Philip L. Bodner (June 13, 1917 – February 24, 2008) was an American jazz clarinetist and studio musician who also played flute, oboe, saxophone, and English horn.
Career
A native of Waterbury, Connecticut, Bodner worked as a studio musician in the 1940s and 1950s in New York City. He recorded with
Benny Goodman in 1958 and with
Miles Davis and
Gil Evans in 1958. In the 1960s he played with
Oliver Nelson and J.J. Johnson, and organized The Brass Ring, a group modeled after
Herb Alpert. The Brass Ring released nine albums between 1966 and 1972. Associations in the 1970s included
Oscar Peterson,
Yusef Lateef,
Peanuts Hucko, Wild Bill Davison, and
Ralph Sutton.
Bodner played the signature piccolo part on the disco hit "The Hustle" by Van McCoy. Other work in the 1970s included playing with Ralph Sutton and Johnny Varro, working with Mingus Epitaph, and arranging Louie Bellson's tribute to Duke Ellington's Black, Brown and Beige. He worked in a swing style with Marty Napoleon, Mel Lewis, and George Duvivier in the 1980s and played with Maxine Sullivan and Barbara Carroll. Jazzmania released his album Jammin' at Phil's Place in 1990 .Bodner died on February 24, 2008, at age 90.[ Saxophonist/Bandleader Phil Bodner Dies at 90 JazzTimes. accessdate July 15, 2018][ Philip Bodner Obituary Legacy.com. accessdate July 15, 2018]
Discography
As leader
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The Greatest Sax in the World (Billed as Mr. Phil B for contractual concerns) (Kapp Records, 1966)
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Fine and Dandy (Stash Records, 1981)
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Jammin' at Phil's Place (Jazzmania, 1994)
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The Genius of Phil Bodner (Alanna, 2003)
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Clarinet Virtuosity: Once More with Feeling! (Arbors Records, 2006)
With Brass Ring
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Love Theme from the Flight of the Phoenix (Dunhill Records, 1966)
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Lara's Theme (Dunhill, 1966)
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Sunday Night at the Movies (Dunhill, 1967)
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The Disadvantages of You (Dunhill, 1967)
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The Now Sound of the Brass Ring (Dunhill, 1967)
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Gazpacho (Dunhill, 1968)
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Only Love (Dunhill, 1968)
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The Evolution of the Brass Ring (Itco, 1969)
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The Brass Ring Featuring Phil Bodner (Project 3, 1972)
As sideman
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Coleman Hawkins, The Hawk in Hi Fi (RCA Victor, 1956)
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Cootie Williams, Cootie Williams in Hi-Fi (RCA Victor, 1958)
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Miles Davis, Porgy and Bess (Miles Davis album) (Columbia Records, 1959)
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Joe Wilder, The Pretty Sound (Columbia, 1959)
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Paul Desmond, Desmond Blue (RCA Victor, 1962)
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Wes Montgomery, Fusion! Wes Montgomery with Strings (Riverside, 1963)
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Cal Tjader, Several Shades of Jade (Verve Records, 1963)
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Mel Davis, Dick Hyman, Bobby Rosengarden, Living Jazz: Dear Heart and Other Favorites (RCA Camden, 1965)
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George Benson, White Rabbit (CTI Records, 1972)
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Freddie Hubbard, Sky Dive (CTI, 1973)
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Joey DeFrancesco, Where Were You? (Columbia Records, 1990)
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"Phil Bodner". The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz. 2nd edition, ed. Barry Kernfeld.
