Philippe Kalfon – My Connection

There’s Steve Vai, Jeff Beck, Joe Satriani and then there’s Philippe Kalfon – a guitarist, composer and arranger. Ranked among the top 10 active French guitarists, to date Philippe has contributed to more than 60 albums and has built a breathtaking career. On stage (watch one of the most recent live performances below) he has accompanied artists such as Éric Bamy, Florent Pagny and Fred Blondin, while nowadays he is also the guitarist for a progressive rock group, Sloane Square Band.

Following the release of two solo albums Xi (2021), Perfect World (2023), and a live album entitled live at the backstage (2024), Philippe Kalfon is about to release his third studio album on 6th June 2026 via FTF Music. The album, comprised of 10 songs, is called My Connection.

The entire album is built around Orwellian themes and gritty, dystopian vibes. It features a progressive rock fusion sound across the ten tracks, including the beautiful opener “Dangerous Wave”, Lost In Place”, “Ride In Black” or equally beatiful album closer, “Sweet Madness”.

The project definitely features an expansive and rich musicianship; blending classic 70s and 80s progressive complexity with modern, heavy guitar work. The press had describes him as ‘the spiritual heir to Jeff Beck and Joe Satriani’, and I can only agree with this analogy, and maybe add the likes of Pink Floyd, and his old companion Eric Serra, to the list of his influences and source of an inspiration for Mr. Kalfon. Like the aforementioned giants, the technique of Philippe Kalfon is rather flawless, being able to execute highly complex and demanding maneuvers, with fluidity and precision, while exhibiting deep expressive understanding and brilliance. Both rhythmically and melodically, the instrumental breaks are a breathtaking prog rock! The keyboard parts are perfect as well, not overly dominating, just perfectly complimentary to the fantastic lead guitar work, sporadic yet exceptional vocals, the drums and bass providing an outstanding and very tight & consistent rhythmic bottom.

I will not go as far as to say that Philippe Kalfon and his third album, My Connection are redefining the instrumental prog rock, but he approaches the electric guitar from completely different stylistic angles, by an alien-like technical precision, legato fluidity, and unforgettable melodies of both the guitars as well as the other instruments.

Thus, the music on My Connection is varied and stopping off at various points on the prog music spectrum. Just brilliant and highly recommended for all guitar-virtuoso fans, but also for those of you who like complex, yet classic progressive rock sound of the 70s and 80s.

The album artwork for My Connection was designed and photographed by Frédéric Labasque. It incorporates geometric lines and abstract patterns to visually mirror the album’s blend of progressive rock, blues rock and instrumental guitar tracks. In an era of instant gratification, this album reminds us why we fell in love with progressive rock in the first place. Sit back, close your eyes, and let the music transport you.

To conclude – this is a very good project/artist and My Connection is overall a terrific album, with all the pieces in place. The record can be found via the FTF Music and Philippe Kalfon’s bandcamp, or listened to on the artist’s youtube channel.