Simon Phillips - Protocol 4 (2017)

2018-04-11T14:15:07Z

Simon Phillips - Protocol 4 (2017)


01. Nimbus - 8:56
02. Pentangle - 6:47
03. Passage to Agra - 7:16
04. Solitaire - 5:59
05. Interlude - 1:39
06. Celtic Run - 7:48
07. All Things Considered - 5:53
08. Phantom Voyage - 7:31
09. Azorez - 6:44

Simon Phillips - drums
Greg Howe - guitars
Dennis Hamm - keyboards
Ernest Tibbs - bass

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.

The drummer's polyrhythmic fury amid a pristine soundstage pushes, prods and accents the quartet's largely melodic choruses via a fluidly moving program enunciated by a horde of climactic opuses and dynamics. Indeed, the musicians offer a sensory treat as Howe and Hamm thoughtfully build their soloing activities into exhilarating statements, as the ensemble often renders punishing crescendos and tricky time signatures. Howe's crying and wailing extended notes, primed with legato and lightning fast flurries amid Tibbs' clean and articulate lines are among many positives. More importantly, the album is designed with memorable works that instill enduring qualities.

"Pentangle" is a piece that exemplifies the ensemble's diverse mode of execution and rhythmic excursions. Here, Phillips launches a massive shuffle groove leading to melodic unison choruses by Howe and Hamm. Moreover, the drummer's ricocheting toms work progresses into a split-second paradigm shift, comprised of knotty pulses offset by Hamm's blustery Moog solo and darting lines across his keyboards. With climactic buildups and Howe's scorching notes, the quartet delves into a jazzy motif followed by Phillips' tornadic solo, where gargantuan press rolls, rapid double bass drum patterns and swirling toms movements provide the knockout blow towards closeout. Throughout, Protocol zooms in for the kill with the added benefit of compositions that offer a polychromatic and multitiered sequence of energized musical events that propagate the winning formula. ---Glenn Astarita, allaboutjazz.com

Brakłoby miejsca, żeby wyliczyć wszystkie projekty i zespoły, w których działał i nadal działa perkusista Simon Phillips. Mick Jagger, Peter Gabriel, David Gilmour, Roxy Music, Tears For Fears, Judas Priest, Mike Oldfield, Whitesnake, Jeff Beck, Toto… - to zaledwie wierzchołek góry lodowej. I to ten kojarzony z szeroko rozumianą muzyką rockową. A przecież jako artystę posługującego się różnorodną techniką oraz swobodnie poruszającego się po różnych stylach często można było go także usłyszeć w repertuarze metalowym, jazzowym oraz fusion.

I właśnie w takim stylu utrzymana jest płyta „Protocol 4”, którą Simon Phillips nagrał wraz z Gregiem Howem (g), Ernestem Tibbsem (bg) oraz Dennisem Hammem (dr), a więc niezwykle cenionymi muzykami amerykańskiej sceny jazzrockowej. Zgodnie ze swoim tytułem to album nr 4 w zapoczątkowanej w 1988 roku serii płyt z instrumentalną muzyką Phillipsa utrzymaną w stylu fusion. W sumie zawiera on prawie godzinę świetnych muzycznych dźwięków podzielonych na trwające po 6-8 minut instrumentalne utwory. Jest ich w tym zestawie osiem (plus umieszczone w środku krótkie interludium) i dosłownie w każdym słychać wirtuozerię biorących udział w nagraniach muzyków. Na solidnym fundamencie finezyjnej perkusyjnej gry Simona Phillipsa pozostali instrumentaliści dokonują spektakularnych popisów i zachwycają swoją grą swoimi smakowitymi partiami, impresjami i solówkami. Czarują i błyszczą.

Materiał na płytę powstawał podczas licznych tras koncertowych perkusisty, który o swoim procesie twórczym mówi w taki oto sposób: „Po raz pierwszy w swoim życiu byłem w stanie skoncentrować się na pisaniu utworów podczas trasy. Zauważyłem w sobie mnóstwo kreatywności w samolotach, hotelach oraz w garderobach na backstage”. Ośmiominutowy utwór „Celtic Run” to wspaniały przykład syntezy symfonicznego rocka z heavy fusion, „Nimbus” brzmi jakby pochodził z którejś z wczesnych płyt Alana Holdswortha, a niesamowicie melodyjny jak na jazz fusion epik „Phantom Voyage” mieści w sobie genialne solówki Howe’a osadzone na świetnie współpracującej ze sobą sekcji i zatopione w bogatych dźwiękowych plamach syntezatorów.

Brand X, Chick Corea, The Mahavishnu Orchestra – te właśnie nazwy nasuwają się same w trakcie słuchania „Protocol 4”. A w głowie rodzi się taka oto myśl, chyba najlepiej oddająca poziom muzyki, z jakim mamy do czynienia na tym wydawnictwie: nie trzeba być specjalnie jakimś wielkim fanem muzyki jazz fusion, by docenić to wydawnictwo, a już w ogóle nie ma z tym problemu, gdy choć od czasu do czasu słucha się pełnej tak świetnej jazzrockowej muzyki płyty, jak „Protocol 4”. Ten album to prawdziwy ambasador tego gatunku. Polecam. Choć przyznaję: sympatykiem muzyki fusion nigdy nie byłem. Lecz płytą „Protocol 4” jestem po prostu zauroczony. ---Artur Chachlowski, mlwz.pl

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Simon Phillips - Protocol III (2015)

2019-09-24T15:34:08Z

Simon Phillips - Protocol III (2015)


1	Narmada 	5:43
2	Imaginary Ways 	7:02
3	Outlaw 	6:05
4	Catalyst 	6:27
5	Amrita 	7:23
6	Circle Seven 	8:01
7	You Can't But You Can 	8:45
8	Undercover 	6:57

Bass – Ernest Tibbs
Drums, Producer, Mixed By – Simon Phillips
Electric Guitar – Andy Timmons
Keyboards – Steve Weingart

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 production, sound engineering, and his own burgeoning solo career. Though his website lists 9 albums as a leader (or co-leader) there are several others out there, including two by the co-operative band RMS (with Russell and Mo Foster), and 21 Spices (Art of Groove / MIG Records, 2011) with Trilok Gurtu and the NDR Big Band.

Despite the hundreds of recordings he's been on, and the dozens of amazing musicians he's worked with, Phillips' collaboration with superstar guitarist Jeff Beck continues to be a defining moment in his career. From Steve Weingart's atmospherically orchestral keyboard swells to Andy Timmons' gritty, blues-saturated guitar style and Phillips' own penchant for odd time signatures and exotic percussion sounds, El Becko's influence looms large on Protocol 3. And that's a good thing, because Protocol 3 is easily one of the year's most exciting jazz-rock recordings. Though Phillips dabbled in the smooth jazz arena during the 1990s, those tendencies have completely disappeared from his music. The eight tunes are a diverse and creative lot, all written or co-written by Phillips and his bandmates. The playing is, as you'd expect, fantastic throughout. Polished, but with just enough filth.

"Narmada" rides a danceable bhangra groove from start to finish, as Timmons' solo completely opens the George Benson chakra. "Imaginary Ways" swings artfully between mellow moody blues and proto-metal heaviness. Here, Timmons' guitar phrasing and Weingart's very chill Rhodes work conjure Beck's collaboration with Jan Hammer. The anthemic "Outlaw," heavier still, reminds me of something Hammer said during a DownBeat Blindfold Test: ..."this is rock-jazz, not jazz-rock." The band shows their versatility on "You Can't But You Can," getting truly funky in the tradition of Billy Cobham's first few solo albums, or Herbie Hancock's recordings with the Headhunters. That said, it seems Mr. Phillips has also picked up a few licks from Ahmir Questlove Thompson. The opening drum solo on "Undercover" has Tony Williams written all over it, while the rest of the tune is a truly aggressive, multi-sectioned jazz-rock barnburner with fantastic solos by Timmons and Weingart. The highlight of Protocol 3, however, is "Circle Seven," a truly gorgeous tune co-written by Weingart and Phillips that would have you thinking that the 20-teens are truly the halcyon days of jazz-rock. More great solos, more drumming thrills, but it's Ernest Tibbs' bass work that carries the day here.

Protocol 3 is real-deal jazz rock. No avant-garde trappings, smooth jazz noodling or proggy pretensions (well, maybe a little bit of the latter) here. This one left me with a smile on my face every time I listened to it. ---Dave Wayne, allaboutjazz.com

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Jazz

Simon Phillips - Protocol 4 (2017)

Simon Phillips - Protocol III (2015)