The original Candid label lasted a mere four years, from 1960 to 1964, but its 30-some LPs played a worthy role in fusing the period's music, mainly modern jazz but also blues, with the burgeoning civil rights movement. Candid achieved legendary status, the series was born in 1960 when Archie Bleyer decided to indulge his love of jazz and blues and create his own releases, produced by Nat Hentoff.

• All Analog Mastering
• Mastered by Bernie Grundman
• Cut Directly From The Original Master Tapes
• Deluxe tip-on cover
• 180 Gram Vinyl
• Plating at RTI, USA
• Liner notes by Nat Hentoff
• Made in USA

The original Candid record label lasted a mere four years, from 1960 to '64, and its 30-some LPs played a worthy role in fusing the period's music — mainly modern jazz but also blues — with the burgeoning civil rights movement.

The American Candid label has achieved a near legendary status among the critics and the International jazz and blues public. The series was born in 1960 when Archie Bleyer, owner of the Cadence label decided to indulge his love of jazz and blues and create his own line — called Candid. Bleyer recruited Hentoff to produce the series.

When he first came on the scene, Phil Woods was often referred to as “The New Bird,” in a nod to the legendary Charlie Parker. A testament to his genius on the saxophone to be sure. But while obviously indebted to Parker - as all modern jazz saxophonists of a certain era were - there is no question that Phil Woods was an original.

After earning a degree in music from Juilliard in the early 1950’s, Woods found himself in the orbit of the great Quincy Jones. At Jones’ invitation Woods joined Dizzy Gillespie’s infamous Jazz Ambassadors - a tour sponsored by the US State Department as part of a global cultural diplomacy initiative - and subsequently became a member of Jones’ own touring band.

Woods went on to record over 50 albums during his long career, earned DownBest Magazine’s top alto sax player award over two dozen times, and famously contributed sax solos to Steely Dan’s “Doctor Wu” and Billy Joel’s “Just The Way You Are.”

This recording, his 9th album as a band leader, consists entirely of Woods’ five-part Rights of Swing Suite. An ambitious large-scale composition based solidly on jazz traditions. A culmination of the influences the then 30 year artist had absorbed. Arguably considered one of Woods finest recordings, the record features a stellar section made up of Wood’s fellow Quincy Jones band members. (It should be noted that these same musicians, for the most part, are also the section on Benny Bailey’s Candid Records recording, Big Brass, recorded a a few months prior in November of 1960).

Recorded at the Nola Penthouse Studios in New Your City on two dates in January and February of 1961, and conducted by Quincy Jones. The LP includes extraordinary liner notes by Candid A&R man and producer Nat Hentoff, and in-depth commentary from Woods himself, giving a context and insight that adds to the experience of hearing these extraordinary performances.

Phil Woods, Sahib Shihab, Buddy Catlett, Granville Roker, Osie Johnson, Julius Watkins, Tommy Flanagan, Curtis Fuller, Willie Dennis, Benny Bailer

Musicians:

Alto Saxophone – Phil Woods
Baritone Saxophone – Sahib Shihab
Bass – Buddy Catlett
Drums – Granville Roker, Osie Johnson
French Horn – Julius Watkins
Piano – Tommy Flanagan
Trombone – Curtis Fuller, Willie Dennis
Trumpet – Benny Bailey

Track Listing:

A1 Prelude And Part I
A2 Part II (Ballad)
A3 Part III (Waltz)
B1 Part IV (Scherzo)
B2 Part V (Presto)

Click here to listen to samples on YouTube.com ♫