Phil Dawson Quintet
We welcome Phil Dawson and his Quintet to perform on the festivals outdoor stage at Blackmore Gardens on Saturday 25 May at 1.20pm.
Phil Dawson is a guitarist and composer from the UK. He learned his art working with an array of well-known artists from different African, Brazilian, Jazz and Funk traditions.
London guitarist Phil Dawson has a strong legacy of work with global heavyweights – artists who include Hugh Masekela, Tony Allen, and Mulatu – but the vibe here is much more jazz-based overall – as Dawson plays both guitar and Fender Rhodes in a group that has a profound sense of flow!
A great part of the record’s sound is the work of flute player Rowland Sutherland – whose sweet lines are as much of a delight as Phil’s guitar – and the rest of the group is heavy on percussion, but used in a lean way that moves along nicely, and never gets caught in any sort of bombast – maybe more Brazilian in inspiration, if that makes sense. Khadijatou Doyneh of The Heliocentrics makes an appearance at one point – and the tracks are reworks of a few different themes but coming across in nicely different versions.” – dustygroove.com
Phil has a debut album as leader out on Funkiwala/Kudos, and is currently active with his trio, quartet, quintet, and sextet performing his own Afro- and improv-infused material, the regular lineup often augmented by invited guests emphasising different elements of a highly diverse, multicultural personal style.
Phil has collaborated with iconic musicians from the four compass points of Africa including Khaled (North); Osibisa and Tony Allen (West); Mulatu Astatke (East) and Hugh Masekela (South).
He has been a regular with bands from the London scene such as Lokkhi Terra, Dele Sosimi, Cubafrobeat, Soothsayers.
‘This is great’ – Gilles Peterson, BBC Radio 6 Music
‘Amazing’ – Chris Phillips, Jazz FM
‘A modern classic’ – Quinton Scott, Strut Records
