Phil Woods Quintet – Gratitude (1986) – Denon (Japan) COCB 53876 PCM Digital HQ Issue, 71:46 [also avail. from iTunes] ****:
(Phil Woods, alto sax; Tom Harrell, trumpet; Hal Galper, piano; Steve Gilmore, bass; Bill Goodwin, drum)
As part of the recent Japanese Denon re-issue program that has included two very good Frank Foster late 1970s releases, Denon has also brought back a welcome revisit with the Phil Woods Quintet from the mid-1980s, Gratitude.
Recorded midway through the roughly six-year period that Tom Harrell recorded with Woods, Gratitude features Phil’s long time mates Steve Gilmore and Bill Goodwin. Both Harrell and pianist, Hal Galper, who was with Woods from 1981-1990, have gone on to leadership roles on their own, but owe a strong debt to Woods for helping honing their craft and getting to travel the world.
Harrell contributed two tracks to the CD – one being the title track – and Galper wrote Another Jones. Woods and Harrell blend well on the title track in a pensive mood, before Tom solos in his signature mid-register tone that has the sweetness of Chet Baker, yet with more robust power. Phil is a master of bop and when he solos, he hits and holds high notes that many others can not approach. What is also evident early on, is the fact that the remastering here is a real step up – better than on the two Frank Foster re-issues. From the bass plucking of Gilmore to the piano key strike of Galper coupled with the front line horns, the acoustics are much more refined, clean, and upfront than found on the big band Foster recordings.
Other winning tracks include My Azure, an emotional ballad from Woods and Harrell; Phil’s Benny Goodman-like turn on clarinet with Another Jones; and the two post-ten-minute tracks, Ya Know and Tenor of the Times, where everyone gets to stretch out. The seasoned interplay between these veterans makes Gratitude both a swinging yet relaxed listen. The acoustic upgrade seals our recommendation.
TrackList: Gratitude, My Azure, Another Jones, Times Mirror, Ya Know, Serenade in Blue, Tenor of the Times, 111-14
– Jeff Krow