Simon Phillips was born February 6, 1957, in London, England (United Kingdom). He is a renowned drummer, composer, bandleader, producer, and engineer who has been active in the music industry for over four decades. He is known for his versatility, excelling in various musical styles such as jazz, rock, and jazz-rock fusion.
He is recognized for his precision, intensity, and emotional sound, which he has exhibited through his numerous recordings and tours around the globe. Throughout his career, Simon has worked with some of the most prominent musicians in the rock and jazz world, including Jeff Beck, Jack Bruce, Pete Townshend, Al Di Meola, Jon Anderson, Jan Hammer, Stanley Clarke, Jon Lord, Mike Oldfield, Brian Eno, and many more. Some of these artists were pioneers of the jazz-rock genre, also known as fusion, in the 1970s.
Simon Phillips has had a diverse and accomplished career, recording and touring with many notable musicians. However, it was the untimely death of drummer Jeff Porcaro that led to Simon’s 21-year tenure in Toto (1992-2014), where he contributed to ten albums and numerous world tours. During this period, he also worked on various projects led by Steve Lukather, Michael Schenker, Derek Sherinian, and others.
In the realm of jazz, Simon has had a rich association with virtuoso pianist Hiromi and electric bassist Anthony Jackson (Chick Corea) in a trio that lasted for seven years, producing five albums from 2011-16 and touring extensively. He also performed in a jazz-rock trio with French keyboardist Philippe Saisse (Al Di Meola) and electric bassist Pino Palladino (Steve Gadd), under the group name PSP.
Simon’s sound is greatly influenced by many great drummers, with a notable influence being 1970s-era Tony Williams. According to Simon, “I was introduced to Tony by Jack Bruce back in 1977. His 1975 album, Believe It, is still one of my favorites.”
Simon Phillips’ Protocol project began in 1989, but it wasn’t until the release of Protocol II in 2013 that his compositions truly came to fruition. This album brought together renowned rock guitarist Andy Timmons with jazz-funk keyboardist Steve Weingart (Dave Weckl) and electric bassist Ernest Tibbs (Allan Holdsworth), solidifying the new lineup as one of the great bands in jazz-rock history. The same lineup appeared on Protocol III in 2015.
For the release of Protocol IV in 2017, Ernest Tibbs remained in the bass chair, but the band welcomed rock session guitarist Greg Howe (Michael Jackson) and dynamic young keyboardist Dennis Hamm (Thundercat) to the group. Still utilizing the quartet format, Protocol IV featured Simon’s strongest compositions yet and was nominated for a Grammy Award in the Contemporary Instrumental Album category.
In 2019, Simon toured extensively to celebrate Protocol’s 30th anniversary, playing tunes from each of the previous albums. However, the lineup was tweaked once again, this time to become a quintet, including veteran keyboardist Otmaro Ruiz (John McLaughlin), Jacob Scesney on saxophones and the brilliant young guitarist Alex Sill.
In 2022, Protocol V was released, demonstrating the band’s high-energy driven collection of pieces, with Simon Phillips’ signature sound that the Protocol legacy has come to be known for.
Discography:
Protocol (Food for Thought, 1988)
Simon Phillips (Manhattan, 1992)
Force Majeure with Ray Russell, Anthony Jackson, Tony Roberts (B&W, 1993)
Symbiosis (Lipstick, 1995)
Another Lifetime (Lipstick, 1997)
Out of the Blue (Victor, 1999)
Vantage Point, with Jeff Babko (Jazzline, 2000)
Protocol II, with Andy Timmons, Steve Weingart, Ernest Tibbs (Phantom, 2013)
Protocol III, with Andy Timmons, Steve Weingart, Ernest Tibbs (In-akustik, 2015)
Protocol 4, with Greg Howe, Dennis Hamm, Ernest Tibbs (Phantom, 2017)
Protocol V, with Otmaro Ruiz, Alex Sill, Jacob Scesney, Ernest Tibbs (Phantom, 2022)