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Phil Woods
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Philip Wells Woods (born November 2 1931 in Springfield, Massachusetts) is an American jazz bebop alto saxophonist, clarinetist, bandleader and composer.
s studied music with Lennie Tristano, who influenced him greatly, at the Manhattan School of Music and at The Juilliard School. His friend, Joe Lopes, coached him on clarinet as there was no saxophone major at Juilliard at the time. Once graduated, he quickly acquired a reputation as the pre-eminent bop saxophonist of the day; although he did not copy Charlie "Bird" Parker, bop's greatest saxophonist, he was known as the New Bird, a label which was also attached to other alto players such as Sonny Stitt and Cannonball Adderley at one time or another in their careers.
After moving to France in 1968, Woods led The European Rhythm Machine, a group which tended toward avant-garde jazz.
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Encyclopedia
Philip Wells Woods (born November 2 1931 in Springfield, Massachusetts) is an American jazz bebop alto saxophonist, clarinetist, bandleader and composer.
Biography
Woods studied music with Lennie Tristano, who influenced him greatly, at the Manhattan School of Music and at The Juilliard School. His friend, Joe Lopes, coached him on clarinet as there was no saxophone major at Juilliard at the time. Once graduated, he quickly acquired a reputation as the pre-eminent bop saxophonist of the day; although he did not copy Charlie "Bird" Parker, bop's greatest saxophonist, he was known as the New Bird, a label which was also attached to other alto players such as Sonny Stitt and Cannonball Adderley at one time or another in their careers.
After moving to France in 1968, Woods led The European Rhythm Machine, a group which tended toward avant-garde jazz. He returned to the United States in 1972 and, after an unsuccessful attempt to establish an electronic group, he formed a quintet which was still performing, with some changes of personnel, in 2004. As his theme, Woods uses a piece titled "How's Your Mama?"
In 1979, Woods made the recording, More Live, at the Armadillo World Headquarters in Austin, Texas. Perhaps his best known recorded work as a sideman is a pop piece, his alto sax solo on Billy Joel's "Just the Way You Are." He also played the alto sax solo on Steely Dan's "Doctor Wu," from their critically acclaimed 1975 album Katy Lied, as well as Paul Simon's 1975 hit, Have a Good Time.
Although Woods is primarily a saxophonist he is also a fine clarinet player and solos can be found scattered through his recordings. One good example is his clarinet solo on Misirlou on the album Into The Woods (see discography below).
Woods' recordings have been nominated for seven Grammy awards and have won four.
Phil Woods married Chan Parker, the widow of Charlie Parker, and was stepfather to Parker's daughter, Kim, and his son, Baird.
Woods, along with Rick Chamberlain and Ed Joubert founded the organization Celebration of the Arts (COTA) in 1978 late one night in the bar at the Deerhead Inn in Delaware Water Gap. The organization would eventually become the Delaware Water Gap Celebration of the Arts. Their initial goal was to help foster an appreciation of jazz and its relationship to other artistic disciplines. Each year, the organization hosts the Celebration of the Arts Festival in the town of Delaware Water Gap in September.
Discography
As leader
- 1954 Pot Pie (Prestige/OJC)
- 1955 Woodlore (OJC)
- 1956 Pairing Off (OJC)
- 1957 Four Altos (Prestige Records 7116) - with Gene Quill, Hal Stein, Sahib Shihab
- 1957 Sugan (OJC)
- 1961 Righjts Of Swing (Candid)
- 1969 Round Trip (Verve)
- 1974: Musique du Bois,
- 1975: Images,; #35 on Jazz Albums, Grammy, "Best Large Jazz Ensemble Performance".
- 1976: The New Phil Woods Album,; #39 on Jazz Albums.
- 1977: Live from the Show Boat,; #28 on Jazz Albums. Grammy, "Best Instrumental Jazz Performance, Individual or Group".
- 1980 Phil Woods/Lew Tabackin (Evidence)
- 1982 More Live,; Grammy, "Best Instrumental Jazz Performance, Individual or Group".
- 1983 At the Vanguard; Grammy, "Best Instrumental Jazz Performance, Individual or Group".
- 1984 Integrity (Red)
- 1984 Heaven (Evidence)
- 1987 Bop Stew; Bouquet (Concord)
- 1988 Evolution; Here´s To My Lady (Concord)
- 1988 Embracable You (Philology)
- 1989 Flash (Concord)
- 1989 Here's to My Lady; #12 on Jazz Albums.
- 1990 All Bird Children; Real Life (Concord)
- 1990 Phil´s Mood (Philology)
- 1991 Flowers For Hodges (Concord)
- 1991 Full House (Milestone)
- 1994 Just Friends; Our Monk (Philology)
- 1995 Plays The Music Of Jim McNeely (TCB)
- 1996 Mile High Jazz Live In Denver (Concord)
- 1996 Astor and Elis (Chesky)
- 1996 The Comlete Concert (JMS) mit Gordon Beck
- 1996 Into The Woods (Concord CCD-4699)
- 1997 Celebration! (Concord)
- 1998 The Rev And I (Blue Note Records)
- 2006 Pass the Bebop (Cowbell Music) mit Benjamin Koppel and Alex Riel Trio:
- 2006 Song for Sysiphus (Passport Audio)
As sideman
With Billy Joel
External links
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