Simon Phillips is best known as the drummer for Toto. He joined the band at the age of 35 and over the next 21 years they made numerous successful albums and world tours. But the career of drummer, composer, bandleader and producer Phillips comprises of much more than that. For more than four decades, the legendary drummer has excelled in various genres such as jazz, rock and fusion.
His collaborations are impressive: Jeff Beck, Pete Townshend, Al Di Meola, Jon Anderson, Mike Oldfield, Brian Eno and Hiromi. Simon Phillips has been working on the Protocol project since the late 1980s. He played previously at De Boerderij with Protocol II and IV. In different line-ups, but always with high-profile and talented musicians, Protocol has established itself as one of the best bands in jazz-rock history. With the quality and potential of the musicians of Protocol V, the eponymous album has once again become an energetic and creative one. The line-up of Protocol V, next to Simon Phillips on drums, is Alex Sill on guitars, Ernest Tibbs on bass, Otmaro Ruiz on keyboards and Jacob Scesney on saxophone.