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 What a pleasure to co-host the GRAMMY Salute to 2 saxophone legends, James Moody & Phil Woods. By any measure, it was one helluva night. Each honoree was accompanied by the Gibson/Baldwin GRAMMY Jazz Ensemble--a big band of handpicked high school students from all over the U.S. & Canada. These kids played GREAT--and you could tell how thrilled they were every time Moody or Woods launched into a particularly hot lick. It was all the more remarkable how Jazz spanned the generations that night. Our honorees represented a single degree of separaton from the two primary creators of Modern Jazz--Charlie Parker & Dizzy Gillespie. Phil Woods has an autobiography coming out soon--"Life In E-Flat". The following is an especially moving excerpt from Phil's book. It takes place in the 60's during a tour with Dizzy's band.
"I shall never forget the night that Dizzy kidnapped me. It was a few years after the South American tour and I was in Birdland, stoned, as I often was in those days. Diz was with Art Blakey and they both took me to Dizzy's home, sat me down and Dizzy asked me, 'What are you moaning about? If you are unhappy playing with other people's bands, why don't you get one of your own?' I tearfully asked them if they thought I was good enough and Art said, 'Yeah - you are. If you stop behaving like an asshole!'
I asked them if they thought a white guy like me could make it, considering the music was a black invention and I was already getting plenty of flak about stealing Charlie Parker's music--especially from Charlie Mingus. Miles was always nice to me and Max Roach was and remains very supportive and a good friend. And Dizzy said, 'Bird gave the world his music and that includes you and besides, you can't steal a gift - if you can hear it, you can have it.'
Wow! Dizzy and Art thought I could play. Can you imagine, these two black geniuses of American music taking the time from their busy lives to straighten out my poor white ass? I have never forgotten that night and have tried very hard to make them proud of me."
Phil, we're all proud of you.............Tom
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