Alto saxophone giant
Phil Woods, an unrepentant bebopper who parlayed a love for the music of Charlie Parker into a six-decade career as a highly respected leader and first-call sideman, died Sept. 29, in East Stroudsburg, Pa., at age 83. The cause of death was emphysema. Woods had announced his retirement from live performance earlier this month. He released more than 50 albums as a leader, the last significant one being 2011’s Man With the Hat, a co-leader session with fellow alto saxophonist Grace Kelly. Woods was also active as a sideman; his solo on Billy Joel’s 1977 hit “Just the Way You Are” helped propel that single into the top 10. A Phil Woods documentary film, A Life in E Flat—Portrait of a Jazz Legend, was released in 2005. He was named an NEA Jazz Master in 2007
Saxophonist and bassist
Wilton Felder, a co-founder and longtime member of the Crusaders, died Sept. 27, at age 75, in Whittier, Calif. The cause was cancer. He was 75. Felder’s death, confirmed by his son Wilton Felder Jr., and reported in multiple news outlets, follows those of fellow Crusaders Joe Sample (keyboards) and Wayne Henderson (trombone), both in 2014, leaving drummer Nesbert “Stix” Hooper as the only surviving member of the core group. Felder also recorded several solo albums and contributed to numerous jazz, rock and R&B recordings, including the Jackson 5’s debut hit “I Want You Back.”
