Saxophones, clarinet, and flute
composer, arranger and bandleader
From 1998-2020, Phil toured Australia and internationally, and released 3 independent albums with his ensembles Buried Treasure and Fallingwater Trio.
Phil has appeared on dozens of other recordings as a band member or featured guest with an array of Australia's finest musicians, also performing extensively on radio and television.
His performance experience is diverse, encompassing reggae, funk, jazz, afrobeat, world music, free improv, punk, rock, musical theatre and contemporary classical music.
"Wonderfully big expressive tone on the tenor saxophone"
Mal Stanley ABC Jazztrack
"Wonderful saxophonist, a beautiful album"
Jessica Nicholas, RRRFM
Recent highlights include:
Hexfarm 30 year anniversary reunion 2022-3
Cairns African Music Festival 2023 with Valanga Khoza
Pasifix @ Sydney Myer Music Bowl 2023
Sorong Samarai @ Maleny Festival 2022-3, WOMADelaide 2022, Queensland Performing Arts Centre 2022
Deline Briscoe @ Maleny Festival 2022-3
Phil Bywater Three feat Ted Vining @ Salamanca Arts Centre 2022
With Big Fela Afrobeat Orchestra. Photo by Anita Hustas.
with Nui Moon, Bart Willoughby, Airileke Ingram, Kutcha Edwards. Share The Spirit Festival. Photo by James Henry.
Phil has had the pleasure of performing with many of Australia's most revered pop/rock musicians. He has played I Hear Motion with Models, We Have Survived with Bart Willoughby, My Island Home/Ronu Wanga with George Rrurrampu, Treaty with Yothu Yindi, State I'm In with Joe Camillieri, Eagle Rock with Ross Hannaford, Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again? with Doc Neeson, Solid Rock with Shane Howard, and From Little Things Big Things Grow with Kev Carmody.
He has toured Australia, the United States, Europe, the South Pacific and South East Asia, played most Australian music festivals, and has many years of experience as Musical Director for festivals, events and functions. He has recorded as a featured soloist on national TV ads for Chupa Chups and Fisher and Paykel, and appeared on the Victoria Bitter ad 'Stubby Symphony'
Phil has released 3 independent CDs featuring his own playing and compositions, and appeared on dozens of other recordings as a band member or featured guest (full discography below). He has performed extensively on radio and television, and performed and recorded with an array of Australia's finest musicians.
From 2004-2019, Phil led Big Fela Afrobeat Orchestra, performing extensively in festivals in Victoria and Queensland, receiving airplay on RRR and PBS FM. From 2005-2011, he led the ambient jazz ensemble Fallingwater Trio, playing the 2009 Wangaratta Jazz Festival and releasing the album Stay on Jazzhead records to glowing critical response. Hear and buy Fallingwater Trio Stay on Bandcamp here
Phil has appeared with international touring performers including Camille O'Sullivan (Ireland – Australasian tours 2006-2012), Dawn Penn (UK), Stranger Cole (Jamaica), Carlos Malcolm (Jamaica), Owen Grey (Jamaica), Richard Mogu (PNG), George Telek (PNG), Tribe Of Jubal (PNG/Australia – South Pacific and Australian tours 2007-2009).
Phil has worked with many of Australia's finest indigenous performers including Bart Willoughby, George Rrurrampu (Warumpi Band), Joe Geia, Emma Donovan, Yung Warriors, and Deline Briscoe. He has recorded regularly for TV and film soundtracks including Crackerjack and Woodley. He was a longtime member of the reggae/funk outfit Bomba, touring extensively in Australia and also internationally. He has appeared as featured soloist with The Models and Essendon Airport, recorded with pop acts Little Birdy and Motorace, and appeared with Spoon (USA – Big Day Out 2007)
With Bart Willoughby and band, Australasian World Music Expo
Phil has appeared and recorded with a number of celebrated Australian jazz and improv performers including Ted Vining, Bob Sedergreen, Anita Hustas, Will Guthrie (Australia/France), Adam Simmons Toy Band (ABCTV's Spicks and Specks), Adrian Sherriff, Steve Purcell's Pearly Shells, Frock, Brian Brown, Ren Walters and David Tolley.
With Bob Sedegreen and Friends: Anita Hustas, Adrian Sherriff, Savannah Blount, Sonja Horbelt (obscured). Stonnington Jazz Festival
He has appeared and recorded with Australian world music performers including Sorong Samarai, Valanga Khoza, Larry Maluma (Australia/Zambia), Zulya Kamalova (WOMAD), Tania Bosak, the Royal Swazi Spa, Skazz, Grace Barbé, and Tabura Band (Australia/West Papua).
Phil has been involved in Australian and international premiere performances of work for composers including Kate Neal (Rabid Bay, with Michael Keiran Harvey), Tim Dargaville (Melbourne Festival 2007), Wally Gunn, Antonio Tenace, Adam Starr and Milton Babbitt (All Set)
Phil has been a member of APRA since 1993, and AMCOS since 2010, and has been the recipient of Arts Victoria, Australia Council, City of Melbourne and Arts Tasmania funding for recording, touring, and performance. In 2004 he received an Arts Omi Fellowship to attend the Music Omi International Musicians' Residency in New York.
Phil plays Temby Australia saxophones and flutes.
Festival performances include:
Big Day Out 2008
Melbourne International Arts Festival
Perth International Festival of the Arts
Brisbane International Arts Festival
Sydney Festival
Darwin Festival
WOMADelaide 2004, 2020, 2022
Australasian World Music Expo
Adelaide Fringe Festival
Melbourne Fringe Festival
Melbourne International Jazz Festival
Melbourne Jazz Fringe Festival
Apollo Bay Music Festival
Port Fairy Music Festival
Woodford Festival 2004, 2022
National Folk Festival
Half-bent Winter Music Festival
Fairbridge Festival
St Kilda Festival
Hobart Stir-Fry Jazz Festival 1992
Mornington Festival
Global Garden Festival
Monbulk Jazz Festival
Melbourne Women's Jazz Festival
Leaps and Bounds Music Festival
Walking With Spirits Festival
Byron Bay Blues and Roots Festival
Falls Festival
Queenscliff Music Festival
Wangaratta Jazz Festival
Kalgoorlie Festival
Hobart Comedy Festival
Moomba Festival
Share The Spirit Festival
Festival of the Southern Ocean Mallacoota
Soundscape Festival
Bellingen Global Carnival
Meredith Festival
Rainbow Serpent Festival
Melbourne International Festival of Brass
Stonnington Jazz Festival
Reggaetown Festival Cairns
Globe to Globe World Music Festival
Make It Up Club International Music Festival
Multicultural Arts Victoria Emerge Festival
Great Southern Festival
Yalukit Willam Ngargee
Melbourne Comedy Festival
International Festival of Youth Orchestras 1988
Mona Foma Festival 2014
Enlighten Festival Canberra
Discography
Fallingwater Trio Stay
Phil Bywater's Buried Treasure Looking Up
Big Fela Afrobeat Orchestra Why?
Adam Simmons Toyband Happy Jacket
Michael Keiran Harvey Rabid Bay
Bart Willoughby Band We Still Live On
Bart Willoughby Band Resonance
Bart Willoughby Band Federation Bells
Bart Willoughby Band Proud
Bart Willoughby Band Rock Against Racism EP
George Rrurrampu Nerbu Message
Sean Kelly Moons of Jupiter
Rosie Westbrook Big As The Ocean
Motorace Animal
City City City Perimeter Motor Show
Hexfarm Wall of Taste
Richard Mogu Inagwe
George Telek Freedom
Tabura Yenures
Tribe of Jubal T'mme Yakinso
Elissa Goodrich Bach Conversations
Shannon-Goodrich Ensemble Worlds Within Worlds
Jazz On Easey Street (PBSFM)
Bomba Population
Bomba Solar Plexus
Bomba Letterbox EP
Bomba Simple and Fun EP
Bomba Speed of Sound EP
The Overtones Hail That Taxi EP
Tasmanian Jazz Composers Volumes 1 and 2
Zulya Kamalova Aloukie
Astrid Notarangelo Sleeping Giants
Boytown Movie Soundtrack
Hop Jump Big Band Live at the Barleycorn
Oynsemble Melbourne Ascension Live
Camille O'Sullivan Fille de Cirque CD and DVD
States of Play States of Play
Nina Vox The Shape of You
Beautifully Mad Silhouette
Pearly Black Heart Axis