Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Phil Woods: The Children's Suite
Phil Woods: The Children's Suite
ByOn "Come Out With Me," Doney warbles of "sun on the water," and of being admonished to "run along, run along" in light, cheery manner with just a dash of subtle blues melody. It's a prelude to a pensive, compelling Woods solo. The full orchestra flows in with an especially shimmering string section before Doney caps it off. Slightly melancholic, it is at once as pretty as it is unadorned.
Dennis' crisply clipped rendition of "Sneezles" is punctuated just so by Eric Doney's piquant piano. Dorough playfully meows his way through "Pinkie Purr," adding dashes of his keyboard with Tom Hamilton injecting flavorful heat on tenor sax. Prior familiarity with this and the other thirteen poems is not necessary. All that is spoken and sung prove to be syntonic with the jazz improvisations to sparkling and often touching effect.
Woods first created this suite over forty years ago. The long journey for performance permission from the Milne estate was worth Woods' determination. Charming and swinging, The Children's Suite bids fair to become a classic to be relished by towheads and grey-heads alike.
Track Listing
The Good Little Girl; Come Out With Me; Sneezles; Pinkie Purr; Down by the Pond; Waiting at the Window; Buttercup Days; The Friend & Us Two; Furry Bear; Knight-in-Armor; Wind on the Hill & The Engineer; Solitude; The Morning Walk; In the Dark & The End.
Personnel
Phil Woods
saxophone, altoPhil Woods: conductor, alto saxophone; Vicki Doney: vocals; Bob Dorough: vocals, keyboards; Peter Dennis: narrator; Nelson Hill: alto sax, flute; Tom Hamilton: tenor sax, clarinet; Roger Rosenberg: baritone sax, bass clarinet; Ken Brader III: trumpet, flugelhorn; Bobby Routch: french horn, flugelhorn; Rick Chamberlain: trombone; Eric Doney: piano; Mark Williams: guitar; Steve Gilmore: bass; Bill Goodwin: drums; Paul Peabody: violin; Joanna Ferrer: violin; Juliet Heffner: viola; Mary Wooten: Cello.
Album information
Title: The Children's Suite | Year Released: 2009 | Record Label: Jazzed Media