Phil Woods - 'Live from the Showboat'

In a remarkable without-compromise career that spanned six decades, Phil was nominated for seven Grammy Awards, winning four; was awarded the Jazz Master award from the National Endowment for the Arts; and managed to reach millions via his solo on Billy Joel’s "Just the Way You Are", and the Steely Dan song, "Dr. Wu".

There wasn’t a jazz giant Woods didn’t work with.  Over the years he worked with everyone from Buddy Rich and Quincy Jones to Dizzy Gillespie and Billie Holiday

Like fellow alto saxophonists Cannonball Adderley, Sonny Criss, and Sonny Stitt, Phil fell under the spell of Charlie Parker early on, during his four years of study at Juilliard.  He graduated in 1952 with a major in clarinet and minor in composition.  Upon the release of his first recordings in 1954, he was hailed as "The New Bird".

But Phil was much more than a Parker imitator.  A technical artist and a hard swinger at heart, he combined intellect with a singular sense of humor and tremendous versatility, continuing to evolve stylistically until the end.  He had no hesitation in playing with singers and instrumentalists from all schools of jazz, from traditional to avant-garde, without losing his identity. That doesn’t often happen in jazz…at least not successfully.

'Live from the Showboat' was originally released in 1977 by RCA Victor, as a two LP set of the Phil Woods Six performing at the Showboat Lounge", Silver Springs, Maryland in November 1976. The album was the winner of the 1977 Grammy Award for the Best Jazz Performance By A Group.

Until September 2015, when Sony Japan re-released it, 'Live from the Showboat' was long out of print, and previously only available on CD in a truncated, single-disc edition that eliminated some of its most exhilarating moments.

In 1977, releasing a two-LP live set of "Straight Ahead" Jazz was a bold move by RCA Victor.  At the time, jazz music was generally more electric in nature.  The fusion of jazz and rock that dominated the early part of the decade featured mega-selling groups like the Mahavishnu Orchestra and Return to Forever, alongside Herbie Hancock’s funk-infused Head Hunters.  The uptown groove of the Brecker Brothers and Miles Davis’ jungle-like sonic explorations also contributed to this fusion. This fusion gradually moved towards more accessible music from artists like Dave Grusin, Lee Ritenour, and Larry Carlton, which would eventually evolve into the even more radio-friendly sound of "Smooth Jazz" [Ugh - Ed].

And so, in the midst of all this, a two-LP live set that met all these changes with an unrelenting acoustic blend of swing, samba and gentle balladry?  Only a musician as steadfastly committed as Phil Woods, who emerged during the bebop era, would possess the vision to remain steadfast in his artistic roots while simultaneously acknowledging and embracing the evolving musical landscape.

The Phil Woods Six are:

Phil Woods on alto sax and soprano saxophone

Mike Lellilo on piano

Harry Leahey on guitar (who, by the way, is the best guitarist most people have never heard)

Steve Gilmore on bass

Bill Goodwin on drums

Alyrio Lima on percussion

The freeload is a 2006 digital remaster from Sony Music Japan International Inc., and is part of their "Jazz Collection 1000" collection.  And it sounds great.

For the freeload, what song best represents your attitude towards life?