Phil Woods. If you know that name at all, you say it with reverence. What a master of the alto sax and the bebop language!
Phil is a torchbearer for the American songbook, steeped in the history and tradition of jazz while always maintaining a fresh voice. In his hands, the old standards acquire inventive and refreshing reinterpretations, while newer, contemporary tunes root into a deep and sweeping musical legacy. Depending on the context, Phil”s ideas pour forth with relentless ferocity or tender and exquisite lyricism, all with a buttery smoothness that belies the man”s phenomenal command of the horn.
If you ever are fortunate enough to catch Phil Woods live, watch his fingers. The striking thing about them is, there”s nothing to watch. His fingers barely move. The most amazing, jaw-dropping double-time passages come tumbling out of his horn, but his fingers seem barely aware of it. That is economy of motion, if you please! And always with that fat, generous sound and highly personal sense of swing that instantly identify Phil as the man behind the horn.
I remember my first exposure to Phil back in my college jazz days. Having heard of him from a fellow sax player, I went out and purchased his I Remember album. Good choice. That old vinyl LP opened my eyes to the relationship between beauty and technique. I couldn”t get enough of the album. My Phil Woods collection grew and continues to grow, but I Remember remains one of my favorites.
You can’t play alto sax and not go through Phil. He has influenced my playing perhaps more than any other alto player, and that includes Bird and Cannonball. I”m sure you”ll read more about him in my future posts. For now, it seems appropriate to begin this blog with a tribute to a true jazz legend–the nonpareil Phil Woods.
Be sure to check out Phil’s website.
Storm,
\nI love the new website, and your blog! Phil is someone I have not fully listened to, and I look forward to getting the CD you mentioned, and learning something! Keep up the good work and keep bloggin!
Thanks, Dave. I’m still finding my way around the administrative end of this website, and I just discovered the comments (I was wondering why I didn’t seem to be getting any!), so I am just now publishing yours.
Phil is well worth listening to. His sense of swing is unmistakable. Listening to him is an education in small combo playing–particularly since, in terms of steady personnel, his quartet is possibly the longest-lived combo in jazz.
Hope you had a great Thanksgiving!
Phil is a veteran road warrior, and his discography is as extensive as his experience. Even non-jazz lovers know him through his sax solo on the Billy Joel classic hit, “I Love You Just the Way You Are.”
Recommendations? Hmmm…looking at the CDs on Phil’s site, I”m disappointed to see that “I Remember” isn”t offered, and frankly, I dont see anything Im familiar with. But in all seriousness, I dont think it’s possible to go wrong with Phil. My personal inclination would be to purchase either of his “American Songbook” CDs, and then “Song for Sisyphus” or anything else by the Phil Woods Quintet.
Thanks for purchasing the “Eyes on Mars” CD, Adele. I hope you like it. It’’s not your everyday jazz listening experience, but it has its high points, and I”ve gotten glowing comments about it from West Michigan jazz musicians and DJs. I”ll give you a rundown on some of the tunes once the CD arrives. You can curl up with your stemmed glass and well chat. 🙂
Hello, Bob
I just tried to review Phil Woods discography, and frankly it’s a bit overwhelming. The man has a huge volume of work under his belt. I write trusting your judgment and hoping you’ll forgive me if I call on you for some recommendations?
I am, by the way, anxiously awaiting my copy of Eyes On Mars. If it arrives by the weekend, look no further for me than curled up in front of the fireplace, stemmed glass in hand!