Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Simon Phillips: Protocol II

Simon Phillips: Protocol II

By Dan Bilawsky
August 2, 2014
View read count

Protocol II arrives fourteen years after drummer Simon Phillips' last leader date—the hard bop and post-bop based Vantage Point (Jazzline Records, 2000). And it comes approximately a quarter century after the original Protocol (Music for Nations, 1988)—a true solo date that had Phillips covering all the instruments, filling in the space around his calling-card drumming.

So why the long wait for another solo album? That question is pretty simple to answer: Phillips wasn't thrilled with much of the writing he had been doing during that span of time. He was also plenty busy with other work, hitting the studio with various artists, pleasing pop fans through his ongoing work with Toto, and giving jazz fans his all in a trio with pianist

Hiromi

piano
b.1979

" data-original-title="" title="">Hiromi and bassist

Anthony Jackson

bass, electric

" data-original-title="" title="">Anthony Jackson, so there was no reason to put something out there if he wasn't ready. When he finally got the itch to make his own record again, and felt he had material worth using, he put together a band with two longtime musical colleagues—guitarist

Andy Timmons

guitar
b.1963

" data-original-title="" title="">Andy Timmons and keyboardist

Steve Weingart

keyboards

" data-original-title="" title="">Steve Weingart—and bassist

Ernest Tibbs

bass, electric

" data-original-title="" title="">Ernest Tibbs, a monster player he knew but never worked with. Phillips then booked some studio time and sent everybody some demos of fully fleshed-out songs and shorter ideas. His plan was to collaboratively piece together the material in the studio, and that's the way it went.

Phillips' instrumental DIY approach on the original Protocol made some of the instrumental work seem like window dressing for his drumming, but that's never the case on this one. All four men tear it up as equals, walking the progressive fusion-y path together as one. Those who simply want to witness Phillips' chops-laden soloing get their wish. He throws down during the sinister "Wildfire," gets his shots in during "Gemini," shreds on the brief "Octopia," and unleashes himself over a vamp on the album-ending "Enigma." But the menu has more than drum solos. Straight up groove work, chilled-out atmospheric material with blues-tinged guitar ("First Orbit"), rip-roaring thrill rides ("Upside In Downside Up") and more await. Yes, the material has some of that fusion excess and studio slickness to it, but a little excess never hurt anybody. Phillips has been silent as a leader for far too long, so it's nice to see him back in the saddle, putting his incredible skills to use in his own name.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Wildfire; Soothsayer; Gemini; Moments Of Fortune; Upside In Downside Up; First Orbit; Octopia; Enigma.

Personnel

Simon Phillips

drums

Simon Phillips: drums; Andy Timmons: guitrars; Steve Weingart: keyboards; Ernest Tibbs: bass.

Album information

Title: Protocol II | Year Released: 2014 | Record Label: Phantom Recordings

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Jeff Hirshfield on Rich Perry's Stee...
< Previous

Tedeschi Trucks Band at Red Rocks
Next >

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.