Phil Robson artist page

Discography
Impish
Screenwash
Six Strings and the Beat

as co-leader of Partisans
Sourpuss
Max

with Christine Tobin band
Aililiu
Yell of the Gazelle
House Of Women
Deep Song
You Draw the Line
Romance and Revolution

To book Phil Robson and/or Partisans for live work please contact Bethan Hay at Air

Phil Robson is a guitarist/composer based in London , UK . He is internationally regarded as a highly versatile and creative musician who appears in many diverse settings.

Born in Derby in 1970 Phil had already enjoyed from the age of 14 onwards rapidly became part of the house rhythm section in the local club with such visiting musicians as John Etheridge and Bheki Mseleku as well as with his clarinettist father, Trevor Robson. Moving to London at the age of 18, he attended the Guildhall School of Music being one of the youngest students ever to do the jazz course. Awards include the prestigious BT 'Best soloist of the Year' award presented by John Dankworth, the Perrier Young Jazz award for the best instrumentalist in 1998

Much of the focus of Phil's work until now has been either as co-leader of the contemporary jazz-rock group Partisans with whom he has recorded two albums Sourpuss and 2005's Max and other bands in which he is as much composer as guitarist such as with his octet or with vocalist Christine Tobin. He started working with his trio in 2001 to present his writing and playing skills in a more intimate context. The 2002 recording Impish was made in September 2001, and features legendary veteran pianist John Taylor, a big fan of Phil's playing after he heard him with Partisans earlier that year (in Finland!), on 4 tracks. (In fact, he was originally only planning to be on three, but enjoyed the session so much that he wanted to do more.) Phil's follow up to 'Impish' in September 2003 called Screenwash was recorded in New York with leading NY leagendary drummer Billy Hart and bassist James Genus. In 1998 the British Council sponsored a week of gigs with his own trio in South Africa.

Also as band leader, Phil has received commissions for his octet from Birmingham Jazz and Derby Jazz. This band including Jason Yarde , Julian Seigel , Gene Calderazzo , Steve Watts , Thebe Lipere , Karen Street & Christine Tobin . (For Guardian review of live Purcell Room concert click here ) and

Phil co-leads Partisans with Julian Siegel (sax, bass clarinet) featuring Gene Calderazzo - drums and Thad Kelly - bass. .Partisans was formed around gigs in London's Vortex jazz club in 1996 and are considered one of the most important bands in the new jazz scene in Europe. They have recorded 3 CDs including the second Sourpuss on Babel with the bands latest , Max nominated for the album of the year in the 2006 BBC Jazz awards.

Phil has been a long term band member & frequent collaborator with the Babel singer Christine Tobin , whose ground breaking approach to singing & songwriting is highly acclaimed all around the world. He has also recently been to Syria, Yemen and Sudan with Christine.

Phil is also a member of the Liam Noble quartet with pianist Liam, drummer Tom Rainey, bassist Drew Gress. Alec Dankworth Trio with Alec - bass, Julian Arguelles - sax.
Gerard Presencer Quartet and the BBC Big Band.

Has also worked with international names such as Big Jon Patton, Charles Earland, Wayne Krantz, Steve Lacy, Mark Turner, Kenny Wheeler, John Taylor, Marc Copland, Vince Mendoza, Mike Gibbs, Peter Herbert, Tommy Smith, Django Bates, Michael McDonald, Cleo Laine, John Dankworth, Bobby Wellins, Iain Ballamy, Jean Toussaint, Stan Sulzmann, Tim Garland, Gary Husband, Jiggs Whigam, Patti Austin, Julian & Steve Arguelles, Mike Figgis (film director),Giavanni Hidalgo, Rufus Reid, Vince Mendoza, Denys Baptiste among many others.

In 2007, out of a commission from Derby Jazz arose the Six Strings and the Beat project, for guitar trio and string quartet which was premiered at the Vortex in London. At Derby jazz, John Fordham from the Guardian gave a **** review remarking "This inspired crossover is a real achievement for Robson and should go down among the year's jazz landmarks." Six Strings and the Beat has been recorded in London for release on Babel in 2008. It has received rave reviews in May 2008 from The Guardian a four star review naming it as, “…a hot contender among European releases for 2008” and Jazzwise magazine as “…his best album to date.”

Phil tours the project again in the spring and before that in January he went on a succesful UK tour with leading US saxophonist Dave Liebman.

'One of the crop of young UK guitarists who combine the technical expertise of classic beboppers such as Wes Montgomery and Kenny Burrell with the bite and muscle of a post-funk generation raised on Hendrix, Scofield and Metheny. He has a varied repertoire of multicultural materials far more deeply rooted in Britain than Philadelphia or New York. Robson's prospects as a composer are fast catching up with his improvisational skills.' (John Fordham, Guardian, 29 April 2002)

“Robson's crisp and cliché-free contributions make him a world class artist.”(Jazz UK )

“Robson has an unusual alertness to the collective needs of his musical partners as well as in his own solo virtuosity. ” ( Chris Parker - BBC Magazine).

“Robson, one of the country's fast-track younger guitarists, constantly expands the soundscape with his equal eagerness for acoustic tonalities and abrasive electric ones, and the poised economy of his improvisations throughout the set amount to a big part of its energetic impact.”(The Guardian).

“Bound together by their ludicrous sophistication, they are in huge demand individually, but thankfully they manage to regroup for albums such as this one.” Mike Bradley - review of Partisans' Sourpuss The Times)

“ Partisans + Wayne Krantz were the highlight of the 2003 Cheltenham Festival. Music that makes you blink in it's glare!”John Fordham - The Guardian.

For more information on Phil Robson, please visit www.partisans.org.uk and www.babellabel.co.uk and stop by at www.myspace.com/philrobson to
hear MP3s.