Phil Woods was one of the most respected jazz performers of his era and went on
to epitomise the cool sax soloist, appearing on albums recorded by artists such
as Steely Dan, Paul Simon and Billy Joel.
He began his playing career in the 1950s after graduating from Juilliard where
he studied clarinet. He quickly became known by his peers as 'New Bird' a
flattering reference to Charlie 'Bird' Parker. During the 1950s he toured the
world with Quincy Jones and Dizzy Gillespie on a jazz showcase revue sponsored
by an enlightened US State Department who saw jazz as a good way to pro...