Simon Phillips and Protocol V

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If you were a rock superstar in the seventies, eighties, or nineties and you needed a drummer for a near-impossible job, Simon Phillips was the man you called.

—Rolling Stone

Flowing, complex grooves that are highly musical and satisfying to hear.

—The Jazz Word

Regarded as one of the world’s most renowned and respected drummers, Simon Phillips’s style not only reflects his technical gift but also his distinct musical sensibility. Whether rock, fusion, or jazz, Phillips applies the same precision and intensity to his drumming, which is never lacking in emotion and feel.

Throughout the 1970s and ’80s, Simon worked with rock bands and artists including Jeff Beck, Michael Schenker, Nik Kershaw, Mike Oldfield, Judas Priest, Mike Rutherford, Tears for Fears, 10cc, and the Who. Following Jeff Porcaro’s death in 1992, Phillips became part of the world-famous rock band Toto. After leaving the group in 2014, Simon ventured into the fusion and progressive rock worlds as both a drummer and producer. The latest version of Protocol comprises Otmaro Ruiz (keys), Alexander Sill (guitar), Phillip Whack (horns), and Ernest Tibbs (bass).