Jazz Articles about Simon Phillips

About Simon Phillips

Album Review

Ray Russell: Fluid Architecture

Read "Fluid Architecture" reviewed by Mark Sullivan

by Mark Sullivan
October 4, 2020

Veteran British guitarist and composer Ray Russell has been active in free jazz, fusion and as a session player. His whole range of experience finds a voice in the opener “Escaping The Six String Cage," as he and synthesist Eric Baldwin explore a wide range of guitar sounds. Slide guitar gives way to lyrical volume pedal swells, followed by rhythmic loops leading into free playing. Lyrical delay evolves into an abstract soundscape, finally returning to slide. Several tracks ...

Album Review

Rob Silverman: Drumology

Read "Drumology" reviewed by Jim Worsley

by Jim Worsley
September 15, 2020

Master drum clinician Rob Silverman, known for his explorative drumming and absorbing instructional videos, teamed up with an impressive line-up of top-flight jazz and fusion drummers to collide the study of drumming with the presentation of original songs penned by Silverman and his brother Michael Silverman. The result, Drumology, is a blend of science, rhythm and melody. For the project, Silverman invited an array of drumming superstars that included Dave Weckl, Simon Phillips, Gregg Bissonette, and Steve Smith.

Album Review

Simon Phillips Protocol: 4

by Glenn Astarita
February 27, 2018

All-universe drummer Simon Phillips can navigate just about any rock-related genre with the greatest of ease, given his tenure with Toto, The Who; voluminous discography as a session artist and ongoing leadership with his jazz-rock ensemble, Protocol. On 4 guitar hero Greg Howe replaces Andy Timmons, and Dennis Hamm takes over keyboard duties for Steve Weingart, along with longstanding member, bassist Ernest Tibbs. Ultimately, Phillips strikes gold on the latest rendition, perhaps looming as the band's finest outing to date.

SoCal Jazz

Simon Phillips Protocol at Catalina Jazz Club

by Jim Worsley
February 18, 2018

Simon Phillips Protocol Catalina Jazz Club Hollywood, CA February 6, 2018 Early on, the very engaged crowd at the Catalina Jazz Club in Hollywood knew we were in for a treat. Perhaps it was enough that drummer Simon Phillips and his quartet Protocol were ready to take the stage for an evening of high-energy fusion. After an opening number, Phillips announced, “We will be playing Protocol 4 in it's entirety." ...

Album Review

Simon Phillips: Protocol 3

Read "Protocol 3" reviewed by Glenn Astarita

by Glenn Astarita
February 23, 2016

This is the 3rd installment of all-universe drummer Simon Phillips' (The Who, Toto, Hiromi...) Protocol band. And he imparts a commanding presence via lyrically charged fills and mesmeric polyrhythmic flurries amid the resonating output from his large rock kit. Akin to the previous albums, the quartet intertwines jazz fusion, jazz rock and progressive rock into a unified entity, backed by tuneful hooks and the musicians' tightknit interactions. Moreover, keyboardist Steve Weingart and guitarist Andy Timmons infuse an array of multihued ...

Album Review

Simon Phillips: Protocol 3

Read "Protocol 3" reviewed by Dave Wayne

by Dave Wayne
June 4, 2015

A professional musician from the age of 12, Simon Phillips' drumming sound and style is instantly recognizable. He's toured and recorded with just about every major rock and pop act imaginable; from Mick Jagger, The Who and Toto to Judas Priest, Mike Oldfield, and Joe Satriani. Also an uber-session player, he's recorded countless jazz, fusion and progressive rock sessions with lesser-known, highly-gifted artists such as Duncan Browne, Gary Boyle, Phil Manzanera, and Ray Russell. Lately, he's turned increasing attention to ...

Extended Analysis

Simon Phillips: Protocol II

by Ben Scholz
August 12, 2014

It has been 14 years since the release of Vantage Point, Simon Phillips' last project as a leader, and nearly 26 years since his debut album Protocol. In these years, Phillips has become a drummer to the stars, recording and performing with the likes of Jeff Beck, The Who, and Judas Priest. In '92, following the death of founding member Jeff Porcaro, Phillips was asked to fill the drum chair for Toto. He would go on to occupy this position ...