Michael Schenker has invited keyboardist Derek Sherinian to tour Japan with him in January, including a show at the legendary Budokan.
In 2021, Michael Schenker invited Sherinian to guest on his album “Immortal” album on the opening song “Drilled To Kill”. Schenker said of Sherinian, “Derek and myself trading solos, it sounds unexpected and beyond my expectation.” “Absolutely fantastic!” In 2022, Schenker returned the favor by guesting on Sherinian’s Vortex album on the song “Die Kobra”. In 2024, Sherinian appeared on Schenker’s My Years With UFO album.
Sherinian was also recently named “Best Keyboardist” in Japan’s BURRN! Magazine 2024 Readers Poll (an award he also received previously, in 2020, 2022, and 2023). Derek was also voted “Greatest Keyboardist of the 21st Century” and #8 “Greatest of All Time” by MusicRadar.com, and also was ranked #9 “Greatest of All Time” in PROG Magazine.
Sherinian has distinguished himself by his versatility, and aggressive “guitaristic” approach to his signature keyboard style. MusicRadar.com declared, “His virtuoso playing has seen him dubbed the keyboard-playing version of Eddie Van Halen.” David Coverdale claims that “Derek plays the Hammond organ like the son of Jon Lord.”
Starting his pro career with Alice Cooper in 1989 on the “Trashes the World” world tour, Sherinian proceeded to tour and record with KISS, Dream Theater, Yngwie Malmsteen, Billy Idol and Whitesnake. He has also released nine solo albums, and was the co-founder of Planet X, Sons of Apollo, and supergroup Black Country Communion (also featuring Joe Bonamassa, Glenn Hughes, and Jason Bonham).
Keyboardist Derek Sherinian was recently named “Best Keyboardist” in Japan’s BURRN! Magazine 2024 Readers Poll (an award he also received previously, in 2020, 2022, and 2023). Derek was also voted “Greatest Keyboardist of the 21st Century” and #8 “Greatest of All Time” by MusicRadar.com, and also was ranked #9 “Greatest of All Time” in PROG Magazine.
Sherinian has distinguished himself by his versatility, and aggressive “guitaristic” approach to his signature keyboard style. MusicRadar.com declared, “His virtuoso playing has seen him dubbed the keyboard-playing version of Eddie Van Halen.” David Coverdale claims that “Derek plays the Hammond organ like the son of Jon Lord.” Glenn Hughes has called Sherinian, “The best living rock keyboardist.”
Starting his pro career with Alice Cooper in 1989 on the “Trashes the World” world tour, Sherinian proceeded to tour and record with KISS, Dream Theater, Yngwie Malmsteen, Billy Idol and Whitesnake.
He has also released nine solo albums, and was the co-founder of Planet X, Sons of Apollo, and supergroup Black Country Communion (also featuring Joe Bonamassa, Glenn Hughes, and Jason Bonham), who will be touring in Europe this Summer.
SHERINIAN/PHILLIPS is the musical alliance of Derek Sherinian and Simon Phillips, whose parallel reputations in virtuosic sonic inventions combine on the backdrop of instrumental genre fusion. Though the two had written and recorded together in the past, commitments to other projects had kept them busy in their own circles for a time. Upon their reunion for the recording of 2020’s The Phoenix, the duo has been going strong with consistent new releases ever since. Now, they are pleased to announce the release of SHERINIAN/PHILLIPS LIVE, which exhibits the pair uniting once again for a collaborative effort, documenting a special concert recorded at The Grape in Ventura, California on August 29th, 2022. The set is due out on August 25th, 2023 on InsideOutMusic.
Joining Sherinian/Phillips are fellow creatives Ron ‘Bumblefoot’ Thal on guitar and Ric Fierabracci on bass to round out the lineup of the evening. Several tracks from the latest studio album offering, Vortex, made their way into the set, such as the title track “Vortex”, “Seven Seas”, and “Aurora Australis” (the original recording of which featured Bumblefoot), alongside other instrumentals.
Today, they share another track from their upcoming album SHERINIAN/PHILLIPS – LIVE which was recorded at The Grape (Ventura, CA) on August 29th, 2022. Check the following link to listen to “Inertia (Live 2022): https://DerekSherinian.lnk.to/SherinianPhillips-Live
SHERINIAN/PHILLIPS LIVE has every note – planned or jammed – captured like lightning in a bottle, taking listeners to the moment these sounds sparked from their instruments. The live performance sits naturally in a rock context, while reminiscent of jazz fusion concert structures, with room for each musician to stand out in a solo space, each carrying and trading unique melodies along the way.
Derek Sherinian: “After 20 years of making albums together, it was a great pleasure bringing this music to life with Simon for the first time.”
The album will be available in the following formats: Black Vinyl | Ltd. CD Digipak | CD Jewelcase (North America)
SHERINIAN/PHILLIPS is the musical alliance of Derek Sherinian and Simon Phillips, whose parallel reputations in virtuosic sonic inventions combine on the backdrop of instrumental genre fusion. Though the two had written and recorded together in the past, commitments to other projects had kept them busy in their own circles for a time. Upon their reunion for the recording of 2020’s The Phoenix, the duo has been going strong with consistent new releases ever since. Now, they are pleased to announce the release of SHERINIAN/PHILLIPS LIVE, which exhibits the pair uniting once again for a collaborative effort, documenting a special concert recorded at The Grape in Ventura, California on August 29th, 2022. The set is due out on August 25th, 2023 on InsideOutMusic.
Joining Sherinian/Phillips are fellow creatives Ron ‘Bumblefoot’ Thal on guitar and Ric Fierabracci on bass to round out the lineup of the evening. Several tracks from the latest studio album offering, Vortex, made their way into the set, such as the title track “Vortex”, “Seven Seas”, and “Aurora Australis” (the original recording of which featured Bumblefoot), alongside other instrumentals.
SHERINIAN/PHILLIPS LIVE has every note – planned or jammed – captured like lightning in a bottle, taking listeners to the moment these sounds sparked from their instruments. The live performance sits naturally in a rock context, while reminiscent of jazz fusion concert structures, with room for each musician to stand out in a solo space, each carrying and trading unique melodies along the way.
Derek Sherinian: “After 20 years of making albums together, it was a great pleasure bringing this music to life with Simon for the first time.”
The album will be available in the following formats:Black Vinyl | Ltd. CD Digipak | CD Jewelcase (North America) Pre-Order is available via this LINK
Line-Up: Derek Sherinian (keys/synth) Simon Phillips (drums) Ron ‘Bumblefoot’ Thal (guitar) Ric Fierabracci (bass)
Sherinian’s background as a composer and keyboardist extends well beyond his familiar Dream Theater run, with a notable solo career creating a landscape for contributions from an array of acclaimed musicians, alongside performance credits with the likes of Alice Cooper, Black Country Communion, Billy Idol, Whitesnake, Kiss, Black Label Society, and Sons of Apollo (doubling on production credits), among others.
Phillips has equally rooted himself as a well-respected drummer and composer in the rock, metal, and jazz worlds, with credits ranging from Toto, Judas Priest, Jeff Beck, The Who, Whitesnake, and Joe Satriani, to a discography in jazz fusion with Protocol, movie soundtracks, and beyond.
The diverse range of this pair’s individual talents collectively emerges through each work they craft together; Sherinian and Phillips continue to evolve their joint musical endeavors in new directions.
Keyboard virtuoso Derek Sherinian will be joining Joe Satriani’s band this summer for two shows – July 1st at Jones Beach Amphitheater and July 2nd at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts – in a band that will also feature Kenny Aronoff on drums and Mark Menghi on bass.
“I am honored to have been personally invited by Joe play these shows with him, says Sherinian. “He is one of the greats, and I knew I was destined to play with him sooner or later.”
Sherinian was also recently named “Best Keyboardist” in Japan’s BURRN! Magazine 2022 Readers Poll (an award he also received previously, in 2020).
Derek was also voted “Greatest Keyboardist of the 21st Century” and #8 “Greatest of All Time” by MusicRadar.com, and also was ranked #9 “Greatest of All Time” in PROG Magazine.
Sherinian has distinguished himself by his versatility, and aggressive “guitaristic” approach to his signature keyboard style. MusicRadar.com declared, “His virtuoso playing has seen him dubbed the keyboard-playing version of Eddie Van Halen.” David Coverdale claims that “Derek plays the Hammond organ like the son of Jon Lord.”
Starting his pro career with Alice Cooper in 1989 on the “Trashes the World” world tour, Sherinian proceeded to tour and record with KISS, Dream Theater, Yngwie Malmsteen, Billy Idol and Whitesnake. He has also released nine solo albums, and was the co-founder of Planet X, Sons of Apollo, and supergroup Black Country Communion (also featuring Joe Bonamassa, Glenn Hughes, and Jason Bonham), who will be recording a new album this Summer.
Also, a Sherinian/Phillips live album with drum legend Simon Phillips will be released this fall on InsideOut/Sony Music.
Here is the video for “Scorpion” off Sherinian’s 2022 solo album ‘Vortex’.
World acclaimed keyboardist DEREK SHERINIAN, (Sons of Apollo, Black Country Communion), one of the most significant keyboard players of the modern era, recently released his latest album, ‘Vortex’, on InsideOutMusic. The album finds Sherinian again collaborating with legendary drummer Simon Phillips, who once again co-wrote and co-produced the album, as well as Tony ‘The Fretless Monster’ Franklin, on bass.
Now, Derek is pleased to share the 11+ minute complex, sprawling closer “Aurora Australis” featuring Bumblefoot on guitar.
Derek had this to say about the track: “Simon and I cover a lot of musical ground on this track. Bumblefoot sounds amazing on guitar as usual.”
1 The Vortex feat. Steve Stevens 2 Fire Horse feat. Nuno Bettencourt 3 Scorpion 4 Seven Seas feat. Steve Stevens 5 Key Lime Blues feat. Joe Bonamassa, Steve Lukather 6 Die Kobra feat. Michael Schenker, Zakk Wylde 7 Nomad’s Land feat. Mike Stern 8 Aurora Australis feat. Bumblefoot
The follow-up to 2020’s The Phoenix, Vortex includes eight tracks built on his signature chameleonic sound that blends rock with elements of funk, prog, and jazz, which he started writing even before The Phoenix was finished. “Vortex is a continuation of The Phoenix,” Sherinian states. “However, I feel the composition is stronger on the new album, and I would describe it as a modern day 70s style fusion record, but with newer heavier tonality.”
When it came to guitars, Sherinian recruited a who’s who of great players, some of whom he had worked with before – Steve Stevens, Joe Bonamassa, Steve Lukather, Zakk Wylde, Sons Of Apollo bandmate Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal – and a few new allies, in the form of Michael Schenker, Mike Stern and Nuno Bettencourt. “The choice of guitarist works itself out in the writing,” he explains. “Also, like in the case of Steve Stevens, we co-wrote the song together, so it was natural for him to play on it.” Of his new collaborators, he says of Bettencourt, who appears on the scratchy “Fire Horse”, “I have always been a fan of his playing, and I am glad that we finally got to record together. He has the Van Halen swing and swagger to his playing that I love. We were both born in 1966, the Chinese year of the Fire Horse.”
According to Sherinian, Schenker’s inclusion was a no-brainer. “Michael Schenker has been one of my heroes for many years. He asked me to play on his Immortal album, and in return, he agreed to play on “Die Kobra”. I wanted to write a great song inspired by my favorite Schenker tracks. Zakk Wylde added some great additional parts to the song, and Tony Franklin and Simon Phillips sound great, as usual.”
Keyboardist Derek Sherinian has more than made a name for himself. After all, MusicRadar.com deemed him “A true shredder, his virtuoso playing has seen him dubbed the keyboard-playing version of Eddie Van Halen,” in 2020. Moreover, in 2021 he was voted Greatest Keyboardist Of The 21st Century, and the eighth Greatest of All Time by the same site, and Prog Magazine saw him voted the ninth Greatest Keyboardist Ever. But then you don’t rack up a resumé such as his without some serious chops, having worked with the likes of Dream Theater, Black Country Communion, Billy Idol, Whitesnake – David Coverdale stating in 2020 “Derek plays like the son of Jon Lord”, – Kiss, current band Sons Of Apollo, and Alice Cooper – who in 1989 called him the “Caligula of keyboards”.
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