Philip Sayce

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Philip Sayce (b. June 3, 1976) is a guitarist from Canada.

[edit] Early Life

Sayce was born in Wales, but family moved to Canada when he was two years old, and he grew up in Toronto. His parents, Kenneth and Sheila, listened to music by Eric Clapton, Ry Cooder and Dire Straits, among many other artists. His parents’ love of music inspired his love for the guitar, and he also learned to play the piano and other instruments. Sayce was fifteen years old when he played in his first band. Sayce and his best friend, drummer Cassius Pereira, played in bands together throughout high school, holding band practice in their basements. Sayce's style is strongly influenced by Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan, whose untimely death in August 1990 greatly affected the young guitarist.

Sayce began playing in Toronto clubs at the age of sixteen. He quickly became a regular fixture on Toronto’s bar-scene. One of the clubs Sayce frequented was Grossman's Tavern in Toronto, known for its famous jam sessions with artists such as Robbie Robertson, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Bob Dylan and Jeff Healey. His other musical influences include B. B. King, Albert King, Albert Collins, Buddy Guy, and Robert Cray. With Healey, Sayce toured the world and played in such places as Ohne Filter, Germany, Finland and the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland.

[edit] Career

Sayce quickly gained notoriety as an axe-slinger through his regular gigs at Toronto clubs from 1992 to 2001, and he gradually developed a solid fan base. In 1996, he released his first CD, the self-titled, Philip Sayce Group, which has since become a rare disc.

Looking to further expand his musical horizons, Sayce moved to Los Angeles in September of 2001. He soon landed a gig with Uncle Kracker and toured with him for eighteen months. With Uncle Kracker, Philip appeared on New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, Regis and Kelly, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and The CBS Early Show.

Sayce also starred in and wrote the music for the 2002 short film, Cockroach Blue, produced and directed by award-winning Robert Crossman. The film was shown at the 2003 Woodstock Film Festival and received popular acclaim.

In the fall of 2003, Sayce unexpectedly met John Shanks at an impromptu jam session in the amp department at Westwood Music in Los Angeles. Coincidentally, just a week before, two-time Grammy award winner Melissa Etheridge had mentioned to Shanks that she was looking for a guitar player and was thinking of trying somebody different. Shanks referred Sayce to her and in December 2003, Sayce joined Etheridge and her band for The Lucky Tour. Sayce also appears on Etheridge's Lucky CD and the Lucky Live DVD, released in September, 2004.

Sayce released his second solo effort, Peace Machine, in September 2005.