“The One, the Only” Rock Folk Legend
Shawn Phillips
Saturday, September 17, 7:30 pm
Shawn Phillips is a pioneer and visionary, whose made a deep impact on rock, folk and many musical genres. He has influenced and collaborated with such luminaries as Donovan, George Harrison, and Paul Buckmaster, and his career 20 albums have sold more than 9 million copies worldwide.
Through no other intent than create his own music; Shawn Phillips has been a pioneer and visionary in a score of musical genres. And that may be why Phillips has been so broadly defined - Folk Rock, New Age, Acoustic Rock, Classical, Mystical, even Progressive Rock – it's hard to put a label on an innovator of such a musical amalgamation. But it's easy to see Phillips' influences in all those musical movements. His album titles have come to take new meaning of contribution and collaboration because as it turns out, that's just what Phillips has done throughout his career. And Phillips has done something else amazing during a musical journey that now spans over 5 decades; he and his music have stayed relevant.
During his career on A&M Records, Phillips' made some of his most well know albums, Contribution, Second Contribution, Collaboration and Faces and in total, he has sold more than 9 million copies of his 20 career albums. The singles, Lost Horizon, We and Woman were Billboard charted hits and received worldwide radio play. This year marks the 40th Anniversary of Second Contribution which has sold over 3 million copies alone. Both Second Contribution and Faces are now available for digital download. Also available is The Best of Shawn Phillips.
Special Summer 2011 Performance
at London's Royal Albert Hall
Phillips will once again contribute his talents to fellow rock pioneer Donovan's classic album Sunshine Superman during a special 45th anniversary performance at London's Royal Albert Hall on June 3, 2011. The pair were roommates in the sixties in London, collaborating musically as well as developing each his own craft. It was during that time that Phillips with Donovan would introduce the sitar's first historic fusion with pop music through Sunshine Superman (nominated for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame-2011), and Phillips influence went further when he tutored George Harrison as he took up the instrument and later gave it significance in the music of The Beatles. Phillips was a session player (guitar) on other Donovan LPs as well including Fairytale and Mellow Yellow. Donovan also recorded a successful a cover of Phillips' The Little Tin Soldier.
In 2010, he took his successful 50th Anniversary Tour to over 60 cities throughout the U.S. and Canada. His previous tour included a first time reunion with Paul Buckmaster and J. Peter Robinson, key musicians in his early recordings and resulted in the DVD Living Collaboration: Reunion Concert. His most current releases include the brilliantly compiled CD, Shawn Phillips: At The BBC which wholly encompasses his keen level of musicianship and genius. When not touring, Phillips resides in Port Elizabeth, South Africa with his SA born wife and young son.
Phillips will go down in history as a musician's musician. Yet looking back on the era from which he emerged, few artists have stayed in touch with the '60's bread ethos with such constant exploration or never-ending evolution.
- Cleveland Scene
This singer-songwriter made his first important recording almost 40 years ago: Contribution was an ambitious acoustic outing that showcased his willowy fingerpicking, multioctave vocal range, and penchant for high-flown lyrics. His persona as a mystical hippie troubadour has stayed pretty much intact. His guitar work is as masterful as ever, with contrapuntal picking and deft chording that sometimes make it sound like he’s playing rhythm behind his own leads, and his voice can still leap nimbly from a rumbling baritone through a full-bodied tenor to a soft-edged falsetto.
- Chicago Reader
Perhaps no one has made more contributions to rock and roll, with so little recognition, than Shawn Phillips.
- Houston Press
Before the last 60's fork in the road that separated the folk and rock, the two worked harmoniously and synonymously through artist like Shawn Phillips. Phillips made the scene in various folk meccas around the globe. Maybe it isn't fair to call Phillips a folk rocker, but his voice, finger-style attack, and wry lyricism quickly rise out of the folk and even past the rock.
- Rochester City News
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