It must be such fun being Greg Howe, especially when given the space by Phillips to simply soar over the drummer's monstrous clatter. From the moment Howe stunt dives into the opening cut ‘Nimbus’ you know what to expect: quality shredding at boggling speeds, dramatic dynamics and a searing attack. Howe is the new twist to Phillips' ongoing Protocol series: Andy Timmons' ‘bluesier’ guitar filled 3, but Howe takes 4 up an extra step. Hamm is likewise new to the crew, adding Hammer-like synths, but his role is more that of a colourist and scene setter. As you may imagine, there aren't plentiful variations on the rock-jazz styling. However, Howe and Tibbs have a funk edge you wouldn't readily associate with Phillips' unrelenting rhythms, notably on ‘Pentangle’, while ‘Passage to Agra’, as the name suggests, has intimations of Eastern delight. It also features the absolute killer riff of the year. For Phillips' fans, a tour de 4ce, as Al di Meola wouldn't want to say.