Mike Phillips: Uncommon Denominator
Label: Red Urban Records/hidden beach
Original Release 2005

I haven’t heard Mike Phillips’ first album, but based on the quality of his playing his second album alone, I can confidently say he has a promising future. His balanced tone is in evidence right from the first track which opens with a simple but catchy bassline before he comes in. Unfortunately a voice creeps in repeating Mike’s name and unbalances the track. In fact, if I have any complaints it’s about these little imbalances in track composition; the lack of intuition as regards what fits and what doesn’t. For example tracks 3 and 4 (Crazy and Heartbeat Of The City – produced by Jeff Lorber) have such similar bass progressions that even if it was acceptable to have them on the same album, surely they could have been kept apart. As it stands they sound like one extended track that gets tiring after two minutes. Apart from these minor gripes Mike Phillips proves to be a sensational horn player on all the tracks. Exemplary tracks include, If It Takes All Night (Track 5), a Zapp & Roger-influenced track with Trina Powell on vocals, that favours Mike’s fluid tone and progressions, and We Are One (Track 9), a Frankie Beverly cover with a superb live feel.

Overall this is a good album that could have been great. Mike Phillips is plays beautifully, skipping notes and scales with ease, plumbing emotional depths then re-emerging with funk. It takes a combination of elements to make a great album and what’s encouraging here is that Mike Phillips’ own artistic ability is excellent, but he has to achieve a better mix next time to get his due recognition.

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