The Macerata Concert

by Ken Dryden The first of three Philology LPs recorded by Phil Woods during a 1980 concert in Macerata, Italy, finds the veteran alto saxophonist in top form. Accompanied by pianist Mike Melillo, bassist Steve Gilmore, and drummer Bill Goodwin, Woods leads them on a take-no-prisoners up-tempo romp through Charlie Parker's "Donna Lee," a piece he had undoubtedly played hundreds, if not thousands of times by this point in his career. The leader's ballad mastery is also displayed with a heartfelt and lengthy exploration of "You Lead Me Breathless," a song previously recorded by Mildred Bailey, Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald, Carmen McRae, and John Coltrane. Woods' spoken introduction to Melillo's "Monking Business" isn't picked up by the microphone very well, but this somewhat dissonant yet swinging original captures the spirit of Thelonious Monk (something Woods would recognize, since he recorded with the late pianist on a number of occasions, in addition to touring Europe with him). Melillo's interesting solo inserts a number of brief song quotes (including a likely humorous reference to Duke Ellington's "I'm Beginning to See the Light"), followed by a boisterous Woods solo. The rhythm team of Gilmore and Goodwin is impeccable. Like other Philology titles issued only on LP, this album is long out of print and should be considered extremely difficult to acquire.