5th March 2008 Update
Phillip Henry has been studying Hindustani slide guitar at Bhattacharya's School of Universal Music. Phil has received funding from the Arts Council to undertake the trip of a lifetime to Kolkata, India & study under Pandit Debashish Bhattacharya; the most brilliant guitarist of his generation.
Following his studies Phil will travel & meet with other renowned musicians in the country & upon his return in April will be seeking to play solo shows in the UK, teaching & offering workshops as well as planning more collaborations with Tobias.
Meanwhile, back in Devon, Tobias has been in the lab with the pen & pad, wriiting & recording new material, playing solo shows & teaming up with some great musicians to form the band in progress; Tobias Ben Jacob & the Roots Union.
For updates, new music & upcoming shows please visit: www.myspace.com/tobiasbenjacob
More collaboration planned for Spring '08
In the meantime please visit:-
www.myspace.com/phillipehenry (new solo instrumental music, messaging & blog)
and
www.myspace.com/tobiasbenjacob
"Dragging myself away I made it to The Bimble Inn in time to buy my first pint of Sunrise Ale before School of Trobar took to the stage. Treading deftly amid the burgeoning crowd, I found myself a spot at the front and sat myself down. The next hour was spent wrapped by the most mesmerising maelstrom of sound that was conjured by two brilliant musicians; Tobias Ben Jacob and Philip Henry.
Between them they proffer a plethora of musical influences ranging from the ballads of medieval minstrels to the Carnatic and Hindustani traditions of India, particularly the sitar ragas of the North. Contemporary influences include acoustic trance, finger-picking and blues, all subtly, but potently providing a rich melange from which the lyric emerges.
When Philip Henry plays slide guitar he is spellbinding. His hands fly in flurried fluency as though coaxing the rich seething sounds, by some kind of enchantment, to emanate from his guitar. The comparative stillness of Tobias Jacob does not create such a spectacle. Instead, his hauntingly melodious voice possesses a poignancy so profound, as though imbued with a chorus of troubadours who’ve sung their wisdom through the ages, that it steals it’s way into your being propagating a profusion of intense awakenings.
These men create an alchemy of sound, and they will hold your hearts in their hands for as long as you listen to them... and for some time after, I shouldn’t doubt."
Rachel Wild - Writer/Reviewer | www.myspace.com/inspiredchoice
"As soon as I heard these young musicians play on our Acoustic Café open mic stage during Sidmouth Folk Festival 2006 I knew we were in for a real treat. You could tell instantly that the rapport between them went far deeper than mere band-mates, it was organic and bred of a lifetime's acquaintance.
In Tobias' voice there is a rare quality akin to fine porcelain; strong yet fragile and exquisitely crafted. His songs transcend the folk traditions. His guitar style is light of touch and commands your attention.
What do you say about Philip's incendiary playing? His demeanour is cooly understated and your eyes feast on his hands. He too mixes cultures and circumvents cliché, making you listen as if for the very first time.
Enough about their individual talents. Combined, I haven't heard anything quite so exciting since Skip, Hop & Wobble by Jerry Douglas, Russ Barenberg and Edgar Meyer. That album was 'merely' instrumental!
I'll leave you with this thought. The task of finding a worthy musician to complement either talent would have been a fool’s errand. That Lancashire nurtured these two friends is a true expression of destiny."
Ian Bisson, | www.theacousticcafe.co.uk
"Tobias and Phil have brought a unique and distinct style of music to the Exmouth Festival. Their commitment to live deep-rooted music is evident, as is the amount of hours they obviously take to research, write, create and rehearse their songs.
Phil's slide guitar and harmonica have audiences bursting with applause. Tobias has such a distinct style and voice that all eyes and ears are focused on him when he performs. Together they will entertain you, challenge you and delight you. I can't wait to hear the School of Trobar in action at the Exmouth Festival in 2007 (24th - 28th May 2006.)"
Nicky Nicholls, Exmouth Festival Organiser | www.exmouthfestival.org.uk
"Earlier on in the weekend at the Bimble venue, a drunken, bearded man hit his head on the arch supports, only to shrug it off with a forward cartwheel into a Russian jig, and back again into the sitting position via another cartwheel. This man is here tonight in white, shirt-open Elvis garb and sunglasses, and is just one example of a number of like-spirited characters who see little appeal in going anywhere other than this enchanted den.
Indeed, it's a fine and friendly little place attracting some of the most beautiful, outlandishly-clothed peace-loving cats in existence, and tonight they sway to Philip Henry and Tobias Ben Jacob in beatific bliss. Jacob is like someone who in another life did nothing but ride a bike through French countryside under the direction of Francois Truffaut, his partner Henry someone who's never listened to anything dated after the time Bob Dylan plugged in his guitar. Henry's resounding, inspired harmonica and general acoustics plays off Jacob's quaint pastoral imagery as the crowd sit captivated, until that is a rickety Jewish dance song throws them into a celebratory jiving craze. This is a defining moment of a terrifically alternative festival, and the fact it hypnotically delays our pilgrimage back to the Main Stages to witness the final acts is was probably written in the stars."
Reviewer - Neil Jones | musicomh.com