Rare And Obscure Argo Recordings (XXII)

Jimmy Woode

The Colorful Strings Of Jimmy Woode

Jimmy Woode played the bass for over 50 years, but he isn’t as well known to American audiences as he should be. The reason is, he spent about 40 of those years as an expatriate in Europe. His stateside career was short in comparison.

The Philadelphia-born Woode arrived in Boston in 1946 following his discharge from the army. He studied first at Boston University’s School of Music, then at the Boston Conservatory. By 1948 he was with Clarence Jackson and His Notes of Rhythm, and in 1949 in a short-lived quartet with Jaki Byard, Ray Perry, and Alan Dawson. (Now that must have been interesting.)

Woode left Boston for a time in 1950–51, on the road with Flip Phillips and Bill Harris, but by late 1951 he was at Storyville as the house bassist. He worked with everybody coming through: Sidney Bechet, Teddy Wilson, Charlie Parker, and singers  Lee Wiley and Billie Holiday. He was also Wein’s bassist of choice for the summer Storyvilles in the early fifties. Two Storyville Records sessions highlight his versatility. One was Jazz at Storyville with the New Orleans master Bechet, the other Serge Chaloff and Boots Mussulli.

In 1954 Woode worked in a duo with Jaki Byard and a trio with Dean Earl, and he continued to accompany the biggest stars in jazz, including Parker again, Ella Fitzgerald, and Miles Davis.

In February 1955, Duke Ellington was at Storyville and he needed a substitute bassist right away. Woode got the job, and he remained with Ellington until April 1960. He had memorable moments with the Duke. Everyone remembers that Paul Gonsalves played all those choruses at Newport in 1956, but not everyone remembers it was Woode and Sam Woodyard who laid down the beat for him.

September 2, 1957 found Woode in a Chicago studio recording his only album as a leader, The Colorful Strings of Jimmy Woode, on the Argo label. Woode brought along fellow Ellingtonians Gonsalves, Woodyard, and Clark Terry to the session, and filled out the group with Chicagoans Porter Kilbert on alto, Mike Simpson on flute, and a young Ramsey Lewis on piano. Woode composed all the tunes on Colorful Strings except the standard, “The Way You Look Tonight.”

In 1960, Woode moved to Europe, where he never lacked for work. In 1961, he became a founding member of the big band led by drummer Kenny Clarke and pianist Francy Boland, and he later toured extensively with the Paris Reunion Band. He returned to the States in about 2000.

Jimmy Woode died on April 23, 2005, in what was a very bad week for the art of jazz bass. Niels-Henning Ørsted-Pedersen died on April 20, and Percy Heath died on April 28. Over 150 years of experience were lost in eight days. *richardvacca.com*

An incredible record from bassist Woode – quite possibly his only small group session as a leader, and a super-hip album that bridges his work with Duke Ellington and later sides with the Clarke Boland Big Band! The record's got a groove that's far different than anything Woode cut with Ellington – and in a way, it already points the way towards some of the sounds that would be created by American ex-patriots on the European scene of the 60s. The groove is very light – and features Woode's bass leading a combo with flute from Mike Simpson, tenor from Paul Gonsalves, trumpet from Clark Terry, and piano from Ramsey Lewis – all coming together in unusual timings and phrasings that are a fair bit different than their own work of the time. Simpson's flute is especially great – a really lyrical element that works perfectly with Woode's melodic bass work – and Gonsalves and Terry are working here in their best tonal color mode, really shading things in nicely! All cuts are originals by Woode, and they're done in long takes – with titles that include "Dance Of The Reluctant Drag", "Man From Potter's Crossing", "Falmouth Recollections", and "Foofy For President". *Dusty Groove, Inc.*

Side 1

1 - Falmouth Recollections

(J. Woode)

2 - The Way You Look Tonight

(J. Kern, D. Fields)

3 - Foofy For President

(J. Woode)

Side 2

4 - The Man From Potter's Crossing

(J. Woode)

5 - Dance Of The Reluctant Drag

(J. Woode)

6 - Empathy, For Ruth

(J. Woode)

Clark Terry (trumpet), Paul Gonsalves (tenor sax), Porter Kilbert (alto sax), 

Britt Woodman (trombone), Mike Simpson (flute), 

Ramsey Lewis (piano), Jimmy Woode (bass, vocals [#2]), Sam Woodyard (drums).

Recorded in Chicago, Illinois, September 2, 1957