Phil Woods Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Phil Woods
Woods in 1978
Background information
Birth name	Philip Wells Woods
Born	(1931-11-02)November 2, 1931 Springfield, Massachusetts, U.S.
Died	September 29, 2015(2015-09-29) (aged 83) East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania
Genres	Jazz
Occupation(s)	Musician, composer
Instruments	Alto saxophone, clarinet
Associated acts	Buddy Rich, Thelonious Monk, Dizzy Gillespie, Gene Krupa, Benny Goodman

Philip Wells Woods (born November 2, 1931 – died September 29, 2015) was a famous American jazz musician. He played the alto saxophone and clarinet. He was also a bandleader and wrote music.

About Phil Woods
Awards and Recognition
Discography
- As a leader or co-leader
- As a sideman
Images for kids
See also

About Phil Woods

Phil Woods was born in Springfield, Massachusetts. When he was 12, he got a saxophone and started taking music lessons. He looked up to other great alto saxophone players like Benny Carter and Johnny Hodges.

He studied music at the Manhattan School of Music and the Juilliard School. At Juilliard, there wasn't a special program for saxophone. So, his friend Joe Lopes helped him learn the clarinet. Phil earned his degree in 1952. Even though he didn't try to copy Charlie Parker, some people called Phil "the New Bird." This nickname was also given to other saxophonists like Sonny Stitt and Cannonball Adderley.

In the 1950s, Phil started leading his own music groups. A famous musician named Quincy Jones asked him to join Dizzy Gillespie on a world tour. This tour was supported by the U.S. government. A few years later, he toured Europe with Quincy Jones. In 1962, he even toured Russia with Benny Goodman.

In 1968, Phil moved to France. There, he led a group called the European Rhythm Machine. This group played a style of jazz that was very new and experimental. In 1972, he came back to the United States. After trying to start a new electronic music group, he formed a quintet (a group of five musicians). This quintet played together for many years. Their theme song was called "How's Your Mama?"

Phil Woods was very successful. He won the award for top alto sax player almost 30 times in DownBeat magazine's yearly poll. His quintet also won the award for top small combo several times.

You might have heard Phil Woods's music even if you didn't know it! He played the alto sax solo on Billy Joel's popular song "Just the Way You Are" in 1977. He also played solos on "Doctor Wu" by Steely Dan (from their 1975 album Katy Lied) and "Have a Good Time" by Paul Simon (from his 1975 album Still Crazy After All These Years).

While he was mostly known for the saxophone, Phil Woods also played the clarinet. You can find his clarinet solos on some of his recordings. For example, he played a clarinet solo on the song "Misirlou" on his album Into the Woods.

In 1978, Phil Woods helped start an organization called Celebration of the Arts (COTA). He founded it with Rick Chamberlain and Ed Joubert. Their goal was to help people appreciate jazz music and how it connects with other art forms. Every September, COTA hosts the Celebration of the Arts Festival in Delaware Water Gap, Pennsylvania.

In 2005, a documentary film about Phil Woods was released. It was called Phil Woods: A Life in E Flat – Portrait of a Jazz Legend.

Phil Woods was married to Chan Parker for seventeen years. He was also the stepfather to Chan's daughter, Kim. On September 4, 2015, he performed a special concert to honor Charlie Parker with Strings. At the end of the show, he announced that he would be retiring from music. Phil Woods passed away on September 29, 2015, at the age of 83, due to a lung condition called emphysema.

Awards and Recognition

Phil Woods received many important awards for his music:

Grammy Award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Performance: for his album Images in 1975.
Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Jazz Performance, Individual or Group: for Live from the Show Boat (1977), More Live (1982), and At the Vanguard (1983).
NEA Jazz Masters: He was named an NEA Jazz Master in 2007. This is a very high honor for jazz musicians in the United States.

Discography

Phil Woods recorded many albums as a leader and also played on albums with other famous musicians.

As a leader or co-leader

Phil Woods released many albums where he was the main artist. Some of his early albums include Woodlore (1956) and Pairing Off (1956). Later, he released albums like Images (1975) and More' Live (1981). He also collaborated with other musicians on albums such as Dizzy Gillespie Meets Phil Woods Quintet (1986) and Man with the Hat (2011) with Grace Kelly.

As a sideman

Phil Woods also played his saxophone and clarinet on many recordings by other artists. He worked with jazz legends like Dizzy Gillespie, Quincy Jones, Thelonious Monk, and Oliver Nelson. He also played on pop and rock songs, including hits by Billy Joel, Steely Dan, and Paul Simon.