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Percussionist Sam Phillips has had an interesting career, splitting his time between rock and world beat. The Lakewood musician has just released "Hands Of Time", a compilation of his work from over the years on his own and with bands like the now-defunct Sultans of Bing. Phillips recently traded some thoughts with OhioOnline music correspondent Peanuts over aspects of his multi-phase musical history.
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| OO: |
First let's start with a little on your background. |
| SP: |
"I was born en the two, Somasonic did generate a really good Cleveland/Akron following." |
| OO: |
How did you get interested in playing music? |
| SP: |
"My late brother Dave Phillips played guitar in various bands in Cleveland. In the 1960's, he played at Leo's casino, a legendary R&B/Motown bar in the Hough area. He taught me drums when I was very young. Plus, growing up at that time, music was everything. Just turning on the radio in the 1960's and early 1970's made you want to play music." |
| OO: |
Have you been in any bands of note? |
| SP: |
"Mostly underground bands. Future shock in the 1970's. The Joe Average Band. Drumplay, an all drum band and the Sultans of Bing. The latter played many clubs around the state, opening for Les Claypool, Bernie Worrel and Sun Ra. The Sultans of Bing won the Free Times award three years in a row as best jam band. Now I'm with an all original band, Retro Man Hoop." |
| OO: |
Are you strictly a drummer by trade? |
| SP: |
"I play drums, trapset, bongos, congas, timbales and hand snapping. I grew up on the west side of Cleveland, so I jammed a lot with Spanish drummers." |
| OO: |
What's hand snapping? |
| SP: |
"Hand snapping is where I play my hands, just my hands to any song. I hit my fingers together to make drum sounds. I believe it is an old art form. I have met other people that can do it. Because of it, I've appeared on television in Germany and Japan and on the Arsenio Hall Show and the Howard Stern Show. On the Howard Stern Show, I had a "snap off" with another hand snapper." |
| OO: |
With all of this is mind, how would you describe your music? |
| SP: |
"Rock, jazz, world and fusion." |
| OO: |
What national band would you match up with in concert? |
| SP: |
"Merl Saunders, Melvin Seals. And, of course, the Jerry Garcia Band. They asked me to sit in with them at the Odeon in Cleveland's Flats for one song at one of their shows. It was a great honor to jam with those guys." |
| OO: |
Where was the disc cut at? |
| SP: |
"Various places. It is a collection of recordings from my 21 years of playing out." |
| OO: |
Recording something new now? |
| SP: |
"I'd love to record a new cd in our new artist space. Five artists and myself have rented a whole floor at a warehouse. We just started an artistic coalition to record, put on live shows and have a dance studio. We feel that if local artists work" |
| OO: |
Favorite Ohio venue? |
| SP: |
"The Barking Spider on the Case Western Reserve University campus on Cleveland's east side." |
| OO: |
What are your long-term goals? |
| SP: |
"My goal is to record the great young talent in Ohio. Also try to get on international television to promote music and hand snapping and my hometown, Cleveland. Just keep doing it." |
