Brand X, minus its former drummer Phil Collins, back in action after 17 years

Devoted music fans may know Brand X — which reunited in 2016 after a 17-year hiatus — as the high-velocity English jazz-rock fusion band Phil Collins drummed in when not playing in Genesis in the 1970s.

Devoted comedy fans may know Brand X as the band whose sixth album — 1980’s “Do They Hurt?” — was named after a joke in the movie “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” and boasted liner notes by Python member Michael Palin.

Devoted fans of the hit English TV series “Absolutely Fabulous” may know Brand X as the band whose original keyboardist, Robin Lumley, is the brother of “Ab Fab” co-star Joanna Lumley.

But there are things that surprise even some of the five members of Brand X, who were once seen as England’s answer to such pioneering American fusion bands as Mahavishnu Orchestra, Weather Report and Return to Forever.

And the biggest surprise of all is that Brand X is now on the road again, after nearly two decades of inactivity.

“How would I have reacted if, 10 years ago, someone told me we would get back together in 2016 and be touring in 2017? I would have been really skeptical,” admitted bassist Percy Jones, who performs with Brand X Saturday at The Merrow in Hillcrest as part of a 12-city West Coast tour.

“We formed in 1975 and broke up the first time in 1980. We reformed as a trio, off and on, through the 1990s. Then it pretty much came to an end again and everybody was scattered, geographically. And (percussionist) Morris Pert passed away a couple of years ago. So the notion of getting back together seemed very remote.”

Jones and original Brand X guitarist John Goodsall reunited last year in New York with American drum dynamo Kenwood Dennard. He was one of several leading drummers to play in the band after Collins’ growing duties in Genesis took precedence.

Two new members — keyboardist Chris Clark and percussionist Scott Weinberger — were brought on board. Because of Dennard’s teaching commitments at Boston’s Berklee College of Music, he has now been replaced by John Zorn drummer Kenny Grohowski.

The band’s current tour is in support of the new album, “But Wait … There’s More! / Live 2017,” which features songs from the band’s first three studio albums. Jones, who is also featured on Brian Eno’s landmark “Another Green World” and “Before and After Science” albums, is elated Brand X is back in action. .

“When we first got back together last year, it sounded surprisingly good, especially considering we hadn’t played most of this material in 40 years,” said Jones, who also leads the band MJ12.

“It was a pleasant surprise, and a bit of a relief, because the audience, technology and our styles have changed. We still play with the same sort of velocity and aggression, but it’s more disciplined. I think I have a better sense of where to play and where not to play. And I’m probably not as self-indulgent as I was 40 years ago!”

Filled with complex time signatures and intricate melodies, the technically demanding music of Brand X is offset by humorous instrumental touches and such wry song titles as “Modern, Noisy and Effective,” “Disco Suicide” and “Euthanasia Waltz.”

“Some of our stuff is really serious, but we make up for it,” Jones said. “Because seeing a bunch of guys playing completely serious music all night is a real drag!”

Intriguingly, Brand X began in 1975 as a funk group with vocals and an Average White Band-styled sound. Two drummers — John Dillon and Pete Spinelli — quickly passed through its ranks before Collins came on board later that same year.

Even more intriguingly, Collins joined only after Yes and King Crimson alum Bill Bruford turned down an invitation to join Brand X. Bruford — who went on to do a tour drumming in Genesis — did have a brief spell as the percussionist in Brand X, a role that found him playing alongside Collins.

But before Collins became a member, Brand X hit a major speed bump.

“We made our first album (with vocals) for Island Records and they were quite happy with it, but we weren’t,” recalled Jones, who admits he was unfamiliar with Genesis’ music when Collins joined Brand X.

“So we asked (Island honcho) Chris Blackwell if could we do another, all-instrumental, album and he reluctantly agreed. But we had to find another drummer first. Phil came down and he liked us, and we liked him. So we did a second album for Island, which was ‘Unorthodox Behavior.’ We liked it, but Island didn’t. Luckily, it got picked up by Charisma Records, which put it out.”

The shift from funk to a jazz-rock fusion style came easily for Brand X. Its members — all ardent fans of Mahavishnu Orchestra, Weather Report and Return To Forever — were eager to put their own stamp on fusion.

“That was a good period in music the 1970s,” Jones said. “Because there were quite a few instrumental bands active at the time — Mahavishnu, Weather Report, Stanley Clarke’s band, Miles Davis. It was interesting music that had an edge and an unpredictability to it.

“We were all listening to that sort of stuff and decided that’s what we wanted to do, edgy instrumental music. In the 1980s it devolved into what they called ‘smooth jazz,’ which I hated. It was music for washing dishes or something.”

The revamped Brand X’s concerts over the past year have focused entirely on music the band made in the second half of the 1970s. If all goes well, that could change.

“What I’m really looking forward to,” Jones affirmed, “is writing and recording some new stuff. In the meanwhile, I’m happy just to get back to work with Brand X.”

Brand X, with Pet Shark

When: 8 p.m. Saturday

Where: The Merrow, 1271 University Ave., Hillcrest

Tickets: $30 (must be 21 or older to attend)

Phone: (866) 777-8932

Online: ticketweb.com

george.varga@sduniontribune.com

Twitter @georgevarga