One of the most versatile drummers in the world, whose career encompassed rock and jazz and goes way beyond these genres, Simon Phillips is most known for his sessions omnipresence on the upper echelon musicians’ records and for his stint with TOTO, but there’s much more to the British veteran’s oeuvre. His work includes a string of solo albums that started in 1988 with “Protocol” – an offering which took on a life as a separate project with the release of its numbered follow-ups in 2013 and 2015 and, going down this 2-year trajectory, will be continued on October 27th when “Protocol 4” is to see the light of day.
Unlike the first chapter in the series, where Simon played all the instruments himself, the rest of it features a shifting line-ups of performers, bassist Ernest Tibbs, Phillips’ partner of choice rhythm section-wise, being the only other mainstay in the band. This time, the quartet is rounded off with guitarist Greg Howe, as the drummer’s rawer material dictated the need for a heavy fusion axeman, and keyboard player Dennis Hamm. Given their combination, the result of it all are, as usual, close to sensational. Read the review here.
Protocol 4
1. Nimbus
2. Pentangle
3. Passage to Agra
4. Solitaire
5. Interlude
6. Celtic Run
7. All Things Considered
8. Phantom Voyage
9. Azores
