Philip Sayce Innerevolution
I am sad to say I knew very little of Phillip Sayce until Peter Noble sent me a copy of the cd recently. Believe me that is my loss.
Phillip Sayce is a a Welsh Born geetarist who after witnessing Eric Clapton live a youngster decided this was his chosen path. As a mainstay of the Toronto scene in his teens he was asked to join the Jeff Healey band. He moved onto Uncle Kracker and as the then geetarist for Melissa Etheridge he released his first solo cd in 2005"Peace Machine".
Innerevolution sees Phillip teaming up with such luminaries as Richard Marx to produce an 11 track cd that has crosses many boundaries but is tuneful and uplifting with echoes of Jeff Healey,Jimi Hendrix,The Beatles.Stevie Ray Vaughan and Lenny Kravitz and also on track 2 "Scars" vocally Jeff Scott Soto.
Ably backed by his backing band of Ryan Macmillan(drums),Joel Gottschalk(bass) and Fred Mandel on keys who have played with the likes of Queen,Supertramp,Elton John and Matchbox 20 there are really too many highlights to mention.
Track 1 "Changes" sets the scene with its guitar driven wah wah style with Phillip's rich vocals on top.
Track 2 "Scars" is a heavy funk number with the JSS vocal style as mentioned before and some great geetar playing.
There really should be justice in the world and a song like "Daydream Tonight"being a world wide hit. Everytime I play it I want to re hit play straight away. I love its optimistic vocal line about climbing to the top of the world and being whatever we want to be and you could hear it being played at the end of a movie. The fantastic production on the cd really shows home on this with its light and shade sound.The Beatles middle section and the orchestration and soulful solo really are top top draw!!
You also have the raw blues of "Tennessee Girl" with its stunning solo,"Bitter Monday" and its Queen style drum intro and big chorus and again another wah wah style solo and "Are You Ready" is another great song with light and shade and a Joe Perry sounding extended solo to end with that would go down a storm live!! Same as "Gimme Some More"with its very insistent drum led beat and big chorus and heavy playing and very bluesy solo!!
Lastly "Little Miss America" has Hendrix and Kravitz all over it. At over 8 minutes long it gives us a chance to see a song develop over a longer time frame. Again fantastic back up from the band give Phillip the chance to show his chops vocally and playing wise and a solo to die for.
I could go on all day really.
A truly fantastic cd that should see Phillip move onto bigger things. There is a real depth to this that shows maturity for one still quite young. There is raw power,an emotive side and just a joy in producing music that you can see he so believes in.
Brilliant.
Phillip is on tour until the 17th of November being supported by Marcus Bonfanti a new British blues geetarist who recently released his "What Good Am I To You?" cd.
Very heavy old school blues with a real stomp you feel should have been made in the swamps of the deep south.
Songs with very gravelly vocals with a real blues edge and delicate acoustic picking sit alongside some real blues stompers that will go down a storm live.
"Will Not Play Your game","Goin Down"and "Give Me Your Cash" are all highlights.
2 different cds that also have a lot in common. Soulful,passionate and a joy to hear.
ME
