Phil Woods was a jazz alto saxophonist, clarinetist, bandleader, and composer. He did it all and did it well! Woods earned the top alto sax player award almost 30 times in DownBeat magazine’s annual readers’ poll. He composed more than 200 songs during his 60 plus year career, and staked his claim to being the finest alto saxophonist in mainstream jazz.

I have to laugh when someone tells me they don’t like jazz. My reply is usually, “Which kind don’t you like?” If you really listen, there’s something for everyone … even ‘pretty’ jazz. Take, for example, Phil’s performance of I’ll Remember April (above) with the Orchestre du Conservatoir National Regional de Toulouse at the Marciac Jazz Festival in 2005. It’s as lush and mellow, as Steeplechase (below) is cookin’! Woods’ famous quartet recorded the tune in 1990 at Palais des Festivals in Cannes, France; it consisted of Phil (as), Hal Galper (p), Steve Gilmore (b), and Bill Goodwin (d).