Steeplechase and A Night In Tunisia – Paris, 1960
Phil Woods All-Stars
An all-star group from the Quincy Jones Big Band
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In 1960, arranger Quincy Jones led his finest big band, an ensemble that signed up to be part of Harold Arlen’s Free And Easy show during a tour of Europe.
Unfortunately the show quickly folded and the orchestra was stranded overseas for much of the year, picking up work wherever they could.
In the spring, an all-star group drawn from the orchestra performed at Paris’ Blue Note club under the leadership of altoist Phil Woods.
All of the musicians get to solo on Charlie Parker’s “Steeplechase”: altoist Woods, trombonist Jimmy Cleveland, tenor-saxophonist Budd Johnson, flugelhornist Clark Terry, pianist Patti Bown, bassist Buddy Catlett, and drummer Joe Harris.
They are also featured on “A Night In Tunisia,” making this a top-notch bebop miniset.
-Scott Yanow
Ella Fitzgerald