Phil is a New Zealand/Canadian bassist and composer. As a double bassist and graduate of Massey University Conservatorium of Music (now The New Zealand School of Music), he has performed with leading contemporary jazz artists in New Zealand and abroad. Having spent more than a decade residing in North America; he performed, recorded and studied with many of Canada’s finest jazz musicians, alongside his multiple performances in the Vancouver International Jazz Festival leading his own groups. As a composer, his 2015 album ‘BaixaBlue’ was funded by ‘Factor’ and engineered in Canada. His first album as a band leader features leading west coast Canadian jazz musicians and exemplifies his abilities as a composer, arranger, performer, and improviser. In 2018, working in collaboration with Rattle Records, Phil and ngā taonga pūoro (traditional māori musical instruments) artist Al Fraser released 'Ponguru'. This album of compositions and improvisations is a unique New Zealand recorded work that brings together the low voice of the double-bass and the many voices of ngā taonga pūoro in an exploration of timbre, space, melody and shared musical language. <br>