Phil Woods This Is How I Feel About Quincy CD

On this CD, altoist Phil Woods pays tribute to arranger-composer Quincy Jones with whom he worked on several occasions in the 1950s and '60s. Woods' quintet, consisting of two other major soloists (trumpeter Brian Lynch and pianist Bill Charlap) plus the same bassist and drummer (Steve Gilmore and Bill Goodwin) that he has used since 1974, is augmented by four versatile musicians to form a "little big band." Woods, who is in top form, performs a dozen vintage Quincy Jones songs plus his own "Q's Delight." The leader wrote all but one of the arrangements, which are usually based on Jones' big band charts but adopted for the nonet. Few surprises occur but the music is pretty timeless. Jones obscurities alternate with such familiar pieces as "Stockholm Sweetnin'," "The Quintessence," "For Lena and Lennie," and the beautiful "The Midnight Sun Will Never Set." Woods' tribute works quite well and is easily recommended. ~ Scott Yanow

This session recorded in 2004 features alto sax great Phil Woods and his Little Big Band performing memorable jazz songs written by legendary composer/arranger Quincy Jones. Phil is joined by 8 other jazz musicians including Bill Charlap on piano and Brian Lynch on trumpet:***************"As this marvelous record so eloquently bears out, Phil Woods today is at the very top of his form-and that, my friends, is a claim based on nearly fifty years (help!) of listening to this extraordinary artist, live and on record. Here Phil pays homage to another dear friend, happily very much alive, and Phil's junior by about 16 months, the one and only Quincy Jones. The title is derived from a l956 LP-Quincy's first as a leader-called "This Is How I Feel About Jazz". This is not the place for even a brief resume of Q.'s amazing career; suffice it to say that by then he had already developed an original voice as an arranger and composer and paid his dues as a member of Lionel Hampton's trumpet section, sitting next to Clifford Brown and Art Farmer.(Digression: It is a tribute to Phil as a person as well as a musician that he has been able to maintain his own regularly constituted group for lo, these many years; Steve Gilmore and Bill Goodwin were on board when the quartet started in 1974; it became a quintet nine years later. Pianists and horns have also shown staying power; Brian's been on board since 1992, and Bill Charlap joined in '95; he's on his own now as one of the best and brightest, and he and Brian just recently joined forces on a fine CD.)Quincy is bound to love it. As will you, dear listener, and not just for a spin. This is the real thing."Dan Morgenstern- Director, Institute of Jazz Studies, Rutgers University

Composers: Ernest Bailey; Henry Salvadore; Doras Cochran; Jack Lawrence ; Quincy Jones; Phil Woods.

Personnel: Phil Woods (clarinet, alto saxophone); Phil Woods; AA (French horn); Richard Chamberlain (trombone, euphonium); Rick Chamberlain (euphonium); Steve Gilmore (bass instrument); Nelson Hill (flute, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone); Tom Hamilton (tenor saxophone); Brian Lynch (trumpet, flugelhorn); Bobby Routch (flugelhorn, French horn); Bill Charlap (piano); Bill Goodwin (drums).

Liner Note Author: Dan Morgenstern.

Recording information: 02/22/2004-02/24/2004.

Photographer: David Coulter.

Arrangers: Brian Lynch; Phil Woods.JazzTimes (p.133) - "This is all wonderful writing and playing - the ensemble blend, the solos, the rhythm section. Everything."