Glyn Phillips

I was brought up on jazz, blues and (old school) gospel by my jazz trombonist father during the 60s and 70s – alongside rock of course! In the later 70s I heard and saw my first African bands and in the 80s got exposed to Latin American music whilst living in South America. I’ve never been the same since!

My musical areas of interest tend to be in what is usually described as World Music. Besides writing occasional reviews for UKVibe, I’ve been an active percussionist and kit-drummer for over 40 years in a wide range of bands and projects from jazz, blues, rock folk and pop, through funk, soul, urban and gospel to reggae, ska, salsa, samba, cumbia and in particular all manner of fusions.

More recently I have come out from behind my weapons of mass percussion to take to the mic myself and develop my love of words as a spoken word artist (ranging from ‘serious’ poetry to chap-hop!).

I’m also a radio DJ with my weekly “WorldBeatUK” world music shows currently on Brum Radio. You can also find them as radio podcasts on Mixcloud. Also search for @WorldBeatUK on Twitter and Facebook.

Hoping to start up online jazz/funk/soul based show soon “The Urban Groove Show” too (probably Brum Radio and Mixcloud).

I was a club DJ since the late 80s – mostly spinning tropical music as part of Viva La Musica, Moseley Tropical, Brazil in my Soul, Viva Latinos, Bongo Go 2.0, etc, (for 25 years or so alongside the Godfather of the Brummie Tropical scene, the late Brian Parsons aka Zuppa Inglese).

I was also Editor of WorldMusic.co.uk for some years and many of my reviews can be found there.

Performing, broadcasting, DJing, teaching, listening, writing and dancing to music has been so much a part of my life that I instinctively distance myself from anyone that says that music is not important to them. If music be the food of love, then my belly is fit to burst and my heart is beating in 6/8…

Glyn Phillips

Glyn Phillips’s WorldBeatUK Best Albums of 2017:

1. Rev Sekou – In Times Like These (Zent / 30 Tigers)

2. Blay Ambolley – Ketan (Agogo)

3. Havana Meets Kingston (Baco)

4. Big Daddy Wilson – Neckbone Stew (Ruf)

5. Natiruts – Indigo Cristal (Sony)

6. Various Artists – The Soul of Jamaica (Chapter Two)

7. Steamchicken – Look Both Ways (Chicken)

8. Sam Kelly & The Lost Boys – Pretty Peggy (Navigator)

9. Omar Sosa & Seckou Keita – Transparent Water (World Village)

10. Amine & Hamza – Fertile Paradoxes (Arc Music)

11. Aida & Babak – Manushan (Croises Acordes)

12. Hasa-Mazzotta – Novilunio (Ponderosa Music)

13. Divanhana – Live in Mostar (Arc Music)

14. Khamoro Budapest Band – Hungarian Gypsy Music (Arc Music)

15. Various Artists – Queens of Fado: the Next Generation (Arc Music)

16. Various Artists – Synthesize the Soul: Astro-Atlantic Hypnotica from the Cape Verde Islands 1973-1988 (Ostinato)

17. Various Artists – Sweet as Broken Dates: Lost Somali Tapes from the Horn of Africa (Ostinato)

18. Various Artists – Pop Makossa: The Invasive Dance Beat of Cameroon 1976-1984 (Analog Africa)

19. Daymé Arocena – Cubafonía (Brownswood Recordings)

20. Sabrina Malheiros – Clareia (Far Out Recordings)

Glyn Phillips’ Best Of 2016:

1. Martín Robbio Trio y Los Guevaristas – Tierra (Brabacam) Review here

2. Marta Ren & The Groovelvets – Stop Look Listen (Record Kicks)

3. Dhafer Youssef – Diwan of Beauty and Odd (OKeh)

4. Bruce & Vlady – The Reality (Vampisoul)

5. Amanda Tovalin – Punto de Partida (Private Press)

6. Lori Cullen – Sexsmith Swinghammer Songs (True North)

7. Balaphonics – Afro Massive Soundsystem (Eklektik)

8. Chucho Valdés – Tribute to Irakere: Live in Marciac (Jazz Village / Harmonia Mundi)

9. Brian Auger – Anthology Vol.2 (Freestyle)

10. Edwin Sanz – Overflow (Alex Wilson)

11. Seraleez – Good Life (Agogo)

12. Arat Kilo – Nouvelle Fleur (Eklektik)

13. Renegades of Jazz – Moyo Wangu (Agogo)

14. Various – Space Echo (Analog Africa) Review here

15. Daymé Arocena – One Takes (Brownswood Recordings)

16. Various – Follow Me To The Popcorn (Jazzman)

17. Eliane Correa En El Aire Project – Rumba Con Flores (Movimientos)

18. Louisiana Soul Revival ft Doug Duffey – Love Into My Life (Private Press)

19. Deep Street Soul – Come Alive! (Freestyle)

20. Various – The Rough Guide To South African Jazz (World Music Network)