Flip Phillips Celebrates His 80th Birthday at the March of Jazz 1995

"Veteran tenor saxophonist Flip Phillips' 80th birthday was celebrated at a three-day jazz party held in March 1995 by the Arbors label. There were 33 musicians at the event, 18 of whom are featured among the previously unreleased music on this CD. Phillips was still in prime form and he often battles the much younger tenor Scott Hamilton to a draw. Phillips' vocals on the brief "When You Know You're Getting Old" and "If I Had a Penny" are throwaways, but the fine solos along the way from clarinetist Buddy DeFranco ("Hashimoto's Blues"), altoist Phil Woods, soprano saxophonist Bob Wilber, trumpeter Randy Sandke, trombonist Carl Fontana, and Hamilton are generally quite heated. However, the birthday boy is the main star, sounding particularly strong on "Tenor Madness," "Spanish Eyes," "The Claw," and his trademark "Perdido."" AllMusic

Recorded live in March 1995 at the March of Jazz in Deerfield Beach, Florida.