Steeplechase and A Night In Tunisia – Paris, 1960
Phil Woods All-Stars
An all-star group from the Quincy Jones Big Band
Click here to Support Jazz on the Tube
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
