Damani C. Phillips

Saxophonist, Educator, Composer, and Recording Artist

Damani Phillips is a native of Pontiac, MI, where he began playing the saxophone at age 10. As a pre-college student, Mr. Phillips achieved many honors to his name, including a year of study at the Interlochen Arts Academy on a performance scholarship, several scholarships to attend the Interlochen Arts Camp, Who’s Who Among American High School Students, and selection to Pontiac Northern’s Gifted and Talented program. Mr. Phillips earned his Bachelor of Music degree from DePaul University in classical saxophone performance under the instruction of Scott Plugge and Susan Cook. While an undergraduate, Mr. Phillips participated in a study abroad program, through which he studied saxophone at the University of Sheffield (Sheffield, England) for 6 months. Throughout his undergraduate years, Mr. Phillips was an active performer and instructor in the greater Chicago area. Undergraduate credits to his name include a DePaul University Performance Scholarship, and 3-time recipient of the Pontiac Tuesday Musicale Dora Dawson Scholarship.

Mr. Phillips completed work on his Master of Music degree in Classical saxophone at the University of Kentucky in 1999, under the instruction of Miles and Lisa Osland. While at Kentucky, Mr. Phillips was awarded the Leiman T. Johnson Fellowship and was also awarded the saxophone studio’s Teaching Assistantship for the 1998-1999 school year.  Mr. Phillips recently completed a second Master of Music degree in Jazz Studies from Wayne State University under the instruction of Marcus Belgrave, Chris Collins, and Russell Miller on a full performance scholarship. Mr. Phillips is currently completing work on the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Jazz Studies at the University of Colorado at Boulder under the instruction of John Gunther, on a full teaching assistantship.

As a performer, Mr. Phillips has maintained an active performance schedule on the Metro-Detroit and Denver music scenes. He has performed with artists such as Marcus Belgrave, James Carter, Red Holloway, Ira Sullivan, and the touring Dave Matthews cover band “Crush”. Mr. Phillips released his first independent solo album “Yaktown Nights” in 1993, and has also recorded with such artists as George Clinton, Wayne Kounty, and QTMC.

Mr. Phillips has dedicated himself to the promotion and enhancement of the arts in the community. Mr. Phillips is an active instructor, performer, composer and clinician throughout the United States. He has previously served on the adjunct faculty of Oakland University (Rochester, MI) and Macomb Community College (Macomb, MI). International performance credits include performances in Sheffield, England and Kusatsu, Japan. Damani has just joined one of Denver’s finest Jazz and Funk bands - the Buckner Funken Jazz Band!