Whatever Simon Phillips may do, listening to this drummer’s work is always a pleasure, especially when he’s not merely laying down imaginative grooves but also composes and arranges arresting tunes. And this is exactly what the veteran’s been doing for the last eight years with his project, PROTOCOL. With an ever-changing line-up, each of the ensemble’s albums offers a change, and now that only bassist Ernest Tibbs remaining, alongside Simon, from the foursome who issued "Protocol 4" in 2017, and guitarist Alex Sill and keyboard player Otmaro Ruiz coming over from its 2022 sequel, “Protocol 6” – which is scheduled for release on June 5th promises to be even more different.
Protocol 6
Before getting to this platter, Phillips put out a set of demos, and having cleaned the slate, leads the band in a new direction. “I was able to write specifically for each player,” explains Simon. “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.” Fascinating.
1. Andromeda
2. Unstable Grounds
3. Intrepid Traveller
4. As The River Flows
5. Code 4 Kryptos
6. Event Horizon
7. Sundown In Old Town
