The Guitar Player's Resource
It's rare that a CD shows up from a guitarist who is 17, 18 or 19 years old that doesn't feature 5000 notes per minute, as the desire to impress overwhelms all common sense and musical sensibility. North Carolina guitarist Brett Phillips' new self-titled CD, Brett Phillips, showcases instead a maturity in playing and deftness of touch that one might not expect from someone his age. Set to pursue a degree in Music Performance at East Carolina University, Phillips has a great calling card with his ten-track instrumental CD, which features rock, progressive and even a bit of country playing. The production may not bowl you over, but it is serviceable, and doesn't get in the way of enjoying the tunes. Phillips even includes a cover of the Mason Williams tune "Classical Gas", played at a somewhat slower tempo than some of the covers done recently by other artists, but in keeping with his CD's overall vibe. A fine job.
Brett is 18 years old, and has been playing music all his life. His two main instruments are guitar and piano, and he composes as well. Brett is educated and experienced in the fields of music that he plays, and he has a firm knowledge of music theory. He has been involved in several music projects the last few years and has played outside North Carolina on a number of different occasions. For example, in 2003, he played for the 2003 Teen Talent Guitar division in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Brett's musical influences come from a vast number of genres. He enjoys the guitar stylings of Eric Johnson and fingerstyle players such as Tommy Emmanuel and Chet Atkins. His main piano influences are David Benoit and Jordan Rudess. Brett enjoys every type of music and loves to play jazz, progressive rock, country, and classical. Recently he has ventured far into the world of VSTi instruments and synth, which have opened a huge door for him musically in both his playing and composing.
Phillips would love to some make a career out of playing guitar, as perhaps a studio musician or touring guitarist. He plans to continue to play, express himself and share his playing with others.
Brett Phillips
416 Shawcroft Road
Fayetteville, NC 28311
United States
Web site: www.brettphillipsmusic.com