Phil Woods A Life in E Flat Portrait Of A Jazz Legend

Product Description This 86 minute documentary produced in 2005 includes extensive interviews with Phil Woods who reviews his amazing 50+ year career as one of the leading jazz alto saxophone players in the bebop music idiom. Phil is joined by his Little Big Band in the studio and is shown recording several songs for the companion Jazzed Media CD ''This is How I Feel About Quincy.'' Featuring performances by Phil Woods and his Little Big Band including Brian Lynch, Bill Charlap, Steve Gilmore and Bill Goodwin. About the Actor PHIL WOODS BACKGROUND: Phil Woods joined the jazz music scene in New York during the late 1940's when bebop was gaining popularity as the new direction of American jazz. After graduating from Juilliard Music School Phil quickly gained fame by joining the Birdland All Stars Tour of 1956, and then the Dizzy Gillespie State Department Tour throughout the Middle East. During the late 1950s Phil worked with jazz luminaries including Quincy Jones and Thelonious Monk. Phil's partnership with Gene Quill in the late 1950s established Phil as a major jazz star and led to many exciting recordings during the 1960s. After moving to Europe in 1968 Phil formed the ''European Rhythm Machine'' which kept Phil busy during the challenging period for jazz in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Phil returned to the United States in the early 1970s and had one of the first major ''crossover'' hits in the popular field by recording the now legendary solo in Billy Joel's top selling song ''Just the Way You Are''. Phil received several Grammy nominations and awards during the 1970s and formed a 30 year working relationship with Quintet members Bill Goodwin and Steve Gilmore. Phil Woods passed away on September 29, 2015 in Pennsylvania at the age of 83. Graham Carter, Producer