Michael Jackson 1958-2009

Other than the occasional rumor about Phish performing Thriller some Halloween or other, the late Michael Jackson never made much of an impact on the improv-rock scene. His tightly knit arrangements and intricately choreographed stage presence never quite fit improv-rock's looser and bluesier bent. But, man, could that cat – and his four brothers – deliver the fireworks onstage, as I learned during an utterly mind-blowing show at the Los Angeles Forum during the Jacksons' Triumph tour in 1981. As this weird clip taken from a video mixing board shows, among his other talents, Michael Jackson was also a master of the tease.