Six months after a life-changing Harley Davidson journey through the Mississippi Delta and New Orleans, Robin Phillips returned to the Crescent City to complete filming for his now award-winning documentary Back To The Source. One sleepless night, lying in bed listening to the St Charles streetcar rattle by, a lyric formed in his mind—and so began a creative turning point.

Robin is many things: singer, pianist, bandleader, presenter, producer, educator, and composer. He’s spent nearly two decades carving out a self-employed music career—gig by gig, project by project. He’s the arranger and bandleader of Pinstripe Suit, a speakeasy swing band with a long-standing residency at London’s Nightjar venue, and a sought-after session musician, including recent collaborations with global jazz-house phenomenon Berlioz.

When the pandemic hit, Robin found himself with no gigs but plenty of time. Drawing from a red notepad of reflections from the U.S., he dedicated Sundays to composing—crafting songs without a piano at first, letting melodies emerge freely before shaping them into full arrangements.

The resulting album, Return From The Source, was written during lockdown but conceived over decades, rooted in his Mississippi Delta road trip and informed by years of musical and personal growth.

Its 10 tracks are inspired by a wide array of influences: New Orleans, Muscle Shoals, Sam Phillips, Eddie L. Harris’ South of Haunted Dreams, meditation, metaphysics, his family, the global jazz scene, and even England itself.

Initially intended as a band project under the name 3—featuring long-time collaborators Jihad Darwish (bass), Alex Best (drums), and Neil Cowlan (guitar)—the album evolved to include additional voices and textures. Cellist and vocalist Natalie Rozario helped expand the group to rep4+, and tracks began to take on new forms during live Pinstripe Suit gigs. Some songs called for a string quartet, others for a gospel choir.

Robin’s lockdown radio show connected him to new collaborators, including Cuban bassist Damian Nueva and renowned NYC drummer Billy Kilson. A return trip to New Orleans in 2022 brought studio sessions with legendary local musicians Leroy Jones (Harry Connick Jr.), James Martin, and Dan Ostreicher (Trombone Shorty). Sessions were split between Robin’s studio near Cambridge, London’s Master Chord (with its Steinway concert grand), and Marigny Studios in New Orleans.

Return From The Source is a transatlantic tapestry of sound, spirit, and story—an album built on years of lived experience, spontaneous inspiration, and collaborative magic. Mixed by Sound On Sound editor Sam Inglis and mastered by Tim Debden at Fluid Mastering, it invites listeners to travel not only across place, but deep into the heart of a musician reconnecting with what matters most.