Sherinian/Phillips is the musical alliance of keyboard wizard Derek Sherinian and drummer extraordinaire Simon Philips. Sherinian (Dream Theater, Alice Cooper, Billy Idol, Black Country Communion, Sons of Apollo) and Phillips (the Who, Pete Townshend, Jeff Beck, Judas Priest, Jon Anderson, Toto) first worked together on Sherinian’s solo albums 2001’s Inertia, 2011’s Oceana, 2020’s The Phoenix and 2022 The Vortex. Looping in Ron ‘Bumblefoot’ Thal on guitar and Ric Fierabracci on bass to round out the lineup, the pair’s 2023 release, Sherinian/Phillips Live, was recorded at The Grape in Ventura, California, on August 29, 2022.
Indeed, the virtuosity of these players cannot be overstated. The songs are built around high-flying main riffs, and while played as expertly (and blistering fast) as you’d expect from this crack-jack crew, I found that when the quartet lifted from the riffing, on a good number of Sherinian compositions, is where things got most interesting and showcased the players best.
“Temple Of Helios” presented me with my first fave. The understated piano, Bumblefoot at some of his most creative playing, and about halfway in, some sure breaks over what is a pretty sly funky groove, give us Phillips’ first fun solo moments. All through the drummer’s tom work-out solo, “Barnacus,” is cool (how can anybody not be thrilled hearing Simon Phillips soloing?), his leading right into “Seven Seas” is more exciting, especially in the break where Fierabracci is allowed to feature his bass over Phillips’s simple snare flashing.
“Ascension” gives Bumblefoot a short solo, but it’s actually during “The Phoenix” and “Aurora Australis” where the four pull out all the stops in their unique way. On the first, the players are wailing as fast as they can across another sure riff, but on the latter, a favorites here, and the longest tune of them all, this ‘band’ at its best. Beginning with light echoey piano that Sherina brings into a jazzy arpeggio, the remaining players come in slowly, Simon with bass drum, Bumblefoot single strong notes, Fierabracci laying back to tempt us with what we just know is coming in this brilliant jazz-fusion tune.
When things take a market shift to get crazier around the three-minute make, all gloves are off with everybody riffing over Phillips’s amazing drumming independence and getting down with some dirty-sounding organ and heavy drive.
Sherinian/Phillips Live is pretty much what you’d expect from players this good, with the added wonderful surprise of solid compositions along the way, and what sounds like four guys really enjoying how they often set into a deep blistering groove.
~ Ralph Greco, Jr.
