Customer Reviews

This Is How I Feel About Quincy

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. . . has mellowed like fine Belgium beer. What he may have lost in fire he's more than made up for in sheerly gorgeous phrasing, as well as a kind of savvy penetration to the heart of his increasingly well-chosen material; his recent disc with Herbie Mann--and even more this one--proves it beyond a doubt.

This record, a salute to Quincy Jones, whose bands Woods played in extensively in the mid-sixties, finds the alto master at the absolute top of his game. Pianist Bill Charlap, especially, seems to have caught the deep-swinging vibe of these proceedings as he consistently sets the perfect rhythmic, harmonic, and melodic table for the other bandmembers. But all the band members, from the core quintet to the additional four filling out the little big band, are totally locked into the classic jazz sensibility laid down here.

Jones richly deserves such a retrospective, constantly proving to be an unending fount of tuneful creativity equally adept at writing swing, blues, bop burners, or ballads. Even though straight-ahead jazz of this sort isn't generally my cup of tea, I'm entirely takes by this warm and wonderful disc.

"This is How I Feel About Quincy" is, as far as I know, Phil's third Cd with his Little Big Band. The band consists of his quintet augmented by two additional reed players and two low brass players. One of those earlier CD's "Evolution" on Concord may well be my favorite Phil recording. The other, "Real Life" on Chesky is a winner, as well.

This CD is up to the same standard musically as those, but the feel is a bit different. Those CD's emphasized hard blowing, whereas "Quincy" is more mellow and laid back. The tunes with one exception are by Quincy Jones, who in the late '50's and early '60's was involved in real jazz and often employed Woods in his orchestras. Many of the tunes will be familiar to fans of Quincy's music from that era, and they are all expertly arranged by either Woods or Brian Lynch. There is a nice variety here with up tempo numbers like "Meet Benny Bailey"; "Hard Sock Dance" and the rollicking "Belly Roll"; ballads such as "Quintessence" and "The Midnight Sun Will Never Set", and medium tempo groovers such as "Jessica's Day," and the relaxed "For Lena and Lennie." Jones certainly had a gift for writing memorable melodiies. Phil adds his own attractive tribute, "Q's Delight."

The sound of the Little Big Band is most agreeable. The French horn and trombone (euphonium in several cases) add considerable depth and color to the ensemble. The soloists are in good form as well, with Woods, pianist Bill Charlap, and trumpeter Lynch getting the most space. Lynch is especially outstanding, and for my money takes solo honours on this CD. Phil, as always, plays with depth and verve, and Charlap is an understated but very effective soloist. Reed players Nelson Hill, Tom Hamilton and French hornist Bobby Routch also get several solo spots, with Routch being especially effective on "Belly Roll".

But what one most remembers from listening to this CD is the overall sound of the band, warm and mature. There's no major fireworks here and no one is aiming for the fences. But everyone is having a good time, just like long-time friends getting together and having a good conversation about subjects of mutual interest. It is our privilege to listen in.

Congratulations to Phil, the Band, and Graham Carter of Jazzed Media for this beautifully recorded, well-rounded 68 minute CD. This Cd is one of the treasures of 2004 and warmly recommended to Phil fans and to all who enjoy mature, melodic jazz.

I have been a Phil Woods fan for a long time. the man is a brilliant composer, arranger, and sax player. His work on this CD is certainly on par with his best work. I highly recommend this CD.

F.P.Keogh, R.I.