Groovin' to Marty Paich [LIVE]

Phil Woods

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 1, 2005)
• Original Release Date: March 1, 2005
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Live
• Label: Jazzed Media
• ASIN: B0007NFLTA
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #206,609 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Editorial Reviews

About the Artist
"Art Pepper Plus Eleven" is one of the classic recordings of 1950s jazz. The combination of Pepper's alto with the arrangements of Marty Paich on a set of bebop standards in 1959 has delighted listeners for decades. 45 years after that recording Ken Poston, the founder and director of the Los Angeles Jazz Institute, presented a four-day jazz festival titled" Springsville" which was billed as celebrating "The Birth Of The Cool And Beyond." One of the main stars of the festival was Phil Woods who appeared on three concerts including one that featured a dozen Marty Paich arrangements, eight of which were from the "Art Pepper Plus Eleven" album. Since the concert was recorded live and in a one-hour period, all of the music on this release is comprised of first takes yet the musicians sound quite relaxed. Eight of the twelve arrangements were originally on the "Art Pepper Plus Eleven" album while two ("Too Close For Comfort" and "I've Never Been In Love Before") are from "The Broadway Bit" and two others ("Violets For Your Furs" and "Moanin'") are on the album " I Get A Boot Out Of You". All of the charts are from 1959 and originally featured Art Pepper. 45 years after they were first recorded, Marty Paich's arrangements have resulted in another classic recording, and a milestone in the career of Phil Woods. Scott Yanow, Author of eight jazz books including Jazz On Film, Trumpet Kings, Jazz On Record 1917-76, Bebop and Swing

Product Description
An amazing tribute to the great jazz arranger Marty Paich, Alto Sax legend Phil Woods is joined by the Los Angeles Jazz Orchestra under the direction of pianist Christian Jacob. Recorded in 2004 this new release captures the very essence of the groundbreaking 1950’s Marty Paich charts

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding!, March 12, 2005

By	John Tapscott (Canada) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

"Groovin' to Marty Paich" was the inspired idea of Ken Poston, producer of the "Springville" jazz celebration in L.A. in '04, and Graham Carter, head of JazzedMedia records. The idea was to resurrect some of the classic small big-band charts Marty Paich wrote back in 1959 to feature star altoist Art Pepper. (Three albums resulted from the Paich/Pepper collaboration, including the famous "Art Pepper Plus Eleven" on Contemporary.) In 2004, 12 of these charts would be played by the 12 piece Los Angeles Jazz Orchestra, directed by pianist Christian Jacob, and featuring as main soloist the great alto saxophonist, Phil Woods.

Not only was the idea inspired, but the execution, as captured on this CD, was inspired as well. The band plays these swinging charts well, and many of the band's members, including pianist Jacob, trumpeter Steve Huffsteter, trombonist Scott Whitfield, tenorist Brian Scanlon, and vibist Brad Dutz have short but effective solos. Stephanie O'Keefe on French horn makes a memorable contribution to the the ensemble sound, especially on ballads like "'Round Midnight" and "Violets for Your Furs," which is arguably the CD's outstanding track. The swinging rhythm section of Jacob, bassist Chris Connor, and drummer Paul Kreibich, is excellent on every track.

But the main star here is Phil Woods. Perhaps it was the live setting, or Paich's great charts, or the chance to dig into his bebop roots, or the warm weather, but Phil certainly sounds inspired on this date. His swinging solos are exuberant and full of jazz joy. And naturally he is passionate and moving on ballads, especially on the aforementioned "Violets". On this track and throughout the CD, Phil asserts his place as the reigning master of the alto saxophone. It is hard to imagine any soloist on any instrument soloing more effectively than Phil does here. Just listen to his bluesy solo in "Moanin.' And after warming up on the head Phil plays a wailing clarinet solo on "Anthropology."

Perfectionists may note some of the minor flaws that seem inevitable on live recordings, but this CD is a wonderful example of jazz that is at once organized yet maintains a swinging and spontaneous feeling.

"Groovin' to Marty Paich" is a most enjoyable CD and must be considered one of the early contenders for jazz album of the year in 2005. This outstanding CD is highly recommended.