Thanks, great and sad.

It's a reminder of the impermanent nature of it all.

Be grateful and blow that horn lads while we can!:cheers:

 

Brave cat, going out there on the stage in a wheelchair (if I'm reading between the lines correctly) and using an oxygen tank. What a career it has been. Just today I was listening to Pot Pie, recorded more that 60 years ago, and on which he sounds fantastic, and marveling that he was still at it after all these years.

 

He did a tour with Greg Abate last year, and a couple CDs. Very nice, but the writing was on the wall.

 

Phil has been touring and recording with Greg for the past two or three years. Because Greg is a Rhode Islander, they did several gigs around my area and I was fortunate to see them twice in the last two years, the second time up close and personal at a Masterclass which they did at Robert's Music in Warwick about a year ago. The oxygen bottle has been a fixture with Phil for a few years now, but you'd never know if from the way he played. I had heard that Phil could be crusty, and while some of that showed at times, when I chatted with him for a few minutes after a concert and the Masterclass, he could not have been nicer, despite being exhausted.

Phil Woods, truly a Grand-master of the Alto sax, was one of my first sax heros and I will treasure having a few moments to talk to this legend. He chose to exit the stage with grace and dignity.

 

Deep. Better way to go out than many other jazz legends did.

 

He's reverted to using his Selmer instead of the vaunted 'Z' Yamaha.

cheers, Mark.

 

Not in that picture. Look at the Front high-F key. It's a Yamaha teardrop shape.

My very first saxophone teacher studied with him, and the very first jazz CD I bought was his first CD with Tom Harrell in the group. I can't remember the name. The first tune on it was 111-44, which used to be the combination on my alto case! I can't believe that he's retiring, but it had to come sometime.

 

Very sad to hear about his medical problems. I hope Billy Joel was at the concert.

 

What a way to end one of the greatest careers in the history of jazz,by performing Charlie Parker's Bird With Strings album. That's my
kind of hero! Warrior!!. Phil is one of the handful of great alto players ever, but he's also a brilliant one of a kind musician on every level!

Phil Woods set a standard for many players. Also a standard as a leader, sideman and composer. Let's not forget his teaching, and early years at his summer camp which fostered many up and coming greats like Richie Cole, Joe Roccissano, Walt Cross, Roger Rosenberg, Mark Kirk, Michael Brecker and loads of others.One of the most recognizable saxophone players, Phil Woods shaped a lifetime of jazz alto sax players.


But at 83 soon to be 84, Phil's birthday is a few days after mine, he really lead a brilliant and fascinating.
He us a beautiful friend, we always exchanged greetings and a few times Phil was kind enough to share, and gift me with charts, almost every tune he ever wrote and DVD's that are the pride of my collection. When my " Cannonball" book came out he sent me a letter immediately- also knew I loved Eric Dolphy , and told me cool story's about Eric. Phil is one of the tenacious and buoyant people I've ever had the honor to know. Forever grateful for the deep inspiration and friendship through the years. This guy set a great example for the rest of us! I wish him well and comfort for his days ahead.

Wow,the end of an era. Respect.

 

Sad news but but it seems that he pulled off a very dignified and elegant retirement party. Phil is an entertaining writer and, with luck, maybe he'll get a book together. He's got great stories from his long career.

 

sad, but a great way to go.
I first heard Phil play on the Quincy Jones album 'The Quintessence' and that opening track had me right away. Later got in 'Warm Woods,' Live at the Showboat' and all the great albums, but I've always loved the way he played lead in a big band.

 

A real inspiration for many of us that started on alto and took lessons with him back in the day. Hope he continues to write and enjoy being at home.

 

His composition. Goodbye Mr Evans. Fantastic ballad. The music is available from his site, I purchased it a few years back to do a midi BT.

 

+1 to all of the above.

He was my first jaw dropping inspiration. I saw him for $3? at Three Sisters in West Orange NJ, back in the 70's..(I may have the name/location wrong). Live at the Riverboat is it? amazing. He signed my realbook on Confirmation page at a Regattabar performance here in Cambridge,MA in the 90s.

Great composer, arranger, collaborator. That sound! (which did change when he switched it up in the ??90s?) And yes its funny that he went back to his Selmer 'roots' in his final shows...hmm, any psychologists out there want Analyze This!?

I was at Rayburns music here in Boston, trying out mouthpieces and they had this lame practice room in the middle of the store that every one could here you in the store. Emillio Lyons was there of course (legendary repairguy), and when I came out he said, "..ehy, you sound-a like-eh Phil-a Wooods-eh" (Italian accent fyi), which I thought was crazy cause I could barely play competently back then late 80's, but I'll never ever forget it! Thank you Emilio ..... and...

Thank You Phil Woods!

 

I thought he sounded slightly different on the Yamaha when I first heard it. i couldn't figure out what it was at first but then realized, oh yeah, he is on a Yamaha now. I preferred the Selmer sound but then, well I listened to him a lot on the Selmer way back then and might be able to pick up the difference so it was a bit disconcerting for me.

 

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I saw him live with his quartet in the early 80's with Mike Melillo, Steve Goodson and Bill Goodwin, the venue was a 500 people small theatre, I was in up in a back row the balcony and I remember I could hear him very well with no PA... it was his choice to play acoustically with that band.

A really awesome sax player and musician, I have loved so much his Samba du Bois record back in the day.

This is another fine band, Phil Woods and his European Rhythm Machine, that he led during the early 70's, with the late great Gordon Beck on piano, along with bassist Ron Mathewson and Daniel Humair on drums.

Thank you so much Mr. Woods!

SD

Yeah, the European Rhythm machine was probably his most adventurous stuff. His playing was always first class but it seem liked he never took those kind of creative chances again really. They don't always work but well, who cares. Still, what a great player. He and Cannonball are still my favorite alto players, really making that instrument kick butt.

 

God Bless you Phil! He had a huge impact on me! Three of the first albums I had in high school were Musique Du Bois, Warm Woods and Live from the Showboat. Although I had the Omnibook and practiced out of it everyday Parker really didn't call to me like those Phil Woods albums. When I first heard Musique Du Bois is when I started dreaming of playing at that level. I wore those albums out listening every day!!! I wish him a relaxing and peaceful retirement.

 

My introduction to Phil was Warm Woods, love that cd.
His solo on Steely Dan's Dr. Wu, from the Katy Lied album, is hauntingly beautiful.

I was lucky enough to have seen him at Artpark, Lewiston,NY, early '90s.

 

My introduction to Phil was Warm Woods, love that cd.

Same here! I don't know how many times I have listen to Warm Woods and I never get tired to listening to it. Beautiful and very different tunes played with loads of spunk, brashness, and yet at the same time tenderness as well. It is perfection. It is one of them of five albums for that desert island.

I have only seem him live once a few years back. It was utterly forgettable. I think he had an oxygen tank with him, probably because he has severe COPD, and he surely was too sick to play that day. It seems that he has been doing better since, but you cannot ask these guys to go on forever. I hope he may have many more years to enjoy life and his incredible achievements without the stress of having to travel and perform.

 

His taking on a trumpet player Tom Harrell, who had serious personal mental health problems was real indication of his ability to work well with people of all kinds.

 

This is sad and what a huge loss to live music .

Guys like this are born..he was something special. He was truly a great alto man and he's had a great life in and out of music.

I wasn't aware of the oxygen tank situation - how long had that been going on ?

 

This is sad and what a huge loss to live music .

Guys like this are born..he was something special. He was truly a great alto man and he's had a great life in and out of music.

I wasn't aware of the oxygen tank situation - how long had that been going on ?

Tryp - At least for the past 3-years. I saw him in RI in Feb 2013 with Greg Abate and he was only able to play every other song...he had to take oxygen in between.

 

I heard Phil Woods several times in Dayton, Ohio in the late '70's / early '80's kind of timeframe...I got his autograph on an index card after one gig...still have it...what a great player...

 

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Re: the Joe Henderson situation . I don't read this one too often, as it's too upsetting to think about .

One of Joe Henderson's last documented public performances came in January 1997 in a trio performance w/ Al Foster and George Mraz.
A year later Henderson suffered a debillitating stroke. Mariko Kuwajima Hopps, a close friend of Henderson's was with the musician
when he was stricken. Henderson received weeks of intensive therapy and asked his friend to bring his instrument .

It took a half hour for him to assemble his own instrument. He played a few phrases . Then he stopped and just looked down at his knees.
A few minutes later he started to cry. When he realized that he couldn't play anymore Joe's life actually ended .

https://books.google.com/books?id=L...7ew9trlxwIViFuSCh3e-Q3i#v=onepage&q=joe henderson looked down and cried&f=false

 

Sad, but awesome that he made such great music over all those decades. I think that people will be listening to Phil Woods when we are all dead and gone.

 

What a coincidence: I just bought "Musique Du Bois" on vinyl today.
He was using the oxygen tank at least ten years ago, and gave us some great music (songbooks) since then.

He did so much for the music world that if he feels like retiring and have a rest, he has my full respect and love.

 

Musique Du Bois is a killer album. Every sax play should have that one! I played "the Summer Knows" in high school with the rhythm section for our last big jazz concert of the year. I still love that tune.......

 

Phil was using a Yamaha Z at this show, I was there and saw it up close, you can see that it is in fact a Yamaha.

Regardless, it was an awesome show and he played the heck out of all the charts.

 

Actually I'm listening to this album right now after just posting. I still know Summer Knows like I was in high school which is amazing! The other tune I remember practicing the tar out of was Airegin from that album. I found a transcription of it in a Kynaston book I believe and practiced for months on that solo.........

 

It's funny that you should mention that because I transcribed that solo sitting on a building rooftop of my apt building in Boston using a little reel to reel tape deck. I would sing a few bars until I could write it down. Then I practiced it until I could play it from memory. Talk about low tech. Your post reminded me of it, I must have it in a box somewhere. Those were the days when I had lots of time to practice. That's a great solo he played on that.