Catching Up With…Simon Phillips photo by Billie Rainbird Life after Toto is no walk in the park for this drummer—it’s more like an all-out sprint, with plenty of deep grooves and technical wizardry to go around.   With the release of Spark, Japanese keyboard phenom Hiromi once again proves that while material is important, it still takes just the right sidemen to bring a composition to life. Now three studio albums in, Hiromi’s Trio Project is firing on all cylinders, with bass legend Anthony Jackson lending brilliant contrapuntal support to the music, while the drumming provides color and intensity thanks to amazing performances by Simon Phillips. Spark is full of dense, odd-time fusion madness. But it also has moments of spacious funk and intimate delicacy, and no one seems more qualified to handle such a roller coaster than Phillips, who imposes on the music with plenty of notes and waves […]

July 2016 Issue