Phil Howard
Encyclopedia
Phil Howard is an Australian jazz
drummer best known for his brief stint with the jazz-rock
group Soft Machine
. Howard arrived in London from his native Australia in 1969, joining the band Caparius led by saxophonist Clive Stevens, alongside guitarist Peter Martin and bassist Neville Whitehead
. The band's final line-up, in 1971, replaced Martin with future Isotope guitarist/leader Gary Boyle and pianist Dave MacRae
.
Howard first came to the attention of Soft Machine when Robert Wyatt
almost left in August 1970 and auditions for a potential replacement were held. In the end, Wyatt changed his mind, but Softs saxophonist Elton Dean
borrowed Howard and fellow Caparian Whitehead as the rhythm section in his extracurricular Just Us group. Both were featured on Dean's eponymous 1971 solo album, and both were also members of the Keith Tippett
Group during this period. A live radio session by Soft Machine in March 1971, in which the Dean group participated, saw Howard reinforcing the Softs on one piece, the one instance of Wyatt and Howard drumming together. In August 1971, Wyatt left and Howard was drafted in at Dean's insistence, although the other members of the group had Nucleus
drummer John Marshall
in mind (but Marshall had just joined Jack Bruce
's band). Howard played with the band on British and European tours during the Autumn, but he was fired after recording the first side of the album Fifth
in December 1971 - Mike Ratledge
and Hugh Hopper
thought the band was getting too free-form. Howard remained in Dean's group, now christened Just Us, for one more year, but his trail went cold after 1972, although there was one interesting postscript when, in typical Canterbury Scene
fashion, he participated in the one-off Lol Coxhill
-Richard Sinclair
Quintet assembled for a French jazz festival in late 1975, alongside Dave MacRae
and ex-East Of Eden violinist Dave Arbus. Liner notes for a late 1970s reissue of Fifth
mentioned that he was last heard of working on a North Sea oil rig (!). None of his former musical associates know of his subsequent whereabouts, although one source claims he's alive and well living somewhere in Australia. Phil Howard used a double bass drum kit.
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
drummer best known for his brief stint with the jazz-rock
Jazz fusion
Jazz fusion is a musical fusion genre that developed from mixing funk and R&B rhythms and the amplification and electronic effects of rock, complex time signatures derived from non-Western music and extended, typically instrumental compositions with a jazz approach to lengthy group improvisations,...
group Soft Machine
Soft Machine
Soft Machine were an English rock band from Canterbury, named after the book The Soft Machine by William S. Burroughs. They were one of the central bands in the Canterbury scene, and helped pioneer the progressive rock genre...
. Howard arrived in London from his native Australia in 1969, joining the band Caparius led by saxophonist Clive Stevens, alongside guitarist Peter Martin and bassist Neville Whitehead
Neville Whitehead (bassist)
Neville Whitehead is a New Zealand bassist and luthier who was an active member of the British jazz fusion community in the 1970s.Whitehead played at times in Keith Tippett's sextet in the late 1960s, including alongside Elton Dean. He appears on The Keith Tippett Group's Dedicated To You, But You...
. The band's final line-up, in 1971, replaced Martin with future Isotope guitarist/leader Gary Boyle and pianist Dave MacRae
Dave MacRae
David Scott MacRae is a keyboardist from New Zealand, noted for his contributions in jazz and the Canterbury scene....
.
Howard first came to the attention of Soft Machine when Robert Wyatt
Robert Wyatt
Robert Wyatt is an English musician, and founding member of the influential Canterbury scene band Soft Machine, with a long and distinguished solo career...
almost left in August 1970 and auditions for a potential replacement were held. In the end, Wyatt changed his mind, but Softs saxophonist Elton Dean
Elton Dean
Elton Dean was an English jazz musician who performed on alto saxophone, saxello and occasionally keyboard....
borrowed Howard and fellow Caparian Whitehead as the rhythm section in his extracurricular Just Us group. Both were featured on Dean's eponymous 1971 solo album, and both were also members of the Keith Tippett
Keith Tippett
Keith Tippett is a British jazz pianist and composer.Tippett, the son of a local police officer, went to Greenway Boys Secondary Modern school in Southmead, Bristol. He formed his first jazz band called The KT7 whilst still at school and they performed numbers popular at the time by The Temperance...
Group during this period. A live radio session by Soft Machine in March 1971, in which the Dean group participated, saw Howard reinforcing the Softs on one piece, the one instance of Wyatt and Howard drumming together. In August 1971, Wyatt left and Howard was drafted in at Dean's insistence, although the other members of the group had Nucleus
Nucleus (band)
Nucleus were a pioneering jazz-rock band from Britain who continued in different forms from 1969 to 1989. In their first year they won first prize at the Montreux Jazz Festival, released the album Elastic Rock, and performed both at the Newport Jazz Festival and the Village Gate jazz club.They were...
drummer John Marshall
John Stanley Marshall
John Stanley Marshall, better known as John Marshall, born 28 August 1941 in Isleworth, Middlesex, is an English drummer. He was a founding member of the jazz rock band Nucleus and has worked with various other jazz and rock bands and musicians, among them J.J...
in mind (but Marshall had just joined Jack Bruce
Jack Bruce
John Symon Asher "Jack" Bruce is a Scottish musician and songwriter, respected as a founding member of the British psychedelic rock power trio, Cream, for a solo career that spans several decades, and for his participation in several well-known musical ensembles...
's band). Howard played with the band on British and European tours during the Autumn, but he was fired after recording the first side of the album Fifth
Fifth
Fifth is the ordinal form of the number five.Fifth may refer to:* Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, as in the expression "Pleading the Fifth"* Fifth column - a political term...
in December 1971 - Mike Ratledge
Mike Ratledge
Michael Roland "Mike" Ratledge is a British musician. Ratledge was part of the Canterbury scene and a long-time member of Soft Machine.-Biography and career:...
and Hugh Hopper
Hugh Hopper
Hugh Colin Hopper was a progressive rock and jazz fusion bass guitarist. He was a prominent member of the Canterbury scene, as a member of Soft Machine and various other related bands.-Early career:...
thought the band was getting too free-form. Howard remained in Dean's group, now christened Just Us, for one more year, but his trail went cold after 1972, although there was one interesting postscript when, in typical Canterbury Scene
Canterbury Scene
The Canterbury scene is a term used to loosely describe the group of progressive rock, avant-garde and jazz musicians, many of whom were based around the city of Canterbury, Kent, England during the late 1960s and early 1970s...
fashion, he participated in the one-off Lol Coxhill
Lol Coxhill
Lowen Coxhill, generally known as Lol Coxhill is a free improvising saxophonist and raconteur...
-Richard Sinclair
Richard Sinclair
Richard S. Sinclair is a progressive rock bassist, guitarist and vocalist who has been a member of several bands of the Canterbury scene.-Biography:...
Quintet assembled for a French jazz festival in late 1975, alongside Dave MacRae
Dave MacRae
David Scott MacRae is a keyboardist from New Zealand, noted for his contributions in jazz and the Canterbury scene....
and ex-East Of Eden violinist Dave Arbus. Liner notes for a late 1970s reissue of Fifth
Fifth
Fifth is the ordinal form of the number five.Fifth may refer to:* Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, as in the expression "Pleading the Fifth"* Fifth column - a political term...
mentioned that he was last heard of working on a North Sea oil rig (!). None of his former musical associates know of his subsequent whereabouts, although one source claims he's alive and well living somewhere in Australia. Phil Howard used a double bass drum kit.