Phil Hey

Phil Hey (born May 21, 1953) is an American jazz drummer. He has worked with Dewey Redman, Jay McShann, Mose Allison, Benny Carter, Charlie Rouse, Harold Land, Charlie Byrd, David "Fathead" Newman, Geoff Keezer, Mark Murphy, Benny Golson, Stacey Kent, and Kenny Barron.

Biography

Born in New York City, Hey grew up in Philadelphia and the St. Paul suburb of Roseville, Minnesota. He started his music study with mentor and legendary jazz drummer Ed Blackwell at the Creative Music Studio in New York in 1975. His relationship with Blackwell continued until Blackwell's death in 1992. He has also studied with Floyd Thompson and Marv Dahlgren, the former principal percussionist of the Minnesota Orchestra. He considers the Beatles and 1960s rock groups early music influences. He also credits his parents and his childhood band instructor for their support and encouragement in pursuing a music career.

Hey performs with several groups and leads the Phil Hey Quartet with Tom Lewis on bass, Dave Hagedorn on vibraphone, and Phil Aaron on piano. The quartet's album ''Subduction: Live at Artist's Quarter'' (2005) was named Best Jazz CD of the Year by the Twin Cities alternative weekly newspaper ''City Pages''. ''City Pages'' also named him 2006 Jazz Musician of the Year.

His first album, ''Let Them All Come'' with Pat Moriarty, was released in 1977 on the small private label Min Records. The cover art by Homer Lambrecht is featured in ''Freedom, Rhythm, and Sound'', a compilation of a jazz album artwork by Gilles Peterson and Stuart Baker. He has appeared on over 125 recordings and remains a first-call musician supporting regional recording artists as well as touring jazz artists. His jazz recordings include Von Freeman's ''Live at The Dakota'', Pete Whitman's X-Tet ''Where's When?'', Tom Hubbard's ''Tribute to Mingus'', and Ed Berger's ''I'm Glad There is You'', all of which received four out of five star ratings by ''Down Beat'' magazine reviewers.

In addition to his work as a jazz musician Hey has played regional performances with blues and rock acts, including Nick St. Nicholas, George "Mojo" Buford, and Mississippi Fred McDowell. He has appeared on the soundtrack of ''the 6th Day'' (2000) starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and several independent film soundtracks including ''Been Rich All My Life'' (2006). In addition, he has played many touring theater productions, including ''The D.B. Cooper Project'', ''Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'', and Irving Berlin's ''I Love a Piano'' and has performed with comics Bob Hope, Red Skelton, and Don Rickles.

Educator

Hey is a faculty member at the University of Minnesota School of Music where he teaches jazz percussion and directs the jazz ensemble. He is on the music faculty at St. Olaf College and the MacPhail Center for Music. He taught music at Macalester College from 1997 to 2008.

Equipment

Ellis Drum Shop released the Phil Hey Signature Kit, a limited edition six piece shell drum kit with maple shells in 2012.

Discography

As leader

* 1977 ''Let Them All Come'', with Pat Moriarty
* 2005 ''Subduction Live at the Artist's Quarter''
* 2009 ''Conflict!'', with Kelly Rossum

As sideman

With Chris Bates
* 2014 ''Good Vibes Trio''

With Ed Berger
* 1999 ''I'm Glad There Is You''

With Terry Lee Burns
* 1997 ''Freehand''

With Laura Caviani
* 1999 ''Angels We Haven't Heard''

With the Cedar Avenue Big Band
* 2002 ''Land of 10,000 Licks''

With Debbie Duncan
* 1993 ''Live at the Dakota''
* 1995 ''It Must Be Christmas''
* 2007 ''I Thought About You''

With Dan Estrem and John Holmquist
* 1988 ''Bossa''
* 1990 ''Meditation''

With Connie Evingson
* 1998 ''I Have Dreamed''
* 1999 ''Some Cats Know''
* 2003 ''Let It Be Jazz Connie Evingson Sings the Beatles''
* 2008 ''Little Did I Dream''
* 2012 ''Sweet Happy Life''

With Von Freeman
* 2001 ''Live at the Dakota''

With Dave Hagedorn
* 2003 ''Vibes Solidliquid''

With Glen Helgeson
* 1995 ''Spirit of the Wood''

With Tom Hubbard
* 1989 ''Tribute to Mingus''

With the JazzMN Orchestra
* 2000 ''JazzMN Big Band''

With Gordon Johnson
* 2005 ''Trios Version 3.0''
* 2008 ''GJ4''
* 2010 ''Trios No. 5''

With Dave Karr and Mulligan Stew
* 2004 ''Cookin' at the Hot Summer Jazz Festival''

With Mary Louise Knutson
* 2001 ''Call Me When You Get There''
* 2011 ''In the Bubble''

With Chris Lomheim
* 2000 ''The Bridge''

With the Minnesota Klezmer Band
* 1998 ''Bulka's Song''

With David Mitchell
* 2000 ''Young Cats''

With Lucia Newell
* 2004 ''Steeped in Strayhorn''

With the O'Neill Brothers
* 2004 ''On Broadway with the O'Neill Brothers''

With the Out to Lunch Quintet
* 2006 ''Live at the Artist's Quarter''

With Preston Reed
* 1991 '' Halfway Home''

With Rio Nido
* 1986 '' Voicings''

With Claudia Schmidt
* 1991 ''Essential Tension''
* 2012 ''Bend in the River Collected Songs''

With Ted Unseth and the Americana Classic Jazz Orchestra
* 2007 ''20th Anniversary Concert with Benny Waters''

With Benny Weinbeck
* 1998 ''Sweet Love''
* 2011 ''Live at D'Amico Kitchen''

With Pete Whitman
* 1998 ''Departure Point''
* 2001 ''The Sound of Water''
* 2003 ''Where's When?''

With Steve Yeager
* 2003 ''New Groove Blues''

Concert video

With Benny Weinbeck Trio
* 2011 – ''Benny Weinbeck Trio: Live at D'Amico Kitchen'' (DVD)

References

External links

Official Website

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hey, Phil
1953 births
Living people
American jazz bandleaders
American jazz drummers
American jazz educators
American session musicians
Bebop drummers
Hard bop drummers
Drummers from Minneapolis
20th-century American drummers
American male drummers
Jazz musicians from Minnesota
Educators from Minnesota
20th-century American male musicians
American male jazz musicians