Mr. Phil Woods on playing with Charlie Parker. 

I think about Charlie Parker almost every day of my life. I feel like he saved me from going down a wrong road in life. I came from a pretty harsh family situation, but I discovered him at about age 13 and stayed with learning music and not screwing around on the streets. Thank you Bird. 🙏

Just a little blessing from the right person at the right time can make those petals open. Say what you want about Bird, he was a light bringer.

As a 16 year-old sax player, this is some ridiculously motivating stuff. It's so awesome to see legends like Phil Woods talking about their heroes. It brings them down to earth with the rest of us.

My sometime sax teacher, the late John Dankworth, sat in with Parker in a jam session in Paris. Similarly, Bird didn't have a horn with him so John had to lend him his and they palyed solos alternately, passing the instrument across the stage. He swore the alto played better after Bird blew a few solos on it.

"Bird Lives! No Question about it! I think of him everyday..." - Jackie McLean

Phil Woods giving praise to Charlie Parker. At 1.54, Woods says that Parker "even made the strap sound good". Classic stuff, great interview.

I met Phil Woods at a master class at college in 1987. I sat right in front of him and was in awe the whole time. Pete Minger was also supposed to come and we went ahead and started playing and improvising to some classic, maybe it was Watermelon man by Hancock or something. After I bombed my solo , Phil Woods winked at me and put down some master improv with ease. Slap tonguing , ripping 16th note licks and bending notes to oblivion. I thought to myself, how can this be so easy for him with no music or chords in front of him. Then out in the hallway I heard a trumpet warm up playing. It was Pete Minger from the Basie orchestra. He walked in and blew everyone away too. I still remember that like it was yesterday.

The way he said,”the path was clear,” hit me like a ton of bricks! His conviction. Outstanding!

"...Even the strap sounded good..." pure poetry

Phil Woods and Charlie Parker both understood and loved the music that came before them; both passionately added to it; and both passed it on to others. Simply the best!

He tells the same story, in much the same way, in an interview with Gary Smulyan that also includes Jimmy Heath; it can be found here on RU-vid. Even though I'd heard it before, it's such a great story, and I loved finding it here.

so often u hear about the moment it 'clicks' or as though a switch has been flicked, and it all comes clear. to have it recounted like this has me tearing up. that moment is something every musician has either had or is waiting for

Phil Woods: a great musician, a very wise and funny man. a wonderful conteur. A tribute from one great musician, Phil, to another great one: Bird. You are missed, Phil.

Wonderful story by Phil ..he is missed a lovely guy who I had the chance to meet a few x the last Phil was not well but got on stage and still played a great show....we miss the man in the hat much love to his son Garth and wife Jill...

Huge Compliment. I got a similar compliment from Sly stone & George Clinton. A word from a master will change your life.

If only I had the magic strings... the magic guitar... the magic amp... the magic this... the magic that... yep... just DO IT... knuckle down and practice... THAT's where the real "MAGIC" lives... Mr. Woods speaks volumes here and I couldn't agree more! Thanks for posting this snippet of wholesome goodness :)

I could listen to Phil all day. What an amazing story, and what a fabulous time to be alive, while Bird was around.

Even the strap sounded good. Haha, Phil! This is beautiful.

Amazing story - how one comment of encouragement was able to set the path for success 🔥

This video is a treasure for any musician trying to find their way out there. Thanks so much for sharing this.

this is one of my favorite videos on youtube

Great little interview .. Thanks .. Phil's warmth shines thru ....

God, I love that story! I've watched this video repeatedly, but it always hits.

What a great story. You've got to love his playing, absolutely fantastic.

Oh man - this says it all. I need to start practising hard and forget about constantly piddling about with new gear. That is not the answer.

This brings tears to My eyes. to know one genius was so generous and inspired another.

I was very lucky to going to juilliard for percussion ( drums) acually I was fornuatw to live next to Phil woods in Delaware water gap PA and go to play with him at the jazz festival and my father was a music teacher in the area and studies with Joe Alard seome who Phil studies sax with in NYC when Phil.was a clarinet major at juilliard!

One great ,,, speaking of a Great 🤗🙏🏽💥

Wow his work with Steely Dan is amazing!

Listening to Phil is like listening to perfection.

What an amazing story.

What a wonderful story. "The path was clear" Beautiful.

What a beautiful, funny memoir. Hats off to you Mr Woods!

An affirmation from Bird. Something to keep in your heart.

How serendipitous. I had that kind of epiphany in Atlantic City. I saw Steve Gilmore, Phil's bass player, playing with Keely Smith. Steve has a beautiful big instrument, with a beautiful big, warm sound. We left and went to a small club where a bass player was struggling with an instrument that wasn't the same quality. It sounded like he was playing it with a chain saw. Well, I swear that just a little later, Steve sat in and got his big, warm, beautiful sound from the apparent crap instrument. It turns out that musicianship matters.

The MOMENT. Every young musician, if he or she is very lucky, and sticks with it, recognizes it when they experience it.

Thanks for this, Phil ( and poster)

Phil's a hoot! Love the guy and his music!

... the path IS clear !! Thanx Phil !!

Words are a powerful instrument, they can be used to tear someone down or build them up, choose wisely.

What a great man and musician!

this made me cry this is amazing

Great piece of history

Wow - such a wonderful story!

Phil Woods is among my top 5 alto players of all time! 1. Charlie Parker, 2. Cannonball Adderley, 3. Sonny Stitt, 4. Phil Woods and 5. Art Pepper

This is an amazingly beautiful excerpt! What he says here is pure gold. Thanks for sharing this!

What a story teller!

Great interview.

The light in his eyes when Phil Woods is talking is impressive.

Wonderful!

Love this!

Love it!

this is so amazing. glad I came across it. god bless phil woods 🙏🙏

Wow, that was freaking cool.

Very inspiring!

Part and parcel of the greats, at any level, is the way they recognize and treat young talent when they see it. It has always happened in every genre.

Always a good time to hear what musicians have to say about experience...glad I have seen this video, 🍻

Beautiful story!!

Charlie was right. LOVE Phil's playing.

Thank you....

Wow !!! Man What a Great Story/Memory... God Bless You Both ☺☺😎

Fantastic! Such amazing truth

Woow. What an inspirational experience and story. 🙏🙏🙏

Wow, that is really beautiful.

Great story from a great musician!

this is a beautiful story

Awesome !

So sweet.. love the guy

1:53 onward is the best advice anyone could ever give to a young person.

Wise words thank you

Sooo good.

Thrilling story. Priceless

I've stolen a few beautiful licks/lines from Phil Woods, obviously very directly influenced by Charlie Parker. From his music I imagined what his personality was & liked it very much. I've never heard or read an interview or even seen a photo of Phil Woods, just have a couple of his fab recordings. I'm so glad to have seen this, he is so much like I imagined him to be, a lovely bloke. Great anecdote he tells here. The man is a Cat!

beautiful

I love this story, it sounds like Phil's rite of passage to being an artist. Phil graduated with his B.Mus. from Julliard in 1952, so this story must have taken place in 1952 or early 53 at the latest. As a foot note, Phil did find the 'magic saxophone' and the 'magic mouthpiece'-- I don't know about the strap--a few years later. Marcel Mule helped him choose his 82,000K Selmer mkvi alto from 30 others during 1959 or 60 when he was touring with Quincy , and he scored his magic NYUSA 5 mouthpiece which measured .073, as a gift form Oliver Nelson. Nelson bought it but didn't like it so gave it to Phil during a session Phil was doing for him in the 60s. This very alto setup became the pro set up for most pro session players and jazz alto players around the world for the next 50 years. Phil didn't care much about equipment, but his intelligence and ear were tunned to such a high level that he not only found the equipment that played and sounded the best, but after hearing him, every other alto player on the planet agreed and followed suit.

Powerful

Amazing story!

Practice? What an innovative idea!!! The more you play (practice) the more the instrument becomes a part of you and then you can begin to express your ideas. We can all tie our shoes with our eyes closed because we've been doing it most of our lives. It's the same with a musical instrument.

GREAT.

“I am a walking real book” lol

My saxophone teacher told me a story about when Phil Woods came to Fargo ND in the 2000s. He was giving him a ride to the airport in the middle of winter (probably a few degrees above or below zero), and to be nice he turned on the seat heater in his car before he got in. He had a car where there was only one heat setting, and as they were driving, Woods eventually turns to him and says, "Holy shit, can you turn the damn heat off!" My professor apologized and said he was only trying to be nice because it was cold out. They eventually make it to the airport, and as he leaves, Woods turns to him and says, "Now you can tell everybody you burned a hole in Phil Woods' ass!" That story always makes me laugh.

magnifique ! quelle humanité, quelle humilité ! vive la musique

Phenomenal saxophonist

Great story.

One kind word can mean a lot to someone , even from us mortals.

Wow!

‘Even the strap sounded good’ is a great line

Nice

I was lead here by Brian Pace interview with Grace Kelly. Thank you Mr Woods for sharing Sunday 3:30pm EST USA The Master Weaver The Creator Has A Master Plan.

Such a great story - thanks Phil Woods, thanks Artist of Jazz.

Artist big time

Shy doesn't cut it......great story

Piel de gallina

If Charlie Parker told me I was doing a good job I think I would unironically pass out

It's all about the voice of the soul.The young cats need to get hip.

Great story but the tune Phil was humming was not Harlem Nocturne but Night Train I believe. Phil was s genius.

Bird lives !!

Even the strap sounded good. ❤😂🎉

jazz music on the way bird scales by charlie parker love jazz power by Artists of jazz

This is why it’s sinful to discourage anyone!