BIOGRAPHY

Phil Magallanes has been playing music for most of his life. Growing up on Long Island, he began playing piano at age three, when he inherited his great-grandmother's player piano. The youngster immediately displayed exceptional musical talent, making up songs and instantly reproducing melodies he heard on the radio and TV. It was soon discovered he possessed perfect pitch, and several years of classical piano lessons followed.

At age six, Phil discovered his Dad's old Danelectro guitar gathering dust in the basement closet and fascinated by the instrument, he began teaching himself how to play. He also taught himself electric bass. Phil was soon playing all three instruments in his church band, his first steady "gig". He also jammed with some high school kids in a garage band, playing various Hendrix, Cream, Led Zeppelin, and Lynrd Skynrd covers. He was also introduced to the music of the Beatles, Van Halen, and Boston. These early experiences served to fuel Phil's lifelong passion for music.

Phil played his first big band gig on bass at age ten, and this sparked an interest in jazz. By this time, Phil was also beginning to feel his creativity being stifled by the rigidity of his classical piano lessons - endless scales, arpeggios, Hanon, and Bach (things which none-the-less did come in handy later on.) His teachers, while well-meaning, never seemed to appreciate the creative youngster's attempts to improvise... much less "improve" the pieces he was learning!

By age eleven, Phil had quit taking piano lessons, discovered girls, and decided to become the next Eddie Van Halen. (This ended up getting him a lot more dates.) He also studied classical and jazz double bass for about eight years. While in high school, he played bass in his town's community big band, did local theatre gigs, and went to five proms. Around this time, Phil became interested in various pop, gospel, blues, and funk styles and spent countless hours transcribing, and playing along with as many records as he could. He also spent two summers at Fredonia State, where he studied jazz improvisation with Dr Harry Jacobson, and attended his first year of college there, as a double bass major.

At nineteen, Phil rediscovered the piano at a jazz jam session. The next day, he bought a Fender Rhodes, and began to study jazz piano full-time. Several years of self-study (and celibacy) followed, with Phil practicing up to eight hours a day. In addition, Phil took occasional private lessons or master classes with some world-class jazz musicians - Bill O'Connell, Mike Capobianco, Sonny Dallas, and the legendary Barry Harris. Phil also studied for a year with this great jazz pianist and teacher, Hal Galper.

During this time, Latin jazz piano virtuoso Michel Camilo was a main source of inspiration. Some of Phil's other influences include Charlie Parker, Chick Corea, John Coltrane, Fred Lipsius, Richard Tee, Jan Hammer, Keith Jarrett, McCoy Tyner, Michael Brecker, Herbie Hancock, George Duke, Bill Evans, Oscar Peterson, Jaco Pastorius, and Ahmad Jamal.

By age twenty, the young musician's dedication was starting to pay off. He was able to drop out of college, quit his day job, and started making a living playing gigs in New York. For the next decade, Phil lived the life of the "jobbing" musician - he played weddings, top 40, jazz, funk, Latin, and blues gigs, cruise ships,hip-hop/acid jazz recording sessions, and even a short stint with '80's pop singer Debbie Gibson. Phil also worked in his spare time as a product specialist for Korg, and began a long and fruitful musical association and friendship with guitarist Gil Parris.

In 1997, Phil was awarded a full jazz scholarship to the University of North Texas. Shortly thereafter, he was sidelined by a bout with tendonitis, but made a full recovery, and soon became a regular fixture in the Dallas music scene. Also while at North Texas, Phil played and recorded a tribute to Benny Carter, with the Two O'clock Band.

In 1999, Phil returned home to New York. Soon after, he began playing at a regular jazz jam session, hosted by bassist Kip Sophos and drummer Joel Rosenblatt. Some of the world's greatest jazz musicians like trumpeter Lew Soloff, saxophonist Bill Evans, guitarist John Abercrombie, pianist Joey Calderazzo, drummer Nussbaum, would regularly come to sit in. Around this time, Phil also co-founded Innervisions, a Stevie Wonder tribute band.

In 2000, Phil got his first real road gig, touring the U.S. with Blood, Sweat, and Tears. Also that year, he co-wrote "Tears of Goodbye" and played piano on Gil Parris' critically acclaimed "Blue Thumb". This album featured bassist Harvie S, drummer Terry Silverlight, saxophonists Dave Mann, Bob Malach, and Eric Alexander.

The year 2001 saw Phil involved in another writing collaboration, this time with drummer Joel Rosenblatt, co-writing "Planet J" for the Spyro Gyra release, "In Modern Times". Phil also subbed with the Funk Filharmonic, one of his favorite bands: a powerful twelve-piece Tower Of Power tribute band, featuring some of the finest players in New York.

In 2002, Phil once again took a break from the hustle of New York, led a jazz quintet on a cruise ship for six months, and relocated to South Florida. There he soon found himself working up to six nights a week, playing with some great musicians. A gig with saxophonist Felipe Lamoglia led to Phil getting the call to tour in 2004 with the legendary Cuban jazz trumpeter and multi-instrumentalist, Arturo Sandoval. Phil was a member of the great trumpeter's band for nearly a year. He also played on Arturo's latest release, the live concert DVD/CD "Live At The Blue Note".

Phil returned to New York in early 2005, and since then has been touring on keyboards and guitar with another legend, singer Engelbert Humperdinck. Phil has also resumed playing electric bass, turning more than a few heads in New York with an unexpected command of the instrument. Stay tuned.....