The Band-leading Composer (ft. Phillip Golub)

Phillip Golub is a composer and pianist based in New York. His musical practice centers around rethinking the rehearsal process as a site of musical sociality and collective creation.

Phillip has released music in numerous formations. He is the co-founder of the collective band Tropos (Axioms // 75ab, Biophilia Records (2020) and Shadow Music, Endectomorph Music (2023)). His solo piano debut Filters (2022), came out to critical acclaim on Greyfade. Phillip is also a member of Layale Chaker’s Sarafand Ensemble (Inner Rhyme, In a Circle Records (2019)). He also has performed numerous times with the Cecil McBee Quartet. He is an active performer in numerous music scenes in New York with frequent appearances at leading jazz, improvised music, and contemporary concert music venues and series, such as Roulette Intermedium, National Sawdust, and The Stone. His compositions have been performed at venues such as Merkin Hall (NYC), The Broad Stage (Santa Monica, CA), and on festivals such as Tribeca New Music (NYC), Lake Champlain Chamber Music Festival, and the Hear Now Music Festival (Los Angeles).

Phillip was also the musical dramaturg and music coordinator for … (Iphigenia), a new opera born out of a collaboration by Wayne Shorter and esperanza spalding. He has studied composition with Michael Finnissy and Julian Anderson and piano and improvisation with Jason Moran, Bruce Brubaker, Joe Morris, and Ran Blake. He holds degrees from Harvard University (B.A. English), The Guildhall School of Music & Drama (M.Mus. Composition), and The New England Conservatory (M.M. Jazz Performance). Phillip is also an advocate for independent music artists’ labor rights as a member and organizer for Music Workers Alliance.

🌐 https://www.phillipgolubmusic.com/

💿 “Rag Out!” on Bandcamp (supports artists directly): https://phillipgolub.bandcamp.com/track/rag-out

💿 “Filters” on Bandcamp (supports artists directly):

https://phillipgolub.bandcamp.com/album/filters

Saad’s main channel: https://www.youtube.com/@saadhaddadmusic

👨🏻‍🏫 BOOK a lesson with me here: https://www.saadnhaddad.com/lessons.html

📰 NEWSLETTER that shares the latest news about my music and shows: https://saadnhaddad.us9.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=d52b653fc543f4ca604265d53&id=70d2af18c6

🕒 Timestamps

00:39 Wayne Shorter

08:22 “Abiding Memory,” for electric guitar, cello, piano, bass, and drums

15:13 Graffiti composing

16:00 Phillip’s “original rag”

18:18 “Rag Out!,” for solo piano

21:52 Band-leading as composing

28:05 Composing as a pianist

29:15 “Filters,” for solo piano

31:28 Notating rubato

35:30 “Filters,” for “piano+”

39:45 What happened to composer-performer virtuosos?

44:10 Thinking like a pianist

49:20 Saad has a rhythm problem