The Phil Miller Guitar Prize

Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Jazz Department is tonight celebrating the legacy of jazz composer and guitarist Phil Miller. Long associated with the Conservatoire, Phil is remembered for the concerts and workshops he gave in the old Conservatoire building in the days before our magnificent new premises were built. His career began as a teenager in the blues/jazz/rock era of the last century and his unique, guitar-centered compositions were added to the Conservatoire's Archives following his death in 2017, making him the third Jazz Composer in our collection.

Tonight's Guitar Prize Competition is directed by our much-loved guitar and electric bass tutor Fred Thelonius Baker who played bass in Phil's band for 30 years. It will be an evening of Phil's music, opening with Fred's Trio with Mickey O'Brien on bass and Conservatoire alumnus Jim Bashford on drums, before handing over to the Competition entrants.

Students will have studied Phil's compositions which can be found at https://philmillerthelegacy.com/ and will perform their choice as solo guitarists or guitar and bass duos to demonstrate their understanding of his oeuvre. The adjudicating panel of staff from the Jazz Department will also look for the best personal and creative reaction to his music.

Once the winners of substantial prize monies have been announced, Fred and the team will play us out with a jam with all the students involved. This should make for an amazing evening of live music and celebration of Phil Miller's output.