are familiar with Phil Collins' solo work, Phil brings two of the musicians that have worked with him through the years. Daryl Stuermer has been Phil's guitarist and right hand man in both Genesis and the Solo department for almost 20 years. Daryl not only contributes some guitar work, he is also the co-producer of the album. On the Horns end, Harry Kim has been a trumpet player and horns director for Phil. Harry assumes the musical director role on this collection and Phil gives him a some big props in the credits for his tireless efforts.

I don't claim to be an expert in Big Band music, but I do think I know a good Big Band sound when I hear it. For the most part, the Genesis stuff doesn't translate all that well. For songs such as "That's All", "Invisible Touch" and "Hold on My Heart" - you will hear traces of what the original song will sound like when played Big Band style. For the most part, I would categorize these as loose covers of the Genesis material. It's not bad, but I think they could have done stronger covers that better represented these songs being played Big Band Style. "The Los Endos Suite" is the final song on the collection - this is a cover of an old Genesis song "Los Endos" from "A Trick of the Tail". This is a terrific cover and definitely one of the stronger sets on the collection. Phil's solo work covers a little better. "Sussudio" and "Against All Odds" are pretty strong covers and remain true to the original roots. I would say that "I Don't Care Anymore" is a much looser cover by the Big Band.

The real surprise of the collection is the cover of Average White Band's "Pick Up the Pieces". I am not a fan of AWB, but I always felt "Pick Up the Pieces" was a strong song - dominated by the Sax. It seems natural that this song would translate to Big Band Style and in this case it really does translate well. On most of the collection, I don't think we see enough strength from Phil himself in the drumming department. On this song, Phil's drums really add a great dimension to this classic song. I was glad to see a Miles Davis song covered and Phil and the band do a terrific job on "Milestones". This is another song that really translated well and although Phil's drumming isn't as strong as on "Pick Up the Pieces", it still is good when you hear it. Finally, "Chips and Salsa" is the song contributed by Gerald Albright. This is terrific Latin Jazz song and again showcases a lot of the talent the band has.

As for the collection itself - you do get sort of a feel for a live set. The Phil Collins Big Band is introduced at the beginning and "Los Endos Suite" does give a feel for a finale song. In general I don't like live collections that are "best of" recordings from several nights. I prefer the live recording to be for a single night to get the continuity and magic of the single night. This collection does do a decent job at giving the perception that this is a single night, so it isn't all bad. Since much of the audience of this CD is going to be Phil Collins fans as opposed to Big Band fans, Phil could have done a better job during the tour at telling some of the background of the cover songs - particularly the non Genesis and non Phil covers. Perhaps language problems due to the European recordings prevented this from happening.

The liner notes do give all of the credits of the Big Band and point out who did the solos in each number. As mentioned above, I would have liked to have known when and where these recordings were taken from. All in all, this isn't a bad effort. I wouldn't purchase this collection on the sole basis of hearing the Genesis and Phil stuff because you may be disappointed.

Was Mr. Collins joking about this?
What a rip off. This CD is pure garbage. If you grew up in the 1940s, then this album is for you otherwise don't waste your money on it. I thought this was a live Phil Collins concert. On the contrary. Sure he oversaw the making of it and even played drums on it, but it's not a Phil Collins album. This is pure trash and I deeply regret spending the money on it. It's not worth it. Like I said, if you like Big Band stuff, then this is for you otherwise don't waste your time or money on it.

Thankfully
Phil Collins has always been a weak singer, good drummer and percussionist and long been a mediocre keyboardist. Thankfully this album does not showcase Phil Collins dry and rangeless voice. Instead its pretty much all instrumental which is its plus. Collins has assembled a strong group of musicians to help him out and came out with a acceptible instrumental jazz album. This album is far better then Phils horrid studio work but suffers the serious flaw of having many of the covers of Phil and Genesis pop songs still come out too poppy though there is a great live version of Los Endos at the end of the album, the best version out there.

Phil's Hot Big Band
...As a longtime Phil Collins fan for well over two decades now, I've gotten used to the constant idiotic bad reviews of Phil's singing & songwriting abilities that have plagued him since 1985's "No Jacket Required" album, which are stupid enough. But to put down Phil's talent as a *drummer* is absolute bull---t! Phil Collins is without a doubt one of the greatest drummers in the world. NO ONE on God's given Earth plays drums like Phil Collins. He is a master, a pro, and he has a unique drumming sound that's entirely his own. He KNOWS his way around that drumkit. If you can't hear the brilliance of Phil's drumming on "A Hot Night In Paris," or on ANY album that Phil has drummed on throughout his career for that matter, then you are obviously, 100%, frigging DEAF! Now that I've gotten that off my chest....Phil Collins has always had great affection for jazz music, and, in 1999, he did a brief tour with his own jazz band, playing certain jazz classics, as well as jazz arrangements of some of his solo & Genesis material. No singing, just some major kick-butt jazz playing. His big band's stop in Paris is well-documented on "A Hot Night In Paris," as Phil & company put excellent jazz rave-up spins on Phil favorites like "Sussudio," "I Don't Care Anymore," Genesis hits "That's All," "Invisible Touch," and their 1976 prog-rock warhorse, "Los Endos," and a phenomenal, mindblowing, 12-minute blast through the old Average White Band classic, "Pick Up The Pieces." Phil & his big band are simply sensational on this recording---I wish I could've been at the concert myself! If you're a diehard Phil Collins fan, then "A Hot Night In Paris" is a definite must-have. Rock on, Phil!