Simon Phillips - Protocol V - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

Poulenc / Allen / Badke Quartet - Complete Songs of Francis Poulenc 5 [COMPACT DISCS] date 07/10/2015

Simon Phillips, drummer & producer extraordinaire has upped the ante with his newest instrumental recording PROTOCOL 4. Building on his past PROTOCOL projects, Simon has again enlisted the highly talented bassist Ernest Tibbs along with PROTOCOL newcomers, the superb veteran guitar shredder Greg Howe and keyboard virtuoso Dennis Hamm. All compositions were written by Simon while on tour. InchThe first time I've really been able to concentrate on writing material on the road. Lots of creativity on airplanes and in hotel and backstage dressing roomsInch, says Phillips. Perhaps the vibe and energy of touring accounts for the slightly more Inchmetallic edgeInch to this new album. But, as is always the case, Simon's music defies specific labels as he fuses elements of rock, jazz, funk, classical and even world music into the mix. A case in point being the track InchCeltic RunInch combining a Celtic rhythmic motif with blazing guitar and synthesizer leads all held together with Phillips signature ultra-tight drumming and Tibbs ever solid bass work. InchPassage to AgraInch is a rhythmic musical excursion to an exotic foreign land. The tracks InchPentangleInch and InchSolitaireInch both contain some super funky grooves underlying jaw dropping metallic jazz/rock soloing. Greg Howe's guitar work shines throughout the recording, perhaps no more so than the plaintive and anthem-like track InchPhantom VoyageInch. Dennis Hamm's keyboard work is stunning on each and every track, whether he's soloing or adding rich orchestration. The album concludes with the monster high energy fusion track InchAzorezInch. In addition to awesome musicianship, Simon's impeccable production and recording technique shine once more on this album. PROTOCOL 4 is certain to please longstanding Simon Phillips aficionados and is certain to also bring new PROTOCOL fans into the fold.

Iconic drummer Simon Phillips is known worldwide for appearances with Toto, The Who, Jeff Beck, Al Di Meola, Hiromi, Stanley Clarke and his own group, Protocol. Simon continues to evolve as a composer on the exciting new Protocol 6 album. As he says, InchThe material is actually quite different from Protocol V. With the band now in it's sixth year, I was able to write specifically for each player. It's my rock 'n' roll side that dictates the form of each tune, even though the style is definitely jazz-rock. I like to call it progressive jazz.Inch The lineup in this road-tested outfit remains constant except that Phillip Whack now holds down the saxophone chair, playing tenor, alto and soprano with great authority.