RIGHTS OF SWING/VINYLE 180GR

Description

When he took the stage, Phil Woods was often referred to as "The New Bird," a nod to the legendary Charlie Parker. A testament to his genius on the saxophone, to be sure. But while he was obviously indebted to Parker—like all modern jazz saxophonists of a certain era—there is no doubt that Phil Woods was an original. After graduating in music from Juilliard in the early 1950s, Woods found himself in the orbit of the great Quincy Jones. At Jones's invitation, Woods joined the infamous Jazz Ambassadors of Dizzy Gillespie—a tour sponsored by the U.S. State Department as part of a global cultural diplomacy initiative—and then became a member of Jones's own touring band. This recording, his 9th album as a bandleader, consists entirely of Woods's five-part Rights of Swing Suite. An ambitious large-scale composition firmly rooted in the traditions of jazz. A highlight of the influences that the then 30-year-old artist had absorbed. Undoubtedly considered one of Woods's best recordings, the album features a stellar section made up of the other members of Woods's Quincy Jones band. (It is worth noting that these same musicians, for the most part, are also the section on the recording of Benny Bailey's Candid Records, Big Brass, recorded a few months earlier in November 1960). Recorded at Nola Penthouse Studios in New York City on two dates in January and February 1961, and conducted by Quincy Jones. The LP includes extraordinary liner notes by Nat Hentoff, man and producer of Candid A & R, and in-depth commentary from Woods himself, providing context and insights that enhance the experience of hearing these extraordinary performances.