Brian May's

Phil Woods Quintet - Live at the Deer Head Inn (2015) {Deer Head Records 005}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 380 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 142 Mb | Artwork | 5% repair rar
© 2015 Deer Head Records 005
Jazz / Post Bop / Mainstream Jazz / Saxophone

The Phil Woods Quintet's final recording on November 10, 2014 at the Deer Head inn with Bill Goodwin, Steve Gilmore, Bill Mays and Brian Lynch. If you are a Phil Woods fan (as I am), this album is essential; while the recordings took place not that long before Phil's death, and you can hear the evidence of his declining health, Phil is still Phil … and that means, that even with his health limitations, he is still masterful and this recording is a poignant tribute to his great career and legacy. The amazing trumpet playing of Brian Lynch is an added bonus; he really shines, and together, he and Phil … aw the whole quintet, really … make this album a not-to-be-missed gem!!

This record is an unexpected treat. Bob James has had a lucrative career writing and playing crossover jazz/pop. Although he had actually started his career with a straight-ahead trio date for Mercury in 1962 and also led a bizarre avant-garde session for ESP in 1965, his career since 1974 has offered very little of interest to consumers who prefer to hear inventive jazz as opposed to pleasant background music. But for this session, James returned to the roots few knew he had. Playing in an acoustic trio with bassist Christian McBride and drummer Brian Blade, James contributes five straightforward originals in addition to the standard "Lost April," and interprets tunes by Pat Metheny/Lyle Mays, Horace Silver ("The Jody Grind"), and Denny Zeitlin. While not hinting at all at his usual pop material, James plays quite well, takes plenty of chances, and sounds influenced a bit by Bill Evans. With McBride and Blade contributing consistently stimulating interplay, Bob James has recorded what is certainly the finest jazz album of his career.

Essential: a masterpiece of progressive rock music
This live album was my starter to JL Ponty his work. I was in a record shop, watched the cover picture (photos from Armando Gallo, known from his work for Genesis) …