Philip Moss is a London-based musician known for his expressive range and improvisational ability. Having been an active contributor on the Berlin, Amsterdam and Australian music-scenes—performing at world-class venues such as Bimhuis (NL), 100 Club (UK) B-flat Berlin (DE) and Jazz Music Institute (AU)—Philip now brings his vision and craft to London, where he continues to perform in a variety of settings.
A self-taught musician, Philip’s talent was apparent from an early age, leading him to win the state-wide “Alan Wilkie Cultural Award” in his late-teens. By the time he was finishing high-school, Philip was working alongside seasoned musicians, both as a session-musician and bandleader. By the age of 19, he had performed professionally throughout Australia and Western Europe. Over the years he has played alongside and received mentorship from such renowned musicians as Geoff Oakes (Renée Geyer band), Geoff Gascoyne (Jamie Cullum Trio), Trudy Kerr and Sean Mullen (a former pupil of John Scofield and Allan Holdsworth.)
Deeply versed in jazz and blues guitar, classical harmony and counterpoint, gospel harmony and folk/pop songwriting, Philip moves fluidly across genres, weaving his broad stylistic range into a singular and distinctive voice. Inspired by the life and music of Keith Jarrett, Philip is especially drawn to the intensity and vulnerability of improvised music. His performances continually explore the tension between control and surrender, precision and spontaneity, expression and restraint.
Philip's ability to move fluidly across genres has enabled him to perform in a striking range of venues. From underground clubs to open-air festivals, gritty dive-bars to premier music venues, grassroots spaces to contemporary art galleries—Philip continues to engage audiences of all demographics. He also performs in a variety of musical contexts including jazz combos, live electronic performances, solo improvisation, experimental free-jazz and singer-songwriter showcases.
As a collaborator and bandleader, Philip has always been guided by his core artistic values: diversity, experimentation, openness and co-creation. The many musicians he has collaborated with over the years bear testament to this: jazz virtuosos, prog-rockers, boogie-woogie veterans, avant-garde improvisers, deep-techno DJs, indie singer-songwriters, hip-hop producers, rappers, surf-rockers and modular synth-wizards. Philip's broad artistic scope is no mere fetish for novelty—rather, it stems from his deep conviction that by extending ourselves into foreign and unfamiliar musical domains we, counter-intuitively, move closer to our own unique musical essence.
