Not many people know this, but Phil Woods married Charlie Parker's wife after Bird died... And now Phil Woods plays on Charlie Parker's alto sax... THAT'S BIRS'S HORN!!!
Hi.. yes, I'm an absolute fan of Phil's sound, up to having bought his entire set-up (custom z yamaha, meyer 5 v 16 vandoren reeds), then re-sold the sax when realized his sound was far from coming out :-)
Yes in this video his sound is elecronically cut on the buzzy - ahrsh side rpobably enhancing some harmonics over others. I heard him once in the eighties from very close: he had an impressive dinamics and pianissimo. All colours of the alto sax expressiveness. Love you Mr. Woods
Sorry to hear, you couldn't realize the sound any near to Phil. But ok, he is master of alto sax! :=)
And one more question: why did you buy a yamaha? Sure, Phil plays this sax nowadays. But before, he played Selmer. So does he in most videos on youtube! Just watch for the neck symbol of selmer...
Hi.. well, quite a few videos here actually are showing the yamaha custom z UL (unlacquered) I had heard it in tenor version in the hands of Bob Franceschini (Mike Stern band) and it plays beautifuly. I gave it a chance at one third the price of a Mark VI, and it is a wonderful instrument, it's just my sound that comes out rather mellow in tone. So I sold it for a Borgani pearl gold, which is richer in harmonics and eases my natural inclination on sound.
@MrNepau Cant believe you sold the Yamaha Z and meyer setup? I have both alto and tenor, amazing horns. You've got to establish your own sound. No one will ever sound exactly like some one else's playing, but you can come reasonably close.
@Saxkiwi Hi.. well I love the crisp buzzy sound and all the colour in Phil's sound, but mine comes out always mellower and "airy" with frequent subtone. After playing the Z Ul side by side to a Borgani pearl gold, lush sound, I chose the second. I also had Bobby Watson play my alto and all the dozen sax students, some very advanced, chose the sound of Borgani over the yas z ul that Mr Watson also plays. I got closer to Phils' sound with a lacquered yas 62 purple logo I previously owned.
@MrNepau Yes I have heard the Borganis are good. How are they priced? Theyre Italian are they not? or are they made or assembled in China? I have a 57 Kohlert alto and conn 6m and 26m conqueror altos as well and the sound of these horns beat the Yamaha UL 82Z in many ways, like more darker and in the top end not quite so shrill as the Z but for ergonomics cant really beat the Z and find the other horns are a bit dark where I play mostly and need a bit of brightness. I find the Z nice and edgy.
Thanks Phil for pickin up Art Peppers torch and burnin a big fuckin hole in pop music!!!!!!! This music will never die because its our culture, tradition and way of life for AMERICANS!!
@teebomba No... It is birds sax... look it up, at the wedding, she gave it to him. and in a bunch of videos yous see him playing it... its easy to tell because of the upside down octave neckpiece.
@TheSaxWizard Oh wow that's news. Mr. Parker was so my musical hero and to think that's his sax. It actually belongs in something like the Smithsonian. This sounds different but awfully nice. :D
This is from the 1989 tour of the Dizzy Gillespie/Phil Woods All-Stars with Mickey Roker on drums, Rufus Reid on bass, Cedar Walton on piano. The rest of the band was Steve Turre on trombone and Bobby Hutcherson on vibraphone. It was a great tour and despite the billing, everyone knew who the leader was!
What I love about Phil Woods is that he's not only great, but still alive. He's a life line to an era long gone. So many other jazz greats from the 50's era are gone, and he's still going strong at age 77.
Phil is the top of the top !!!
pmottagenmed 1 month ago
Fucking amazing tone, he sounds like a tenor.
MrFunxy 3 months ago
oh shit dat tone~
MrFunxy 3 months ago
@ MrNepau
You can't get a cat's sound just by buying their set-up. You have to transcribe and play with them, try get their sound with your current set up...
pookierulz 1 year ago
Not many people know this, but Phil Woods married Charlie Parker's wife after Bird died... And now Phil Woods plays on Charlie Parker's alto sax... THAT'S BIRS'S HORN!!!
TheSaxWizard 1 year ago
This saxophonist is one of the most lyrical I have ever heard....absolute heavenly, Mr.Woods. sd goh (malaysia)
301250 1 year ago
Phil woods inspired me to play alto saxophone <3
:D
ineedazcard 1 year ago
What a Beautiful Sound he has!
TotalSaxSap 1 year ago
I love Woods sax sound. But in this video, it sounds all a bit harsh, doesn't it?
HCL991 2 years ago
Hi.. yes, I'm an absolute fan of Phil's sound, up to having bought his entire set-up (custom z yamaha, meyer 5 v 16 vandoren reeds), then re-sold the sax when realized his sound was far from coming out :-)
Yes in this video his sound is elecronically cut on the buzzy - ahrsh side rpobably enhancing some harmonics over others. I heard him once in the eighties from very close: he had an impressive dinamics and pianissimo. All colours of the alto sax expressiveness. Love you Mr. Woods
MrNepau 2 years ago
Sorry to hear, you couldn't realize the sound any near to Phil. But ok, he is master of alto sax! :=)
And one more question: why did you buy a yamaha? Sure, Phil plays this sax nowadays. But before, he played Selmer. So does he in most videos on youtube! Just watch for the neck symbol of selmer...
HCL991 2 years ago
Hi.. well, quite a few videos here actually are showing the yamaha custom z UL (unlacquered) I had heard it in tenor version in the hands of Bob Franceschini (Mike Stern band) and it plays beautifuly. I gave it a chance at one third the price of a Mark VI, and it is a wonderful instrument, it's just my sound that comes out rather mellow in tone. So I sold it for a Borgani pearl gold, which is richer in harmonics and eases my natural inclination on sound.
MrNepau 2 years ago
Sure, a third the price of a Mark VI, it's worth a try!
Borgani sax? I'm sorry, I've never heard of these... Well actually I know nothing! I play a 200 $ sax...
Is this tenor or alt you use?
HCL991 2 years ago
Phil Woods helped design the Yamaha Z's, so they gave him one.
KlassyKamikaze 2 years ago
@MrNepau Cant believe you sold the Yamaha Z and meyer setup? I have both alto and tenor, amazing horns. You've got to establish your own sound. No one will ever sound exactly like some one else's playing, but you can come reasonably close.
Saxkiwi 1 year ago
@Saxkiwi Hi.. well I love the crisp buzzy sound and all the colour in Phil's sound, but mine comes out always mellower and "airy" with frequent subtone. After playing the Z Ul side by side to a Borgani pearl gold, lush sound, I chose the second. I also had Bobby Watson play my alto and all the dozen sax students, some very advanced, chose the sound of Borgani over the yas z ul that Mr Watson also plays. I got closer to Phils' sound with a lacquered yas 62 purple logo I previously owned.
MrNepau 1 year ago
@MrNepau Yes I have heard the Borganis are good. How are they priced? Theyre Italian are they not? or are they made or assembled in China? I have a 57 Kohlert alto and conn 6m and 26m conqueror altos as well and the sound of these horns beat the Yamaha UL 82Z in many ways, like more darker and in the top end not quite so shrill as the Z but for ergonomics cant really beat the Z and find the other horns are a bit dark where I play mostly and need a bit of brightness. I find the Z nice and edgy.
Saxkiwi 1 year ago
I love his edgy sound.
KlassyKamikaze 2 years ago
Ok, but don't you thinck that his sax sound is a little bit overdriven by the mic?
HCL991 2 years ago
Doesn't bother me. If there's one thing that I miss about Phil's playing now, it's the growls and more agressive playing that he had pre-2000s.
KlassyKamikaze 2 years ago
wow that was marvelous i love saxaphone music. It flowed(not sure if i spelled that right) so beautifuly, 5star!
LittleMiss4Sunshine 2 years ago
Beautiful! First heard this on "Birds of a Feather" and "Piper at the Gates of Dawn".
rtt671 2 years ago
i cannot go a single day without hearing this song at least twice.
an absolute masterpiece
MAILBOXHEAD420 2 years ago
Wow, this deserves about half a million more views.
deepkeel65 2 years ago 10
This is a massive inspiration. Thx Mr. Woods!!!
saksofonista 2 years ago
It is so great that there's someone that's awsome and gets to live a long life.
Snoohi1 2 years ago
Wow, I love this tune. There's a great version of it, with Chris Swansen, on his "Piper At The Gates of Dawn" recording.
infidl 3 years ago
Phil will be 77 this Nov. 2. He was born in 1931.
saxoclar 3 years ago
that´s not his horn is it? And what´s that thing around the bell and over the back of the horn?
BirdLives88 3 years ago
Phil was still playing the Selmer VI in '89.He plays a custom Yamaha now.
Looks like he had to use a rubber band to fix a spring problem on his horn.
rodalto6 3 years ago
Rubber bands... essential gigging supplies. I also carried around plumbing teflon, which is equally as useful.
rtt671 2 years ago
@rodalto6
Thanks Phil for pickin up Art Peppers torch and burnin a big fuckin hole in pop music!!!!!!! This music will never die because its our culture, tradition and way of life for AMERICANS!!
Jazzkraf 1 year ago
@Jazzkraf ....ya, jazz is the greatest gift America has given to the world.
301250 1 year ago
@BirdLives88 Thats birds horn that Phil Woods plays on... He married charlie parkers wife and she gave him his horn!
TheSaxWizard 1 year ago
@TheSaxWizard Not true about playing Bird's horn. True about marrying Bird's widow.
teebomba 1 year ago
@teebomba No... It is birds sax... look it up, at the wedding, she gave it to him. and in a bunch of videos yous see him playing it... its easy to tell because of the upside down octave neckpiece.
TheSaxWizard 1 year ago
@TheSaxWizard Oh wow that's news. Mr. Parker was so my musical hero and to think that's his sax. It actually belongs in something like the Smithsonian. This sounds different but awfully nice. :D
9876543217303 1 year ago
This is from the 1989 tour of the Dizzy Gillespie/Phil Woods All-Stars with Mickey Roker on drums, Rufus Reid on bass, Cedar Walton on piano. The rest of the band was Steve Turre on trombone and Bobby Hutcherson on vibraphone. It was a great tour and despite the billing, everyone knew who the leader was!
jazzmusicbaby 3 years ago
Yes Phil is a living legend and it was awesome that he has been awarded and recognized as such! Congrats Unc we love ya!
And he is 77 years Young not old!!!
catangels2 3 years ago
What I love about Phil Woods is that he's not only great, but still alive. He's a life line to an era long gone. So many other jazz greats from the 50's era are gone, and he's still going strong at age 77.
saxophoney 3 years ago 5
Phil Woods and Sonny Rollins are still blowin'! Age is just a number lol
queekers 2 years ago