If you want to know what fifties bebop sounded like back then you definitely have to go to the Phil Woods Quintet concert: you won't hear anything anywhere that comes closer to the original form of this influential jazz style. Woods is the alto saxophonist who took over the bebop torch from bop-architect and master of the alto sax Charlie "Bird" Parker after his early death. At the age of 76 Woods´ music still soars and he is just as creative as he was some fifty years ago. Although he was quickly termed the new "Bird", Woods is anything but a Parker imitator. He has always worked on his own style and sound - in fact, the only aspect in which he can really be compared to Parker is the extraordinarily high level of his playing. Over the years, Woods has developed into an excellent composer, arranger and bandleader who has completely dedicated his life to the preservation and development of bebop. He is still active as a recording artist: his much-acclaimed album American Songbook II was released in 2007.
