Dave Horne Posted September 9, 2004 Share Posted September 9, 2004 I received an e-mail from a sax player I once worked with about 30 years ago. Someone had sent him an e-mail and what follows is that information. Subject: letter from Phil Woods ____________________________ Hello Jazz lovers, wherever you are! I continue to be a fly on the windshield of the jazz industry. (HA!) I presume you know that Bud Shank was fired from his post as founder and guiding light of the Bud Shank Workshop in Port Townsend, WA. He has been the 'man' there for 25 plus years, assembling one of the best teaching ensembles ever! But now they want a younger man with young ideas! Outsourcing the wrong guy folks! It only takes forever to learn this music thing and even longer to come to terms with this jazz thing. And they want a younger guy. Any damn fool can play when they are 20, or 30, 0r 40, 50, 60. But try cutting the mustard when you are in your late 70's! Now anyone that can do that has acquired knowledge that no younger person can ever hope to learn. The jazz existence, or any existence is not about getting somewhere it is all about the voyage. No one can ever master life, only experience it and contribute something to making the world a better place to be an artist. ARTIST is the key word. If you want to be a practical musician, great. Get some gigs and have a good life. But if you want to be a jazz musician, the requirements are more stringent. An awareness of world culture is a good place to start! Learn something about food and wine, learn a language, read a book, paint a painting, see an O'Neill play, stare at a sunset. Write a Rondo for heaven's sake - be somebody. And no matter how long you do it you will barely touch the surface of this passion called life, the jazz life! You have to be a warrior - Bud Shank is a warrior! A tough one who has survived. What he has to teach is incalculable to measure. And they want a younger guy. How about Norah Jones to teach jazz! singing ? Yeah! Right! Bud and I have been doing many gigs together, Toronto festival, North Sea and others. We broached Concord records to try and secure a one shot record deal for Yoshi's in November. They said that instrumental music doesn't sell anymore! Imagine! A company founded on instrumental music, great music, decides that it doesn't sell anymore. I am mad as hell and will continue to rant and rave about these things until my last breath. Culture in America is going to hell in a hand basket. (I love that saw - don't know what it means but love it still.) Keep the song alive. Until next time stay well. And thank you for being a part of my thing! Phil Woods No guitarists were harmed during the making of this message. In general, harmonic complexity is inversely proportional to the ratio between chording and non-chording instruments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drawback Posted September 9, 2004 Share Posted September 9, 2004 What an amazing letter! I say, "amen," and thanks for sharing it with us, Dave, and tell Phil his fans are listening. ____________________________________ Rod Here for the gear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tedly Nightshade Posted September 9, 2004 Share Posted September 9, 2004 Wow! This cat has his heart and head in the right place for SURE. May we all see half as clearly! A WOP BOP A LU BOP, A LOP BAM BOOM! "There is nothing I regret so much as my good behavior. What demon possessed me that I behaved so well?" -Henry David Thoreau Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Loving Posted September 9, 2004 Share Posted September 9, 2004 Very well said. "Forget it, Jake. It's Chinatown." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeronyne Posted September 9, 2004 Share Posted September 9, 2004 Love the letter, but I'm not sure why Norah Jones, of all people, was used as an example. There are plenty of "jazz" purists that are worse than her in every capacity. "For instance" is not proof. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Zeger Posted September 9, 2004 Share Posted September 9, 2004 Are there are 2 better sax solos in pop music than Woods on "Just The Way You Are" and "Doctor Wu"? Phil is equally eloquent with his words as with his horn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coyote Posted September 9, 2004 Share Posted September 9, 2004 My man PhilMy man Philwhen he plays he will amaze youwith his skillgoodness know nobody blows likeMy man Phil! I used to think I was Libertarian. Until I saw their platform; now I know I'm no more Libertarian than I am RepubliCrat or neoCON or Liberal or Socialist. This ain't no track meet; this is football. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RABid Posted September 9, 2004 Share Posted September 9, 2004 So what do people here consider to be he best CD? The only one I have is Real Life. Robert This post edited for speling. My Sweetwater Gear Exchange Page Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MIDIdiot Posted September 9, 2004 Share Posted September 9, 2004 Thanks Dave, that letter drives home important points, the sad thing it's all true! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marino Posted September 10, 2004 Share Posted September 10, 2004 Originally posted by coyote: My man Phil My man Phil when he plays he will amaze you with his skill goodness know nobody blows like My man Phil!Subscribed in full. Phil Woods is not only a great musician, but also a living example of artistic integrity and 'resistance' to the complete dilution of artistic values into economic ones. I studied for about an year with Mike Melillo, his longtime pianist - an invaluable musical experience and an exercise in understanding what a true musician is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffLearman Posted September 10, 2004 Share Posted September 10, 2004 He's done so much stuff that I poften wondered if there were two Phil Woods -- one who played with Traffic and on various Steely Dan cuts and other pop/rock music, and another who did the straight up jazz. Are they the same guy? (PS: I do know that there really are two Nancy Wilsons About Norah Jones -- she's a great artist and performer, but I think the point is that she's really quite young and so far her style is quite, um, circumscribed shall we say? I really dig her, but I don't think she'd be a candidate to teach all things vocal to the next generations. Now, 30 years from now she might be just the choice! Only time will tell. Or maybe Phil is a little frosted about how the Grammies are so much of a popularity contest that an album won the engineering Grammy, when the very first vocal line in the album has horrible clipping in it. Not to mention other flaws. That doesn't mean it's not a great album to listen to, and many things were done extremely well (especially the piano miking and imaging). But there is so much great and flawless work out there, I don't know why an obvious flaw like that was overlooked. (Maybe because it's artists who vote, not engineers?) Oops sorry, wrong thread wrong forum for this rant! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Zeger Posted September 10, 2004 Share Posted September 10, 2004 Originally posted by learjeff: He's done so much stuff that I poften wondered if there were two Phil Woods -- one who played with Traffic and on various Steely Dan cuts and other pop/rock music, and another who did the straight up jazz. Are they the same guy? The Traffic member is Chris Wood. Not the same Chris Wood who plays with Medeski and Martin. But smokin' bop alto player who also does cameos with Steely Dan, Billy Joel, and Paul Simon...that's the same Phil Woods. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffLearman Posted September 10, 2004 Share Posted September 10, 2004 oops! Thanks for setting me straight memory cobwebs ... But that dude sure did get around! Still does, I hope. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Botch. Posted September 10, 2004 Share Posted September 10, 2004 Originally posted by Rabid: So what do people here consider to be he best CD? The only one I have is Real Life. RobertSong for Sisyphus is my favorite, although I only own about three altogether (and Real Life isn't one of them). So much great music, so little money... Botch "Eccentric language often is symptomatic of peculiar thinking" - George Will www.puddlestone.net Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogfur Posted September 11, 2004 Share Posted September 11, 2004 "Live at the Showboat" on vinyl became "Live" on CD - the whole thing is great, but the version of "Cheek to Cheek" is truly mind blowing! I still need to transcribe that someday...in my spare time...The "Live at the Village Vanguard" CD is pretty tasty as well.Cheers to Phil Woods! Dogfur Woof! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan South Posted September 11, 2004 Share Posted September 11, 2004 Originally posted by Mark Zeger: Are there are 2 better sax solos in pop music than Woods on "Just The Way You Are" and "Doctor Wu"? Phil is equally eloquent with his words as with his horn.No, there are not. Period. End of discussion. I've seen Phil Woods live. It was one of the handful of times in my life where a musical performance was essentially a religious experience, a life-changing, perception-altering, faith-inspiring moment that you remember forever. Actually, one of the other times that that happened when I was listening to one of Phil's recordings. The man is blessed. That said, are we REALLY sure that Phil wrote the letter? These things always seem to turn out to be hoaxes in the end, even when they're well-meaning hoaxes. Phil Phor President! The Black Knight always triumphs! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Horne Posted September 11, 2004 Author Share Posted September 11, 2004 The thought that the letter was not genuine also crossed my mind and I was the one who posted it here (the letter, not my reservation). The letter was sent to me by a well known sax player in Tennessee who forwarded the 'original' message. If anyone here knows Phil Woods personally, please contact him. No guitarists were harmed during the making of this message. In general, harmonic complexity is inversely proportional to the ratio between chording and non-chording instruments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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