PHIL TURCIO: ‘THE QUIET’ ALBUM INTERVIEW

Accomplished Melbourne-based keyboard player, composer, producer, arranger, Phil Turcio sports a resume which would be the envy of any musician. His credits are too many to list in total but include the likes of – Hugh Jackman, Olivia Newton John, John Farnham, Guy Sebastian, Jimmy Barnes, Vanessa Amorosi, Gary Pinto, Jessica Mauboy, Westlife, K.D. Lang, Paulini, and numerous others.

In 2016 Phil was Musical Director for Richard Marx’s Australian Tour. In 2017 he was keyboardist for Peter Criss’s (KISS) farewell concert. As a keyboardist/pianist, he has played with international jazz acts such as Dave Weckl, Ric Fierabracci, Virgil Donati, Tom Brechtlein, Will Kennedy, George Garzone, Larry Carlton, Gary Meek, Antonia Bennett and many others.

From composing music for the Sydney Olympics and World Youth Day ’08, TV Themes, and playing with international jazz artists, his flexibility as a musician keeps him in constant demand. Phil and his band ‘Hemispheres‘ were nominated in the 2008 Grammy Award process for ‘Best New Contemporary Jazz Group’. In 2015 his debut solo album ‘Signals’ reached no. 23 on the US JazzWeek charts. In 2021 Phil released his second solo album, ‘The Quiet’.

Out of his studio Foundation80, Phil has already produced tracks for Guy Sebastian, X-Factor’s Chynna Rae Taylor, Brentwood, and Antonia Bennett, daughter of Jazz icon, Tony Bennett. Foundation80 now sets the scene for Phil to develop, record, programme, compose, and produce up and coming Artists. Whether it be a simple recorded accompaniment, or fully produced single, a co-writing demo, or even advice about a song you have written, Phil & Foundation80 cater for any budget.

Australian Musician editor Greg Phillips had the pleasure of sitting down with Phil Turcio at his Foundation80 studio to talk about his career, gear and his newly released second solo album, ‘The Quiet”. Photos and video assistance by Jason Rosewarne