Phil Meadows
Phil Meadows is fast emerging as one of the UK’s most creative young jazz musicians. Wanting to play saxophone after seeing Lisa Simpson duet with Bleeding Gums Murphy it was at the age of 12 that Phil new exactly what he wanted to spend his life doing. As a saxophonist he performs with the self titled ‘Phil Meadows Group’ whose acclaimed debut album ‘Engines of Creation’ has since been toured throughout the UK with support from Jazz Services. Until recently Meadows was also the lead alto for the National Youth Jazz Orchestra of Great Britain and can be seen performing regularly with a myriad of other ensembles. With recent success in the prestigious ‘Peter Whittingham Jazz Award’ Phil is now the musical and artistic director of the brand new twenty-piece ‘Engines Orchestra’ set to record and release a brand new suite of original music in collaboration with the Phil Meadows Group on Boom Better Records later this year. This ambitious project is set to see Meadows working with musicians of all genres and developing new music with a cross section of artists over the coming years.
Throughout his career so far he has been welcomed onto some of Europe’s most respected jazz platforms including the Bimhuis in Amsterdam where he was the youngest, only Briton and only saxophonist in the final of the ‘European Keep an Eye Jazz Soloist Competition’. He has also performed at the BBC Proms, Glastonbury Festival, Ronnie Scotts, Bridgewater Hall and the Sage in Gateshead. In February 2012 Phil was also invited to perform for Her Majesty the Queen as part of the jubilee celebrations. His passion for music is carried throughout the industry where Meadows is one of musical directors at the National Youth Jazz Orchestra running their weekly improvisation ensemble ‘NYJO London’. He is also an avid writer who’s words can be read in Hot House; a regular contribution for JazzUK magazine giving exposure to the increasingly talented new wave of British jazz music.
During his education, Phil studied at some of the UK’s finest institutions. Firstly at Manchester’s internationally renowned Chetham’s School of Music before moving on to study jazz at Leeds College of Music where he graduated with a first class honours being awarded the ‘George Murphy Prize for Saxophone’. Phil was then offered a place on the ‘Arches Scholarship’ to study jazz at postgraduate level at Trinity Laban motivating his move to the capital to completed his masters degree in 2012.
His musical inspiration is varied. Phil grew up on the ever diverse Manchester and Leeds jazz scenes that have brought us Beats and Pieces, Roller Trio, GoGo Penguin and LIMA (Leeds Improvised Music Association). His love of original music is heard through his own writing influenced by Dave Binney, John Hollenbeck and Tigran Hamasyan fused his passion for the ambient, electronica label NinjaTune and European jazz masters ECM. Phil has had the opportunity to work alongside some of his favourite musicians including Tim Garland, Jason Yarde, Soweto Kinch, Jacqui Dankworth and the Cinematic Orchestra’s Stuart McCallum and Luke Flowers.
Phil is also proud to be associated with RICO Reeds and Yanagisawa Saxophones which Phil both plays and recommends.
Phil Meadows plays: Yanagisawa S9030 Soprano saxophone.