Warm Woods by The Phil Woods Quartet Epic (LN 3436) Publication date 1958

 By BoB PRINCE

At a time when the recording industry is exploiting

jazz personalities in combination with all-star ensembles

and/or rhythm sections, and the jazz personalities are

all busily developing their own small functioning

groups, Epic Records presents the Phil Woods Quartet.

Although limited in contrasting textures, this album

exposes a dynamic and enthusiastic unit freely express-

ing itself in its own terms. The rapport and almost care-

less cohesion, apparent in eyen a casual listening, could

have' resulted only from a long musical association of

talented and sympathetic musicians.

Elected “New Star” alto sax winner of the 1956 Down

Beat poll, Philip Wells Woods is perhaps the most

articulate exponent of contemporary hot, mainstream,

hard bop, or you-name-it jazz. With the influx of experi-

mental jazz (from moderate to far out and in some

instances totally out) and the many assortments of the

“cool” variety, it is more than refreshing to hear a vital,

unself-conscious, yet intelligent expression of funky

down-home jazz. To listen to the urgency of his playing

is to know that Phil plays because he must.

Born in Springfield, Mass., in 1931, he inherited an

alto saxophone from an uncle at the age of twelve. After

two years of local study, his interest in music became

intense. The first exposure to Charlie Parker on records

gave him insight into the beauty and logic that were

Bird’s. In 1948, he came to New York to study and

make his headquarters in the cultural center of the

jazz world. His first year was spent in going from ses-

sion to session, playing with a great variety of musi-

cians. He then spent a year at the Manhattan School of

Music, studying clarinet, and the following four years

at Juilliard where he studied harmony, theory, and

composition, in addition to majoring in clarinet.

With a solid musical foundation, a technical mastery

of his horn, and a dedication to the natural evolution

of jazz, Phil emerged, unlike many Parker re-creators,

an individual. His rapid development can be traced

through the many bands and groups in which he was

featured. Starting with the Charlie Barnet band, while

still at Juilliard, he has been a regular in the Neal Hefti

line-up, (and is also responsible for the alto solos on

“Hefti Hot ’n Hearty,” LN 3187, and “Songs for My

Man” by Frances Wayne, LN 3222), and has worked

briefly with Richard Hayman, Gene Krupa, Claude

Thornhill, and Ray McKinley. He has worked regularly

with the George Wallington Quartet and was selected

for the 1956 Birdland Tour where he appeared with

Al Cohn, Conte Condoli, and Kenny Dorham. He later

joined Dizzy Gillespie’s newly formed band and was

featured in its Middle East and South American tours.

Sandwiched in between, he played and appeared at the

Newport Jazz Festival with the Friedrich Gulda Septet.

More recently, he has been heard in association with

Gene Quill in their combined quintet, “Phil and Quill.”

The quartet and quintet, both utilizing the same rhythm

section, are the center of Phil’s interest and plans for

the immediate future.

Sob Corwin, though hardly a newcomer to recording

studios at 24, has just recently undergone a complete

change of style and conception. The switch, from over-

busy percussive comping and solo work to a more sim-

plified rhythmic approach, he attributes essentially to

Nick Stabulas. His light pianistic touch is particularly

effective in contrast to Phil’s hard-swinging open-voiced

alto. Originally taught by his father, a silent-movie

pianist, he lists Red Garland as a favorite.

Nick Stabulas, affectionately referred to as “fabulous

Stabulas” by his friends, was also originally taught by

his father, a drummer. Nick has been closely associated

with Phil from almost the beginning of his career. At

28, his particular favorite is “Philly” Joe Jones.

Rounding out the rhythm section is 26-year-old bass-

ist Sonny Dallas. As a vocalist at 19, he began playing

bass in an effort to incorporate the two, but soon found

that he enjoyed playing more than singing. And just to

complete the excellent neo ~ Miles Davis rhythm section.

Sonny picks Paul Chambers as his favorite bassist.

“Warm Woods,” as the title and tunes imply, focuses

on a facet of Phil’s personality that has been relatively

overlooked in his recorded career. The four standards

(Easy Living, I Love You, Wait Till You See Her, Like

Someone in Love) and Brubeck’s In Your Own Sweet

Way, while only slightly tempering his driving virtuos-

ity, show him in a more lyric and soulfull light.

Of the three originals, Waltz for a Lovely Wife was

inspired by his recent marriage to the former Chan

Parker and enables us to hear the quartet demonstrate

its command of the current vogue of playing in three.

Squire's Parlor is dedicated to the man who performed

their marriage ceremony. As squire of a small Pennsy]-

vania town in which Woods and his wife now reside, his

duties run from issuing dog and drivers’ licenses to be-

ing town barber and notary. His parlor left a lasting

impression in both their minds, Both of Phil’s originals,

incidentally, were-recorded in one take each:

Gunga Din is one of the few known tunes left by a

very talented and promising Pittsburgh musician, the

late Gerry Kaminsky. The pianist’s untimely death was '

powerfully felt by all who knew or heard him.

As a postscript to these notes, I want to relay the

group's thanks to Arnold Maxin, who was in charge of

Artists and Repertoire and who extended them complete

freedom in their preparation and recording of the album,

and to Frank Laico, the recording engineer who is. re-

sponsible for the excellent balance and sound of this

recording.