Artist description Phil's Harmonic Orchestra is a 9-piece contemporary instrumental band that incorporates many of the musical styles of the 20th Century.

Music Style Instrumental

Musical Influences Rock, Folk, Classical, Jazz

Similar Artists None

Artist History Started in 1995 by Phil Hirsch to play his original compositions in a live context, the band has evolved into a powerful live entity.

Group Members Phil Hirsch(banjo,guitar,keys), Ken Braziel(fretless and fretted bass, acoustic guitar), Brad Cox(percussion), Jim Passarell(trumpet), Gail Rorick(violin), George Chavez(cello), Gary Ruiz(guitar), Zach Ellis(drums), Miles Olson(keys), Tom Behnke (sound)

Instruments banjo,guitar,keyboards,percussion,drums,bass,violin,cello,trumpet

Albums Reason To Dream

Press Reviews "The cornball name needs work, but Phil Hirsch might be onto something up in the wine country. His Phil's Harmonic Orchestra is makeing a new kind of music. Not jazz, not classical, not rick or any other standard category. Instead, it blends them all, and it wowed the crowd Sunday at Chateau St. Jean in Kenwood. 'Nobody sounds like us,' Hirsch tells me. No wonder. The drummer, Zach Ellis, comes from rock 'n' roll. The eight others cut their teeth on such traditions as reggae, classical, New Age, rhythm and blues and country. But the problem with being so different is getting heard on niche-ridden radio. 'Fortunately,' Hirsch says, 'the public is getting a little tired of smooth jazz, and they're opening the airwaves up to music that is a little bit to the left of that.' Odd to hear music described in a political way, but Hirsch - who pays banjo, guitar and keyboard - is a '60s guy. 'I got started with Marty Balin (Jefferson Airplane) and Mickey Hart (Grateful Dead).'" - Jerry Carroll - San Francisco Chronicle, Tuesday, August 25, 1998

Location Sebastopol, CA - USA

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