The Keyboard Chronicles

The Keyboard Chronicles


Phillip Golub, Pianist / Composer

May 04, 2024

Phillip Golub is a Brooklyn-based pianist, improviser, and composer. We talk on Phillip’s career and his work in transcribing Wayne Shorter’s work, as well as some thoughts on the increasing challenges musicians face industrially. All in all a fascinating chat!


To listen / watch:



  1. Audio-only: click on the play button in the audio player above, or:
  2. Video: watch the embedded video below or check it and previous episodes out on our YouTube Channel


Discussion topics covered during the show (links will open in new tab):  


Phillip’s musical upbringing


Establishing a career in music


Phillip playing with Layale Chaker and the Sarafand Ensemble


Tropos – Fronk


Breaking down the binary of composition and improvisation


Approaching transcription and realising the work of others


Steinberg Dorico


Why Phillip prefers Dorico over Sibelius


How Phillip came to be the transcriber of Wayne Shorter’s works


Esperanza Spalding


Attempting to assess Wayne Shorter’s impact on music


Phillip Golub – It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas


Phillip’s approach to creating music the past decade


The importance of working with other people and sustained collaboration


Phillip’s work with the Music Worker’s Alliance and the industrial challenges musicians face


Session pay versus recording for ‘pizza and beer’


Artificial intelligence and keeping music human


Phillip’s favourite non-piano keyboards


Phillip’s Pianoteq inspired instrument, the Flexichord


How lower quality key beds can be a creative opportunity


Tag a Keyboard Player: Dana Saul


Desert Island Discs: Junk Magic – Craig Taborn, Silent Tongues – Cecil Taylor, Autotrophs – Cory Smythe, Dusk – Andrew Hill, Open, To Love – Paul Bley, Largo – Brad Mehldau


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Check out our podcast guest playlist on Spotify to get a taste of each guest’s creations.

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