Friday evening [September 4, 2015] at the Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild promised to be historic, with alto saxophonist and NEA Jazz Master Phil Woods reprising the classic album “Charlie Parker With Strings,” backed by a local trio and members of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.
Well, it was indeed historic but for an unforeseen reason: Before his last number, Mr. Woods, best known to the casual music listener as the soloist on Billy Joel’s “Just the Way You Are,” announced that it would be his last number. Ever.
The 83-year-old Mr. Woods, who uses oxygen — at the beginning he jokingly referred to his tank as “my amplifier” and later noted he has emphysema — said that he was retiring from the stage due to health reasons. That being the case, he went out with a bang, and if he was having any trouble breathing it surely didn’t show in the performance, which was so solid throughout that I had some trouble picking out highlights. . . .
Mr. Woods made the retirement announcement, including sharing part of his history, just before he and [trumpeter Jamie] Moore went into the closer, Gerry Mulligan’s “Rocker.” . . .
At the end of the evening, after he was wheeled out to a standing ovation, and most of the other musicians had left the stage, Mr. Woods’ sax remained there on a stand, perhaps similar to a wrestler leaving his shoes in the ring after his last bout.
If he’s true to his word, no one will ever again hear that horn.
