SIMON PHILLIPS - Protocol II

Kategorie: CD-Reviews | Genre: Jazz/Jazzrock/Fusion | Heft: Jahrgang 2014, eclipsed Nr. 164 / 10-2014 | VÖ-Jahr: 2014 | Wertung: 7.5/10 | Label: Phantom | Autor: AT


Simon Phillips has recorded his new longplayer with Andy Timmons on guitar, Steve Weingart on keyboards and Ernest Tibb on bass, which would actually set the style. The record stands for modern fusion with a high melody content and not only reminds at one point of Jeff Beck's "Blow By Blow" ("Moments Of Fortune"). Although the album has a playing time of almost 60 minutes, which is in contrast to the current trend where the musicians record shorter albums again, Phillips and his band provide a lot of excitement. Rhythmically complex and harmonically varied tracks with impressive instrumental elements ("Upside In Downside Up"), relaxed fusion, which sounds a bit like Billy Cobham in the mid-seventies ("First Orbit"), and the funk-fusion-fireworks "Enigma" never become an end in themselves, because the melodies inspire instead of confuse. Mature, "retro-innovative" and also very, very cool.

Top Track: Upside In Downside Up

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