For the past few years, Phillip Namanworth has been playing clubs in NYC with his incredible band, Always Somethin'. The band is comprised of well known musicians who have played and recorded with many top artists. They have developed a unique style and sound deeply rooted in blues and jazz and funky soul. Phillip's entertaining lyrics feature a signature meaningful mixture of emotion and humor and spirit highlighted by genuine song writing craft.
This Bronx born musician began his music career singing with a doo wop group, The Rondells, whose lead singer was Chuck Negron, later of Three Dog Night fame.

Phillip played concerts with a vocal jazz trio and other bands in college before graduating with honors in music from CUNY, where he won The Mark Brunswick award for composing the first movement of a chamber symphony. He took the prize money, bought an electric organ and went on the road as keyboard player with folk legend Dave Von Ronk, traveling at that time with a Farfisa Organ; then recording the album Dave Van Ronk and the Hudson Dusters for Mercury Records. Dave was a seminal folk blues influence who forever changed Phillip's musical outlook and direction when he gave him a record by the great blues pianist and singer, Otis Spann.

In LA he met composer Joseph Byrd, who had started the group US of A and wound up playing piano and conducting on Joe's innovative synthesizer rock album The American Metaphysical Circus on Columbia records.

Phillip composed music for the first rock ballet, Caviar, for renowned dancer Louis Falco and his dance company. Caviar was performed in NY at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park and City Center in New York City with his live rock band, Napanaw's Pottery Shop, playing and doing narrative on stage.

Philip later played keyboards with the Randall's Island rock band. Led by well known rock guitarist Elliott Randall, they recorded the album Rock and Roll City for Polydor Records.

Phillip has played piano on tour for such artists as Roberta Flack, Ry Cooder, and Kenny Vance and has performed with Kenny's Doo-Wop group, The Planotones. He was the piano player for the original productions of the Broadway shows Superstar and The Rocky Horror Show.

With Kenny Vance he scored the music cues for the original John Water's film, Hairspray. They have also written the scores for a number of movies including Heart of Dixie, Long Gone and Looking For an Echo and the TV movie, The Caroline Warmus Story.

Phillip has appeared in concert with Peter Yarrow and Tom Chapin, and spent many years performing solo in New York Cabarets, with cabaret artists such as Marilyn Sokol and Andrea Marcovicci playing his material. Andrea Marcovicci recorded his song Avoid on her album entitled New Words. Other songs of his have been recorded by George Benson and Melba Moore.

Phillip Namanworth's music and lyrics have appeared on Sesame Street, Nickelodeon's Rugrats, and Saturday Night Live. He's written for movies, recordings, children's theater. He was the lyricist for the Off Broadway production of Finkel's Follies, starring Fyvush Finkel. He contributed songs to the Off Broadway production of Too Jewish starring Avi Hoffman and Avi Hoffman. He was musical director for the Off Broadway production of Angel Levine. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.