Jimmy Woode

Woode was born September 23, 1926, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States.^[2] His father, also named Jimmy Woode, was a music teacher and pianist who had played with Hot Lips Page. The younger Woode studied piano and bass in Boston at Boston University and at the Conservatory of Music, as well as at the Philadelphia Academy.

He joined the Duke Ellington Orchestra in 1955,^[4] appearing on many of Ellington's recordings, including Such Sweet Thunder and Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Duke Ellington Songbook, both from 1957, as well as the performance at the 1956 Newport Jazz Festival issued on Ellington at Newport.

Ellington stated, "I was born at the Newport Jazz Festival on 7 July 1956," referencing Woode's unique bass playing style and the effect that it had on the audience. The next morning music critics wrote positive reviews about Ellington and Woode's performance, with one saying "The audience broiled with enthusiasm. Within an hour, critics and reporters were buzzing about." He stayed with the Orchestra until 1960, when he left to live in Europe.^[4][2]

Jimmy Woode's song "Just Give Me Time" was covered by Carola in 1966, first released on her album Carola & Heikki Sarmanto Trio, reaching the Finnish charts in 2004.

An original member of The Kenny Clarke-Francy Boland Big Band,^[4] in 1995 he also toured with Lionel Hampton's Golden Men of Jazz.

In 2003, Woode formed a trio with drummer Pete York and German jazz musician/comedian Helge Schneider, touring in Germany with his interpretation of jazz classics such as "Georgia" and "Summertime". As a consequence of his co-operation with Schneider, Woode also starred in the feature film Jazzclub (2004).^[5] in the role of Steinberg, a struggling jazz bassist.

He died April 23, 2005, at age 78 at his home in Lindenwold, New Jersey, of complications following a surgery for a stomach aneurysm.^[6]

Woode was born on the same day, the same month, the same year as saxophonist John Coltrane (September 23, 1926 – July 17, 1967).

• The Colorful Strings of Jimmy Woode (Argo, 1958)

With (groups led by) Don Byas, Albert Nicholas, Bud Powell, Idrees Sulieman

• Americans in Europe (Impulse!, 1963)

With Kenny Clarke

• The Golden 8 (Blue Note, 1961)
• Jazz Is Universal (Atlantic, 1962) - with the Kenny Clarke/Francy Boland Big Band
• Handle with Care (Atlantic, 1963) - with the Kenny Clarke/Francy Boland Big Band
• Now Hear Our Meanin' (Columbia, 1963 [1965]) - with the Kenny Clarke/Francy Boland Big Band
• Swing, Waltz, Swing (Philips, 1966) - with the Kenny Clarke/Francy Boland Big Band
• Sax No End (SABA, 1967) - with the Kenny Clarke/Francy Boland Big Band
• Out of the Folk Bag (Columbia, 1967) - with the Kenny Clarke/Francy Boland Big Band
• 17 Men and Their Music (Campi, 1967) - with the Kenny Clarke/Francy Boland Big Band
• All Smiles (MPS, 1968) - with the Kenny Clarke/Francy Boland Big Band
• Faces (MPS, 1969) - with the Kenny Clarke/Francy Boland Big Band
• Latin Kaleidoscope (MPS, 1968) - with the Kenny Clarke/Francy Boland Big Band
• All Blues (MPS, 1969) - with the Kenny Clarke/Francy Boland Big Band
• More Smiles (MPS, 1969) - with the Kenny Clarke/Francy Boland Big Band
• Clarke Boland Big Band en Concert avec Europe 1 (Tréma, 1969 [1992]) - with the Kenny Clarke/Francy Boland Big Band
• Off Limits (Polydor, 1970) - with the Kenny Clarke/Francy Boland Big Band
• November Girl (Black Lion, 1970 [1975]) - with Carmen McRae and the Kenny Clarke/Francy Boland Big Band

With Ted Curson

• Urge (Fontana, 1966)

With Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis and Johnny Griffin

• Tough Tenors Again 'n' Again (MPS, 1970)

With Nathan Davis

• The Hip Walk
• Peace Treaty
• Happy Girl

With Eric Dolphy

• Stockholm Sessions (Enja, 1961)

With Duke Ellington

• Blue Rose (Columbia, 1956) with Rosemary Clooney
• Blues in Orbit (Columbia, 1960)

With Art Farmer

• Gentle Eyes (Mainstream, 1972)

With Erich Kleinschuster (Sextett)

• Live (Preiser Records, 1973)

With Paul Gonsalves

• Cookin' (Argo, 1957)

With Johnny Griffin

• Night Lady (Philips, 1964)

With Jim Hall

• It's Nice to Be With You (MPS, 1969)

With Johnny Hodges

• Creamy (Norgran, 1955)
• Ellingtonia '56 (Norgran, 1956)
• Duke's in Bed (Verve, 1956)
• The Big Sound (Verve, 1957)
• Blues-a-Plenty (Verve, 1958)
• Not So Dukish (Verve, 1958)

With John Lewis and Svend Asmussen

• European Encounter (Atlantic, 1962)

With Mark Murphy

• Midnight Mood (MPS, 1968)

With Mythologie

• Live At »Domicile« Munich (BASF, 1971)

With Sahib Shihab

• Summer Dawn (Argo, 1964)
• Seeds (Vogue Schallplatten, 1968)
• Companionship (Vogue Schallplatten, 1964-70 [1971])
• Commitment (1970)

With Sunbirds

• Sunbirds (BASF, 1971)
• Zagara (Polydor/Finger, 1973)

With Clark Terry

• Out on a Limb with Clark Terry (Argo, 1957)

With Mal Waldron

• Black Glory (Enja, 1971)
• Mal Waldron Plays the Blues (Enja, 1971)
• A Touch of the Blues (Enja, 1972)
• One-Upmanship (Enja, 1977)