Keyboard virtuoso and composer Derek Sherinian was born on August 25, 1966, in Laguna Beach, California (USA).
Derek Sherinian started taking piano lessons at age five in Santa Cruz, California. After his junior year in high school, he received a scholarship to study at the famed Berklee College of Music in Boston.
Sherinian has worked with top rock and blues musicians such as Alice Cooper, Billy Idol, Whitesnake, and more. Additionally, he was also a member of prog metal band Dream Theater from 1994 to 1999. He founded the band Planet X and co-founded hard rock band Black Country Communion and prog metal group Sons of Apollo.
The solo album “Oceana” was released in 2011.
In 2020, after nine years since his previous solo recording, Sherinian released the solo album “The Phoenix”. Sherinian said: “Why such a long delay? With people downloading your music for free, the record advances dwindled to a point where it didn’t make sense. I focused my creative energy in other areas. But then I got inspired to start working on a new album, so I called Simon Phillips, who has been my collaborator and mentor on these records for so long. He was open, so I then got a label deal with InsideOut, and off we went.”
“It is always an amazing experience to be able to work with Simon. He’s been a hero of mine for ages, ever since I heard him playing on albums with Jeff Beck (‘There & Back’, 1980) and Michael Schenker (‘The Michael Schenker Group’, 1980). And he is such an invaluable part of the way this new record has come out. We wrote most of the material here and co-produced the record. Simon has mixed it as well. Oh, and he plays the drums, of course.”
Phillips replied: “When Derek asked me to collaborate on this album, I immediately said ‘Yes’! We have a wonderful writing chemistry, always have had, and it was a joy to work on these new tunes. I feel he brings out the best from me in terms of composition, playing and engineering. The partnership just works!”
“The Phoenix” featured an impressive cast of guests, including bassists Tony Franklin (“He’s been on all my albums to date”), Jimmy Johnson and Billy Sheehan (Sherinian’s bandmate in Sons Of Apollo), guitarists Joe Bonamassa and Zakk Wylde. In addition, the album featured guitar wizard Steve Vai.
“Steve Vai has always been on my hit list. But it was when I played keyboards on the Generation Axe tour of Asia in 2017 that I asked him to play on my record, which he gladly accepted”.
In 2022 Sherinian announced the release of “Vortex”, an eight track album featuring a mix of funk, progressive rock, and jazz. “Vortex is a continuation of The Phoenix,” Sherinian stated. “However, I feel the composition is stronger on the new album, and I would describe it as a modern day 70s style fusion record, but with newer heavier tonality.”
(headline image: Derek Sherinian – Photo by Greg Vorobiov)
Discography:
Inertia (Inside Out Music, 2001)
Black Utopia (Inside Out Music, 2003)
Mythology (Inside Out Music, 2004)
Blood of the Snake (Inside Out Music, 2006)
Molecular Heinosity (Inside Out Music, 2009)
Oceana (Music Theories Recordings, 2011)
The Phoenix (Inside Out Music, 2020)
Vortex (Inside Out Music, 2022)