Philip Rex
Tuba, Double Bass
Philip Rex is one of Australia’s most in demand musicians, being a leading exponent of the Double Bass, and playing Tuba as his second instrument within the Australian Art Orchestra. Musicians and critics everywhere have noted his musical skill and versatility, both as an instrumentalist, bandleader, and producer.
Having been firmly established in the Australian Jazz scene since he was seventeen, Philip has become a member of many of the country’s finest groups, and has toured extensively throughout Australia and around the world. He has studied with jazz legends Ray Brown and Eddie Gomez in the United States, and has performed or recorded in small group settings with international touring artists such as Johnny Griffin, Jimmy Cobb, Steve Lacy, Andrew Hill, Arthur Blythe, Vincent Herring, Louie Bellson, Joe Williams, Eddie Henderson, Cindy Blackman, John Stubblefield and Horace Tapscott.
Philip has made an impression as one of the truly versatile players of his instrument and, aside from his experience in the jazz field, plays regularly in Reggae, Tango, Funk, Brazilian, Cuban, and Electronic Dance acts. He is remarkable for his ability to adapt the seemingly cumbersome Double Bass into almost any style of music.
He is founder and co-producer of the Australian group Decoy, which combines contemporary dance grooves with elements of instrumental jazz and world musics. As a bass player, Philip has a natural instinct for improvisation and melody, and is particularly known for his strength of groove and sound on the instrument. In Decoy he comes into his own with an impressive array of effects, producing percussive synth-like lines and screaming acid tones which he contrasts with the natural resonance of the instrument.
As a result of his experience as producer for Decoy, Philip has attracted the attention of many other recording artists for his musicality and individuality in music production, and has remixed or produced singles for acts such as Merrill Bainbridge, Sirens, and for the Big Brother soundtrack.
Philip plays regularly with local legends Ian Chaplin, Bernie McGann, Dale Barlow, Scott Tinkler, Mark Fitzgibbon, Doug DeVries, and Ross Hannaford amongst others, and has spent time in Mark Simmons’ Freeboppers and the Vince Jones band. Philip is also a founding and current member of the Australian Art Orchestra, and is currently a member of three of the finest Piano Trios in the country; the Joe Chindamo, Paul Grabowsky, and Jex Saarelaht trios.
In 1998 Philip shared an Aria win with musical colleague Ian Chaplin for Best Jazz Album.
The Band
- Stephen Magnusson
- Carl Dewhurst
- Alex Pertout
- Adrian Sherriff
- Lachlan Davidson
- Julien Wilson
- James Greening
- John O'Donnell
- John Rodgers
- Niko Schauble
- Paul Cutlan
- Paul Grabowsky
- Elliott Dalgleish
- Philip Rex
- Phillip Slater
- Sandy Evans
- Scott Tinkler
- Vanessa Tomlinson
- Simon Barker
- Alister Spence
- Tony Hicks
- Eugene Ball
- Erkki Veltheim
