artist info

Veteran drummer Simon Phillips returns with Protocol 6. A Potent fusion project showcasing his compositional prowess and searing band chemistry. Album release set for June 5, 2026 on Phantom Recordings.

Jazz. Rock. Jazz-rock. Across more than five decades, legendary drummer Simon Phillips has shown an uncanny ability to excel in most any musical environment. Precision, intensity and emotion are hallmarks of Simon’s sound in every setting.

By his twenties, Simon had already worked with iconic figures including Jeff Beck, Jack Bruce, Pete Townshend, Al Di Meola, Jon Anderson, Jan Hammer, Stanley Clarke, Jon Lord, Mike Oldfield, Brian Eno and others. High-profile recordings and/or tours were soon to come with the likes of Mick Jagger, Asia, The Who, Gary Moore, Joe Satriani and many more. But it was the untimely death of drummer Jeff Porcaro that led to Simon’s 21-year presence in Toto (1992-2014), highlighted by ten albums and numerous world tours. During this period Phillips also worked on various projects led by Steve Lukather, Michael Schenker, Derek Sherinian and others.

Simon’s own compositions and group concept began to gel with the Protocol II album in 2013. There have since been four more Protocol albums, culminating with Protocol 6 in 2026. The band features longtime electric bassist Ernest Tibbs (Allan Holdsworth), veteran keyboardist Otmaro Ruiz (John McLaughlin), the brilliant young guitarist Alex Sill and now, Phillip Whack on saxophones.

Simon continues to evolve as a composer on the new Protocol 6 album. As he puts it, “The material is actually quite different from Protocol V. With the band now in its sixth year, I was able to write specifically for each player. My compositions are melody-based, and the format is more as though the songs were written for vocals. It’s my rock ‘n’ roll side that dictates the form of each tune, even though the style is definitely jazz-rock. I like to call it ‘progressive jazz.’ Alex Sill also co-wrote three of the compositions.”