Phil Hey

Philip C. Hey
Background information
Born	May 21, 1953 New York, NY, US
Genres	Jazz, bebop, hard bop
Occupation(s)	Musician, composer, educator, bandleader
Instruments	Drums, percussion
Associated acts	Phil Hey Quartet
Website	www.philhey.com

Phil Hey (born May 21, 1953) is an American jazz drummer born in New York, NY. He has worked with several leading jazz musicians including Dewey Redman, Jay McShann, Mose Allison, Benny Carter, Charlie Rouse, Harold Land, Charlie Byrd, David "Fathead" Newman, Geoff Keezer, Mark Murphy, Benny Golson, Stacey Kent, and Kenny Barron.^[1]

Biography

Born in New York City, he grew up in Philadelphia and the St. Paul suburb of Roseville, Minnesota.^[1] The Twin Cities-region continues to be his base, although he regularly performs throughout North America as a sideman.^[2]

He started his music study with mentor and legendary jazz drummer Ed Blackwell at the Creative Music Studio in New York in 1975. His relationship with Blackwell continued until Blackwell's death in 1992.^[3] He has also studied with Floyd Thompson^[4] and Marv Dahlgren, the former principal percussionist of the Minnesota Orchestra.^[1][5] In addition to several jazz musicians he counts the Beatles and 1960s rock groups as early music influences. He also credits his parents and his childhood band instructor for their support and encouragement in pursuing a music career.

He actively performs with several groups and leads his own quartet. The Phil Hey Quartet features Phil Hey on drums, Tom Lewis on bass, Dave Hagedorn on vibraphone, and Phil Aaron on piano. The group released Subduction: Live At The Artist's Quarter in 2005 which was subsequently named Best Jazz CD of the Year by the Twin Cities alternative weekly newspaper City Pages.^[6] City Pages also named him 2006 Jazz Musician of the Year.^[7] His first album, Let Them All Come with Pat Moriarty, was released in 1977 on the small private label Min Records. The cover art by Homer Lambrecht is featured in Freedom, Rhythm, and Sound, a compilation of a unique jazz album artwork by Gilles Peterson and Stuart Baker (Soul Jazz Records).^[8] In total he has appeared on over 125 recordings and remains a first-call musician supporting regional recording artists as well as touring jazz artists. His jazz recordings include the critically acclaimed Von Freeman's Live At The Dakota,^[9] Pete Whitman's X-Tet Where's When?, Tom Hubbard's Tribute to Mingus, and Ed Berger's I'm Glad There is You – all of which received 4 out of 5 star ratings by Down Beat magazine reviewers.

In addition to his work as a jazz musician he has played regional performances with blues and rock acts, including Nick St. Nicholas, George "Mojo" Buford, and Mississippi Fred McDowell. He has appeared on the soundtrack of the 6th Day (2000) starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and several independent film soundtracks including Been Rich All My Life (2006). In addition, he has played many touring theater productions, including The D.B. Cooper Project, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and Irving Berlin's I Love a Piano and has performed with comics Bob Hope, Red Skelton, and Don Rickles.

As Educator

Phil Hey is a faculty member at the University of Minnesota School of Music^[3] where he teaches jazz percussion and directs the jazz ensemble. He also serves as music faculty at St. Olaf College^[10] and the MacPhail Center for Music, and he instructs jazz students at several other regional colleges, high schools, and jazz clinics.^[11] He is also a former music instructor at Macalester College, serving from 1997 to 2008.

Equipment

Ellis Drum Shop (the Upper Midwest's premier drum shop and boutique drum builder) released the "Phil Hey Signature Kit", a limited edition 6 piece shell drum kit with maple shells in 2012.^[12] Phil prefer playing with Vic Firth drumsticks, size 5a.

Discography

As Band Leader 1977 – Let Them All Come, with Pat Moriarty 2005 – Subduction: Live At The Artist's Quarter 2009 – Conflict!, with Kelly Rossum As Sideman With Chris Bates 2014 – Good Vibes Trio With Ed Berger 1999 – I'm Glad There Is You With Terry Lee Burns 1997 – Freehand With Laura Caviani 1999 – Angels We Haven't Heard With the Cedar Avenue Big Band 2002 – Land of 10,000 Licks With Debbie Duncan 1993 – Live at the Dakota 1995 – It Must Be Christmas 2007 – I Thought About You With Dan Estrem and John Holmquist 1988 – Bossa 1990 – Meditation With Connie Evingson 1998 – I Have Dreamed 1999 – Some Cats Know 2003 – Let It Be Jazz: Connie Evingson Sings the Beatles 2008 – Little Did I Dream 2012 – Sweet Happy Life With Von Freeman 2001 – Live at the Dakota[13] 2007 – The Best of Von Freeman on Premonition With Dave Hagedorn 2003 – Vibes Solidliquid With Glen Helgeson 1995 – Spirit of the Wood With Tom Hubbard 1989 – Tribute to Mingus With the JazzMN Orchestra[14] 2000 – JazzMN Big Band

With Gordon Johnson 2005 – Trios Version 3.0 2008 – GJ4 2010 – Trios No. 5 With Dave Karr and Mulligan Stew 2004 – Cookin' at the Hot Summer Jazz Festival With Mary Louise Knutson 2001 – Call Me When You Get There 2011 – In the Bubble With Chris Lomheim 2000 – The Bridge With the Minnesota Klezmer Band 1998 – Bulka's Song With David Mitchell 2000 – Young Cats With Lucia Newell 2004 – Steeped in Strayhorn With the O'Neill Brothers 2004 – On Broadway with the O'Neill Brothers With the Out to Lunch Quintet 2006 – Live at the Artist's Quarter With Preston Reed 1991 – Halfway Home With Rio Nido 1986 – Voicings With Claudia Schmidt 1991 – Essential Tension 2012 – Bend in the River: Collected Songs With Ted Unseth and the Americana Classic Jazz Orchestra 2007 – 20th Anniversary Concert with Benny Waters With Benny Weinbeck 1998 – Sweet Love 2011 – Live at D'Amico Kitchen With Pete Whitman 1998 – Departure Point 2001 – The Sound of Water 2003 – Where’s When? With Steve Yeager 2003 – New Groove Blues

Concert video

With Benny Weinbeck Trio

• 2011 – Benny Weinbeck Trio: Live at D'Amico Kitchen (DVD)

References

1. "Jazz Police Biography of the Phil Hey Quartet".
2. "Performing with Stacey Kent at Birdland in New York, NY".
3. "University of Minnesota Faculty Biography/Profile".
4. "FloydThompson Drum Studio with List of Former Students".
5. "Marv Dahlgren McNally Smith Faculty Biography/Profile"
6. "St. Olaf Jazz Workshop Biography/Profile"
7. "City Pages Best Jazz Artist Minneapolis 2006 – Phil Hey". March 31, 2007.
8. Peterson, Gilles; Baker, Stuart (October 31, 2009). Freedom, Rhythm and Sound (hardcover). Soul Jazz Records Publishing. ISBN 0955481724.
9. "DownBeat Magazine Album Review, August 2001".
10. "St.Olaf Faculty Biography/Profile".
11. "Minnesota Youth Jazz Bands".
12. "Phil Hey Signature Kit at Ellis Drum Shop".
13. "Jazz Times Review of Von Freeman's Live at the Dakota".
14. "JazzMN on CD".

External links

• Phil Hey Official Website, www.philhey.com
• Phil Aaron Official Website, Phil Hey Quartet Pianist, www.philaaronmusic.com