Phil Flanigan, born on June 28, 1956, left his home town, Geneva, New York, at the age of 17 with the intention of playing with jazz greats in New York City.  Two years later, he was doing just that.  His father's record collection had provided an early exposure to the sounds of the giants of jazz, and his early performances with Scott Hamilton and Roy Eldridge provided the training.

It was his work with the Scott Hamilton Quintet during this time that was perhaps the most influential. Numerous tours to Europe, four tours of Japan, and many recordings on the Concord Jazz label resulted from this association.   The quintet also received accolades during its stint as the regular Sunday night band at Eddie Condon's, during which time guest artists were featured with Scott’s band.  Some of these guests included Illinois Jacquet, Jimmy Rowles, Tommy Flanagan, and Ruby Braff.  Around this same time, Phil could frequently be found playing or sitting in with Roy Eldridge at Jimmy Ryan's just down the block from Condon’s.  Aside from being just plain fun, it was a real education in the ways of professional jazzmen, principally because Roy, who played brilliantly on a nightly basis, also took Phil, Scott and company under his wing and at the same time treated them as his equals. 

In addition to the Sunday nights at Condon's, Phil frequently played with the house band, which often included Ed Polcer, Jack Maheu, Connie Kay, and Vic Dickenson.  Guests included Jimmy McPartland, Wild Bill Davison, John Bunch, and Dick Wellstood. 

This New York period was notable for opportunities to play with still extant swing and bop era practitioners.  Among the most memorable were Jo Jones, Tiny Grimes, Johnny Griffin, and Hank Jones.  On one particular night, Phil played with Sonny Greer, the drummer with the Ellington band when bassist Jimmy Blanton was developing his innovative approach.  The then 81-year-old Greer showed his appreciation for the fact that Flanigan had done his Blanton homework.  This period was also notable for opportunities to tour and record with the likes of Benny Goodman, Rosemary Clooney, Maxine Sullivan, Bob Wilber, Johnny Griffin, Kenny Davern, Warren Vache, Ruby Braff, Howard Alden and many other jazz icons.

In 1989 Phil moved to Florida, quickly establishing himself as first-call jazz bassist for recordings and for concerts sponsored by the many active Florida jazz societies, as well as local clubs and private gigs with such luminaries as Eddie Higgins, Lonnie Smith, and Ira Sullivan.  While in Florida, he also became associated with Allan Vaché, a very fruitful musical relationship that has so far resulted in many recordings and concert situations, among them The Big Four, a drumless quartet featuring the music of Mugsy Spanier and Sidney Bechet. 

Phil is highly respected both as a soloist and as an ensemble player.  Bob Wilber has called him the "most melodic bass soloist in jazz." Dick Hyman has praised him for being able to play in the older styles like Milt Hinton and Bob Haggart, and Ray Brown's comment is to the point:  "Phil knows his roots." While certainly influenced by and a master proponent of the old school of jazz, his playing fits comfortably in the whole gamut of acoustic jazz, from early traditional to post-bop.

Phil has recorded for the Concord Jazz label over 20 times with various artists.  Recording as a free-lance bassist for other notable labels such as Arbors, Nagel-Heyer, Sunnyside, Atlantic and others has brought the total to over 80 releases to date.

In addition to his many performances, Phil has served as musical director of the South Florida Jazz and Swing Society and given bass clinics at universities.  He has written and arranged compositions for his own jazz groups and others, and has written string quintets, one of which was performed by the Miami Chamber Orchestra, and two others by graduate students at the North Carolina School of the Arts.

In 2001 he moved to Syracuse, NY and married vocalist Hanna Richardson. This collaboration has been a fruitful one, netting numerous performances at Jazz Parties such as Chautauqua, the Arbors “March of Jazz”, the Jersey Jazz Party, and others, and four recordings, three for their own “La-La” label and one for Arbors.

Phil will be featured with several line-ups at this year’s Rochester International Jazz Festival with such area luminaries as Joe Romano and Bob Sneider. After that, he and wife Hanna are off to the UK for a two week tour. At age 48, Flanigan says “I feel like I’m just getting a handle on exactly what it is that I do……..cultivating my own sound and approach whether it be accompanying Hanna or playing hard bop, or traditional Jazz.”

In the sound department, Phil acquired “the Lady’s Head” bass in 2001, a legend in its own right as evinced by the list of previous owners: Bob Casey, Irv Manning, Red Balaban, and Bob Haggart. “I got married twice in 2001,” says Phil, “ to two beautiful ladies, one wooden.” The 250-year-old French instrument was probably, as pointed out by Kenny Davern, heard by Napoleon. We know it’s been played with Mugsy Spanier, Sidney Bechet, Jimmy Noone, Louis Armstrong, Davey Tough and countless other historical Jazz figures. “We know she’s been in Jazz since at least the early thirties, and that’s where she’s staying, if it’s up to me,” says Flanigan.

Phil’s concert, party, festival and recording schedule is ever-active, a testament to his long term commitment to acoustic Jazz and developing a personalized yet universally discernible approach to the bass.

Click here to see Phil playing with Benny Goodman in 1982!