Phil Woods

Alto saxophonist extraordinaire Phil Woods shows why he’s one of the most decorated musicians in jazz on this edition of Billy Taylor’s Jazz at the Kennedy Center. A product of the bebop era, Woods has won five Grammy Awards and is a perennial winner of Down Beat magazine’s readers poll. With his unique musical voice, Woods makes a personal statement with each solo, while consistently dazzling audiences with his spell-binding technique. He opens the show with a explosive rendition of Charlie Parker’s "Steeple Chase."

After this outstanding performance, Dr. Taylor extols Wood’s complete mastery of his instrument, exclaiming, "man, you just come in and breath fire into it." Woods responds, "I’d like to think I’m not getting worse," eliciting laughter from Billy and the audience. But Woods immediately calls attention to his formal training, which he considers essential to his musical development.

Woods attended Julliard School of Music in New York, where he majored on clarinet and studied composition. Dr. Taylor highlights Woods’ artistry in constructing a solo, noting that his improvisation is like spontaneous composition. Wood explains the value of looking beyond the chord structure to explore the melodic and rhythmic statement in the song. Dr. Taylor then beckons Woods to demonstrate the development of a simple three note motif into a complex solo, shedding even more light on the process for the audience.

Growing up in Springfield, MA, Woods’ first influence was his music teacher, Harvey LaRose. LaRose didn’t just teach Woods how to play the sax; he also taught him how to improvise using transcriptions of solos by legendary saxophonist Benny Carter. LaRose would accompany Phil on piano and explain the theory behind the compositions. One day, LaRose assigned "Mood to be Wooed," a piece by the Duke Ellington orchestra with a brilliant sax solo by the great Johnny Hodges. Later that week, young Phil would be seeing the Ellington orchestra in concert, and LaRose had guessed the impact that Hodges' performance would have on his student. Sure enough, Phil was amazed and inspired.

Benny Carter has since become a close friend and mentor to Woods. Phil shows his gratitude with a spirited rendition of Carter’s "Another Time, Another Place," and recalls the thrill of working with Carter and saxophonists Coleman Hawkins and Charlie Ross in recording Carter’s pieces written for four saxophones. He elaborates on Carter’s versatility, "He does it all… words, music, plays trumpet, clarinet, alto…and he’s a very knowledgable man." Woods’ list of influences would be incomplete without mention of bebop pioneers, trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie and legendary alto sax player, Charlie Parker.

Woods recalls his first break, traveling with Gillespie’s band to the Middle East. Cities like Baghdad and Beirut were rough places to travel then as well. But Dizzy was the consummate diplomat, charming audiences (and sometimes snakes!), and bringing goodwill to the locals via his music. Though unfamiliar with jazz, these audiences gravitated to the rhythmic quality of the Dizzy’s music. Woods recalls another tour to South America. Great artists like Brazil’s Antonio Carlos Jobim and Argentine visionary Astor Piazzolla have since said that those concerts helped to stimulate the development of modern Latin music and fusion. Woods notes that the rhythmic nature and international flavor of Gillespie’s music resulted in "world music" before such a term existed.

One audience member asks Woods how he is able to inject so much of his own personality into his playing. Woods explains that, like most artists, he began by imitating his idols. But, he says, he discovered his own voice, as well as new ways to make a unique statement, through that process. Another member asks about Woods about his own encounters with Charlie Parker, eliciting a humorous story that culminates with Parker’s kind encouragement.

Woods also shares some personal thoughts about his close friend, the late great pianist Bill Evans, then pays a beautiful and touching tribute with his composition, "Goodbye Mr. Evans." Musical highlights also include a soulful and sultry rendition of "Willow, Weep for Me." To round out the show, Woods raises the roof with a dazzling rendition of Parker’s "Donna Lee."

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