Phil Woods - Greek Cooking (1967)

 

Woods was born in Springfield, Massachusetts.^[1] After inheriting a saxophone at age 12, he began taking lessons at a local music shop. His heroes on the alto saxophone included Benny Carter and Johnny Hodges. He studied music with Lennie Tristano at the Manhattan School of Music and at the Juilliard School.^[1] His friend, Joe Lopes, coached him on clarinet as there was no saxophone major at Juilliard at the time and received a bachelor’s degree in 1952. Although he did not copy Charlie Parker, Woods was known as the New Bird, a nickname also given to other alto saxophone players such as Sonny Stitt and Cannonball Adderley.

In the 1950s, Woods began to lead his own bands. Quincy Jones invited him to accompany Dizzy Gillespie on a world tour sponsored by the U.S. State Department. A few years later he toured Europe with Jones, and in 1962 he toured Russia with Benny Goodman.^[3]

After moving to France in 1968, Woods led the European Rhythm Machine, a group which tended toward avant-garde jazz.^[1] He returned to the United States in 1972 and, after an unsuccessful attempt to establish an electronic group, he formed a quintet^[1] which was still performing, with some changes of personnel, in 2004. As his theme, Woods used a piece titled "How's Your Mama?"

Woods earned the top alto sax player award almost 30 times in DownBeat magazine's annual readers' poll. His quintet was awarded the top small combo title several times.^[3]

In 1979, Woods recorded the album More Live at Armadillo World Headquarters in Austin, Texas. Perhaps his best known recorded work as a sideman is a pop piece, his alto sax solo on Billy Joel's 1977 "Just the Way You Are".^[1] He also played the alto sax solo on Steely Dan's "Doctor Wu" from their 1975 album Katy Lied,^[4] as well as Paul Simon's "Have a Good Time" from the 1975 album Still Crazy After All These Years.^[5]

 

Although Woods was primarily a saxophonist, he was also a clarinet player and solos can be found scattered through his recordings. One particular example is his clarinet solo on "Misirlou" on the compilation album, Into the Woods.^[6]

Woods, along with Rick Chamberlain and Ed Joubert, founded the organization Celebration of the Arts (COTA) in 1978 late one night in the bar at the Deer Head Inn in Delaware Water Gap. The organization would eventually become the Delaware Water Gap Celebration of the Arts. Their initial goal was to help foster an appreciation of jazz and its relationship to other artistic disciplines. Each year, the organization hosts the Celebration of the Arts Festival in the town of Delaware Water Gap in September.

In 2005, Jazzed Media released the documentary Phil Woods: A Life in E Flat – Portrait of a Jazz Legend, directed by Rich Lerner and produced by Graham Carter.^[7]

Woods was married to Chan Parker, the common-law wife of Charlie Parker, for seventeen years and was the stepfather to Chan's daughter, Kim.^[3] On September 4, 2015, he performed a tribute to Charlie Parker with Strings at the Manchester Craftsmen's Guild and announced at the end of the show that he would be retiring. He died a little more than three weeks later of emphysema on September 29, 2015, at the age of 83.^[2]

Woods in 1983

Although Woods was primarily a saxophonist, he was also a clarinet player and solos can be found scattered through his recordings. One particular example is his clarinet solo on "Misirlou" on the compilation album, Into the Woods.^[6]

Woods, along with Rick Chamberlain and Ed Joubert, founded the organization Celebration of the Arts (COTA) in 1978 late one night in the bar at the Deer Head Inn in Delaware Water Gap. The organization would eventually become the Delaware Water Gap Celebration of the Arts. Their initial goal was to help foster an appreciation of jazz and its relationship to other artistic disciplines. Each year, the organization hosts the Celebration of the Arts Festival in the town of Delaware Water Gap in September.

In 2005, Jazzed Media released the documentary Phil Woods: A Life in E Flat – Portrait of a Jazz Legend, directed by Rich Lerner and produced by Graham Carter.^[7]

Woods was married to Chan Parker, the common-law wife of Charlie Parker, for seventeen years and was the stepfather to Chan's daughter, Kim.^[3] On September 4, 2015, he performed a tribute to Charlie Parker with Strings at the Manchester Craftsmen's Guild and announced at the end of the show that he would be retiring. He died a little more than three weeks later of emphysema on September 29, 2015, at the age of 83.^[2]

Accordion (Accordian) – William Costa Bass (Fender) – Chet Amsterdam Clarinet – Souren Baronian Drums – Bill Lavorgna Drums (Dumbeg) – John Yalenezian Guitar – Stuart Scharf Lute (Buzukie) – Iordanis Tsomidis Marimba – William Costa Oud – George Mgrdichian Percussion – Seymour Salzberg Percussion (Cymbals) – Souren Baronian Saxophone – Phil Woods Arranged By – Norman Gold Producer – Bob Thiele A1 Zorba The Greek 0:00 A2 A Taste Of Honey 3:08 A3 Theme From Anthony & Cleopatra 8:56 A4 Got A Feelin' 13:50 B1 Theme From Simon & Dililah 18:17 B2 Greek Cooking 23:32 B3 Nica 28:33

 Σε μια εποχή σαν τη σημερινή όπου παντρεύεται το λαϊκό τραγούδι μιας χώρας με το ροκ ή την τζαζ, μπορεί να είναι πολύ συνηθισμένο αν όχι επιβεβλημένο. Ομως, το 1960, όταν ο Ιορδάνης Τσομίδης αυτοσχεδίαζε παρέα με έναν από τους καλύτερους Αμερικανούς τζαζίστες, τον Φιλ Γουντς, τέτοιες συνεργασίες ανήκαν σε μια τολμηρή πρωτοπορία.

«Το παίξιμο του Ιορδάνη κατά τη γνώμη μου χαρακτηρίζεται από μια μοναδική γλυκύτητα και ένα συνεχή αυτοσχεδιασμό. Ποτέ δεν παίζει με τον ίδιο τρόπο ένα τραγούδι. Κάθε φορά τού βάζει άλλο ταξίμι, το χρωματίζει διαφορετικά». Ο Γρηγόρης Φαληρέας, σε ένα γραπτό του έδωσε ακριβώς τα στοιχεία που ξεχώρισαν τον Τσομίδη από άλλους συναδέλφους του. Στο κάτω κάτω τον γνώριζε καλά αφού το 1984 προετοίμασε την έκδοση «Τα ταξίμια του Ιορδάνη». «Το πρόγραμμα που έβγαζε δεν είχε πρόγραμμα, γιατί αφηνόταν στη διάθεση της βραδιάς…». Δεν έχει σχέση «με τα υπεροργανωμένα προγράμματα που παρουσιάζονται σε άλλα μαγαζιά. Εκεί δεν αφήνουν τους μουσικούς να αυτοσχεδιάσουν ανάλογα με τη διάθεσή τους. Τους υποχρεώνουν να παίζουν προκαθορισμένα με γνώμονα την εξυπηρέτηση των τραγουδιστών, οι οποίοι άλλωστε για να το πω και καθημερινά «φέρνουν τον κόσμο και τα λεφτά» συντηρώντας μαγαζιά».

Σταθμός στην καριέρα του ήταν τα χρόνια της Αμερικής και οι ηχογραφήσεις του με Αμερικανούς τζαζίστες. Ο Ιορδάνης από την Κοκκινιά, όπως μας πληροφόρησε ο Γρ. Φαληρέας έχει κυκλοφορήσει τουλάχιστον οκτώ δίσκους στην Αμερική, τη Γερμανία, και την Ολλανδία. Οπως ο δίσκος με τον Phill Woods. το Greek Cooking της Impulse ΑS-9143.

Γεννημένος το 1933 στην Κοκκινιά όπου εργαζόταν ο πατέρας του ως υποδηματοποιός, έδειξε από μικρός την κλίση του. Στα 12 του χρόνια έμαθε μπουζούκι και βιολί και ένα χρόνο αργότερα «άρχισε να παραδίδει μαθήματα σε πιτσιρικάδες». Στην Αμερική έπαιξε για 15 χρόνια σε ελληνικά μαγαζιά και «έκανε παρέα με τον Τζακ Νίκολσον, την Σίρλει Μακ Λέιν, την Τζέιν Φόντα και άλλους διάσημους».

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