Feb ’24: ‘Ode To NOLA’ Released 20th Feb & Intro Video

In a collection of new interview videos, Robin explains the stories behind the tracks on his upcoming album.

In this first video he talks to Seb Fisher about ‘Ode To NOLA’, the first single to come out from the album (Tues 20th Feb ’24), explaining how the inspiration for the song hit him whilst staying in a hotel room in New Orleans.

He talks about the different ways people refer to the city, like N.O.L.A., and how this song is his ‘love song’ to New Orleans.
He explains the song from a musical perspective, shares his favourite lyrics from the song, and introduces the musicians on the song:
Robin Phillips – vocals, Rhodes, keyboards
Neil Cowlan – electric and acoustic guitar
Stacey Dawson – alto sax
Sam Sankey – trombone
Louis Thorne – upright acoustic bass
Claire Brock – drums

Feb ’24: New 3 Min. Video Introducing The New Album

In this three minute video Robin gives the background of his new 2024 album, his first collection of original songs in over 20 years.

The album started life in a hotel room in New Orleans in 2019, when, at the end of his epic Chicago to New Orleans motorbike ride (see Back To The Source – music road trip documentary), Robin couldn’t sleep because of the noise of the St Charles Avenue streetcar outside. He suddenly realised that was a great opening lyric for a song and so started writing. The writing continued on the trip, on the flight home, and back in the UK, as Robin penned his thoughts about the cities he’d visited and the wider world during lockdown, recording the tunes as the world came out of its hibernation.

In this video Robin also announces the musicians that will appear on the album.

From New Orleans: Leroy Jones (trumpet), James Martin (tenor sax), Dan Ostreicher (baritone sax). From New York: Billy Kilson (drums).
From Cuba / Paris: Damian Nueva (acoustic bass).
From the UK: Claire Brock (drums), Alex Best (drums), Jihad Darwish (acoustic bass), Rob Anstey (acoustic bass), Louis Thorne (acoustic bass), Neil Cowlan (electric guitar), Stacey Dawson (alto and tenor sax), Sam Sankey (trombone), Natalie Rozario (cello), Darius Luke Thompson (violin), Hayley Pomfrett (violin), Una Palliser (viola), and the Soul Sanctuary Gospel Choir.
The first single ‘Ode To NOLA’ is released on Tuesday 20th February 2024.

Feb ’24: New Website Dedicated To The 2024 Album

We’re delighted to launch a new website dedicated to Robin Phillips’ 2024 originals album.
The website will host all the singles and videos relating to the album, along with sharing other information about his first originals project in over 20 years.
The first single, Ode To NOLA, is released on all streaming platforms on Tuesday 20th February

Jan ’24: International Representation For Robin With Peter Conway Management

We’re delighted to announce that Robin will be working with Peter Conway and his international team to help spread the music from the new album around the world.

Peter and his team (with offices in the UK and the US) are vastly experienced with the international jazz scene.

Whilst repmusic will continue to manage most UK engagements, and we’re really looking forward to spreading our net a little wider with the new album.
Festivals and jazz clubs around the world, feel free to get in touch with Peter Conway Management to discuss performances in ’24 and ’25.

The first single from the new album, ‘Ode To NOLA’, is released next Tuesday 20th February!

Jan ’24: Robin Photoshoot With World-famous Portrait Photographer

Robin has just released the results of having his portrait shot by legendary portrait photographer Matt Holyoak Photography last year.

It’s easy to see why he has been chosen to be the photographer of the Royal family, Daniel Craig, George Clooney, Spike Lee, and so many others.

Robin has composed and recorded music for Matt and was delighted when he was invited to Matt’s studio for this session.

We’ve been sitting on the photos for a while in order to use them for the new album.. so you’ll see more from this shoot over the coming weeks.

First single comes out 20th February!

Sept ’23 Berlioz Jazz-House Tracks Hit 10m Streams

In January 2023 jazz-house artist Berlioz came to the repmusic studio to record three jazz musicians improvising over his beats.

Five tracks resulted from the sessions which were released as the ‘Jazz Is For Ordinary People’ EP. Robin featured on piano and Rhodes and helped to craft the harmony and licks of the tunes.

There has been an incredible global response to the music, which has now had over 10 million streams in just a few months since the first single was released.

Click here to hear the music.

January ’24 update: Berlioz tours the USA

March / April ’24: Robin will be joining Berlioz on his UK and EU tour.

Apr ’23 – Robin Sings Chet Baker At Saffron Hall, 14th April ’23

We’ve been loving deep-diving into Chet Baker again for these shows featuring Robin and trumpeter James Brady, working together to bring the music of Chet Baker back to life.

The Westerham Jazz Club show went down exceptionally well in March, check out our social networks and our YouTube channel for some video from the night dropping next week.

The next show is at Saffron Hall in their Foyer Jazz series, where we’re focussing on the kind of drummer-less line-up adopted by Chet in Europe, with Robin on vocals, James on trumpet, Louis Thorne on guitar, and Joel Humann on Bass.

Robin Sings Chet at Saffron Hall (Saffron Walden nr Cambridge) on Friday 14th April.

Click here for more info on our Chet programme.

Mar ’23: repmusic presents ‘Sam & Vij Play Blue Train’ 29th Sept ’22

Kicking off the Spring season of jazz at Gonville Hotel in Cambridge and continuing the ‘repmusic presents’ series at the venue, on Thurs 9th March Sam Miles (tenor saxophone) and Vij Prakash (trombone) will perform their own take of one of John Coltrane’s most seminal albums: ‘Blue Train’.

At this dinner jazz event, guests can enjoy a two-course meal before settling in to enjoy these two top jazz musicians explore this 1958 classic, as well as playing brand new original music written for this project. A ticket only option is also available.

Dinner and jazz: 18:30 (two-course meal + concert £45)
Jazz concert only: 19:30 (£15)

Featuring some of the city’s top jazz musicians who perform regularly at London’s jazz clubs and around the country, this collaboration is sure to be a great night of jazz, mixing well-known jazz classics with brand new material.

John Coltrane is one of the most famous jazz musicians in history, becoming an absolute master of the saxophone and changing the landscape of jazz with his 1959 Giant Steps album. The year before releasing that album, his more chilled out Blue Train album is an absolute masterpiece of cool bluesy jazz, recorded during his residency at Five Spot with the Thelonious Monk quartet, as hard bop was reaching its peak and the artists starting to move to a more modal approach to jazz.

Mixing Coltrane’s originals where he uses the blues and other standards as bases to create his own pieces, and alongside the standard I’m Old Fashioned, Blue Train (alongside Miles Davis’ Kind Of Blue) is one of the most famous jazz albums of all time and certainly one of the most listenable regardless of your preferred style of jazz. The album featured John Coltrane alongside other jazz masters Lee Morgan, trombonist Curtis Fuller, Kenny Drew, Paul Chambers, and Philly Joe Jones.

repmusic presents ‘Sam & Vij Play Blue Train’, will feature:
Sax – Sam Miles
Trombone – Vij Prakash
Guitar – Phil Stevenson
Bass – Sandy Suchodolski
Drums – Josh Blackmore

Click here to email to book tickets or request further information, including a menu for the event.

repmusic presents live jazz at the Gonville Hotel, every Friday evening between 7-9pm, for more information see www.repmusic.co.uk

Oct ’22: Robin’s New rep4+ At Cambridge Jazz Festival Nov ’22

At this year’s Cambridge Jazz Festival Robin is performing his brand new album line-up and concept for the very first time. In a development of his existing jazz trio, he is adding electric guitar and cello to make rep4+.

Robin won the ‘Best Documentary Feature’ award at the 2022 King’s Cross Film Awards for his jazz and blues USA road-trip documentary ‘Back To The Source’ Making this film changed the way Robin sees making music and has led to not only a new line-up, but also a collection of original songs inspired by his trip.

At this dinner jazz event, Robin will perform some of his existing funky groove renditions of popular standards such as ‘In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning’, alongside material from his upcoming new album. Adding cello and electric guitar to a band is a unique mix, however each instrument compliments the new songs beautifully, which include songs about New Orleans, Muscle Shoals, and Clarksdale MS, but also about better understanding what it means to be English and reflecting on England as a country.

Guests can enjoy a 2 course meal before the performance, or come simply for the concert.

Weds 23rd Nov 2022, 18:30 – 21:30
Gonville Hotel, Cambridge, CB1 1LY
Tickets: Concert only – £15 / inc. 2 course meal £40

Main booking link.
Facebook event link for info and comments / chat.

Some video links:

City Beneath The Sea – Robin and rep4 perform Harry Connick jr’s ‘City Beneath The Sea’
In The Wee Small Hours – Robin performing with the Dexter Allen Band at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in Alabama, USA
Full ‘Back To The Source’ documentary – The full ‘Back To The Source’ jazz / blues motorbike road trip documentary on YouTube.

 

Aug ’22: Best Documentary Feature Award At King’s Cross Film Awards

We’re delighted to have won the ‘Best Documentary Feature’ award at the 2022 King’s Cross Film Awards and Film Festival, for our jazz blues road-trip documentary ‘Back To The Source.

After winning the ‘Best Feature’ monthly award in Dec 2021, the film was then included in the King’s Cross Film Festival in Aug 2022 and was given the annual ‘Best Documentary Feature’ award at an awards ceremony held at the legendary The Water Rats on Gray’s Inn Road in London last week.

For more information about the film including a link to watch the film on YouTube, click here.