Phil Woods writes a regular column in The Note, the semi-annual publication of the Al Cohn Memorial Collection at East Stroudsburg University in Pennsylvania. In the Winter 2015 edition, I was saddened to read him stating, “Gradually my improv powers are declining along with my breathing.” Phil’s done remarkably well for a saxophonist hobbled by emphysema for a decade or more, but now at 83 he laments, “The thing that bothers me most will be the inability to play the American songbook that [my Springfield teacher] Harvey LaRose instilled in me when I was 14. How will I ever survive without the joy of playing Gershwin? Arlen? Ellington?”
Woods’s column, Phil in the Gap, has choice bits this time about Lena Horne, Lee Morgan, Arthur Fiedler (“he conducted like a Dutch windmill in a category 10 tornado”), and an appearance with Quincy Jones on Late Night With David Letterman. He also discusses the incredibly taciturn Johnny Hodges, his first hero, or as Phil put it in song, “The Rabbit/My first habit.” In The Note, he writes, “Benny Carter…sat next to Rabbit for two weeks and they didn’t say a word to each other. I used to think Mr. Hodges was rude after I saw him at The Embers. I caught him as he got off the bandstand and said to him in my best collegiate manner, ‘Hello, Mr. Hodges. I’m Phil Woods and I just wanted to thank you for your kind words about my work with Quincy at the Newport Festival.’ He icily regarded me and snapped, ‘I know who you are,’ and walked off. I asked Louis Bellson what is it with the Rabbit? He said Johnny was extremely shy and disliked any chitchat with anyone.”
The Note’s been published for 25 years through the Al Cohn Memorial Collection. The new issue has a cover story on trombonist Al Grey. A subscription is free. Click here to order. And check out this alto summit with Phil and Jackie McLean (Max Roach and Hank Jones, too) playing “Cherokee,” in the midst of which there’s an interview excerpt with Max and Dizzy Gillespie.
Orrin Keepnews died on Sunday, March 1. He was 91. I’ve been familiar with his name for 45 years, ever since I bought my first Riverside LP, Thelonious Monk Plays Duke Ellington. Orrin was a passionate advocate for his artists, his productions, and his point of view. He helped guide the careers of Monk, Bill Evans, Wes Montgomery, and Cannonball Adderley, and produced landmark recordings on Sonny Rollins, Joe Henderson, McCoy Tyner, Mulgrew Miller, Bobby Hutcherson, and many more. Here he discusses working with Rollins and meeting Clark Terry while recording Monk’s Brilliant Corners. Keepnews went on to produce four great sessions on Clark for Riverside, including In Orbit, which featured Monk in a rare sideman appearance, and with Rollins he produced The Sound of Sonny and The Freedom Suite.
Keepnews discussed his career with Jazz Times a decade ago and told the story of how he came to produce Mongo Santamaria’s recording of “Watermelon Man.” Released in 1963 on Battle Records, it was the only single he ever produced, and his only Top Ten hit. Keepnews told Jesse Varela,”The story I heard from everybody was that Mongo was doing a gig at a club in the Bronx and doing no business. Herbie [Hancock] was there [spelling Chick Corea as Mongo’s pianist] and showed Mongo the tune; he was hip enough to know that it was perfect for him. It made all the difference in Mongo’s life. I was involved in producing and helping develop that approach to the song. I believe stemming from “Watermelon Man” there is a whole tradition of that combination of Latin, funk and jazz. The idiom that Carlos Santana explored [aka Latin boogaloo] was literally created by Mongo.”