A prolific session player and occasional bandleader, Jimmy Woode has worked with numerous bands since the late '40s. He's played in combos and orchestras, led trios and backed everyone from Duke Ellington to Eric Dolphy, always providing intelligent, first-rate accompaniment. Woode played baritone horn and studied piano and bass as a child. He formed a trio after leaving the service in 1946. Woode toured with Flip Phillips in 1949, then recorded with Zoot Sims and Toots Thielemans. He later worked with Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald and Nat Pierce in the early '50s. Woode served as house bassist at Storyville in Boston two years, recording with Sidney Bechet and Billie Holiday.

He worked with Duke Ellington in the mid-'50s, also recorded as a leader in 1957 and played with Johnny Hodges and Clark Terry. After moving to Sweden in 1960, Woode joined the Kenny Clarke/Francy Boland Big Band, and remained with them until they disbanded in 1973. He moved to Germany and managed his own publishing firm, then lived in the Netherlands and Munich. Woode played often for radio and television broadcasts as well as on film soundtracks. He appeared at festivals, and recorded with Don Byas, Albert Nicholas, Johnny Griffin, Sahib Shihab, Ted Curson and Booker Ervin, Milt Buckner, Benny Bailey, Mal Waldron, and Helen Humes. Woode lived in Vienna during the '80s and worked periodically with Nathan Davis' Paris Reunion Band. He can be heard on CD reissues of the Ellington mid-'50s band, on Mal Waldron's Oneupmanship session on Enja and on Johnny Hodges reissues.

Ron Wynn -All Music Guide