Jazz Lates: Phillip Bent

At the age of 10 years old Phillip Bent went to at Miles Coverdale junior school in the evenings every Thursday night in shepherds bush West London and studied how to play the recorder, and how to play in an orchestra. This led to him passing grade 5 with merit on the recorder. At the age of 12 years old his English teacher miss Inga Conroy bought Phillip his first flute, she also paid for his flute lessons and took him to the Royal Festival Hall to hear a full Orchestra including Phillip meeting James Galway the classical flute player. Phillip Bent then went on to Study for an O level in classical music in the early 1980s at Kingsway College in kings cross London.

In 1984 he discovered a place called WAC which stands for weekend college in chalk farm it was here Phillip studied with Ian Carr the famous jazz trumpeter how to write music for a band, music orchestration and the skills necessary to become a bandleader. Ian Carr invited Phillip and classmates back to his house and introduced Phillip for the first time to a video of Miles Davis performing live.

In 1986 Phillip continued studying and got a place at the Guildhall School of music and drama London, to study classical flute and jazz improvisation. He was the first black musician to be accepted on the jazz course at the Guildhall. Phillip Bent was a member of the first original Jazz Warriors, and was featured on front cover of high profile magazines like Vogue magazine. He went on to form his own band simply called the Phillip Bent band performing at places like Ronnie Scott’s and the jazz café London.
In 1989 Phillip Bent use all his money to buy equipment which enabled him to record his first album called The Pressure. He was then signed to GRP records in the USA in 1991 and release the album in 1993 The Pressure. Phillip Bent then invested again and released his own solo album called the magic of your spell in 2007.

Today Phillip Bent Is regarded as one of the best flute players in the world. He is also a producer, songwriter, band leader & Composer. He has performed with The Prodigy, Maxi Priest, Aart Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, Mica Paris, Dave Grusin, and the GRP All-Stars,Tony Remy, Jason Rebello – keyboardist from sting’s band including many more well known artists. Phillip Bent returns with a new band which will be soulful jazz but funky with a hint of classical and world sounds.