Phil Woods

• Genre: Bebop
• Hometown: Springfield
• Phil Woods Website

About

Phil Woods was a Juilliard graduate who, along with his entire generation of saxophone players, fell in love with Charlie Parker's music. Woods caught the attention of his peers when he joined the big bands of Oliver Nelson and Quincy Jones, and since Woods has always had the ability to fit his Bop-fueled sax into any musical occasion, each of these ace arrangers gave him ample room in which to solo. Woods even managed to survive the dark years of jazz (read: the ‘70s) by moving to London, where seemingly every visiting musician or vocalist wanted his saxophone for club or recording dates. Today there is no stopping Woods, as he tours incessantly and records regularly on his own.

- Nick Dedina