Rock
Jazz
Jazz Fusion
Jazz-Rock
Enjoyable
Simon Phillips’ 2026 release, Protocol 6, continues the drum master's legacy of high-octane modern jazz-fusion, delivering an expansive, immaculately engineered sonic landscape. Building on the quintet architecture honed on Protocol V, the record pairs Phillips’ signature thunderous, polyrhythmic drum drive and pristine mix work with the agile, lockstep bass grooves of longtime collaborator Ernest Tibbs. Alex Sill’s soaring electric guitar lines and Otmaro Ruiz’s rich acoustic piano and synth textures construct intricate harmonic layers, while saxophonist Phillip Whack adds a searing, soulful frontline voice to the ensemble. Shifting effortlessly between complex, odd-meter fusion workouts ("Andromeda," "Code 4 Kryptos") and sprawling, multi-movement epics like the 14-minute "Event Horizon", the album delivers a punchy, pristine, and articulate sound profile that balances jaw-dropping technical skill with infectious, soaring melodies.