Mike Jones: Penn & Teller's best-kept secret

For years I have been writing the praises of Mike Jones, one of the greatest jazz piano players alive. I have written a cover story on him for Las Vegas Weekly (where I am staff) and called your attention to his work on this blog.

Jones has a handful of discs on the jazz label Chiaroscuro. But if you want just one tiny reason why Penn & Teller offer the best show in Vegas, Mike Jones springs to mind. The duo easily could opt not have an opening act, or they could play taped music while the audience is seated. Most shows do that. Instead, being music fans, they have hired one of the most talented players around to give audience members an extraordinary 60 minutes of entertainment as they take their seats and await the start of the Penn & Teller show. Probably, very few members of the audience are aware that a world-class talent is performing as they run for drinks or sign an envelope (part of the show). But Jones has recently begun posting clips of his playing on YouTube, and I thought I would share one of those clips with you, sparing me the need to fail yet again at conveying his talent to you with words: If a picture speaks 1,000 words, how many volumes are in a YouTube clip?