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Rickey Woodard follows James Williams with four expansive choruses of alto saxophone on "Groovy Samba" at approximately 180 BPM, his improvisation riding the Latin groove with relaxed authority over the 32-bar AABA form in G minor. His alto work in this samba setting reveals a different dimension of his artistry, his playing demonstrating comfort in Latin rhythmic contexts alongside his primary identity as a straight-ahead swing musician. As the second soloist, Woodard's four-chorus statement doubles Williams's contribution, the extended format allowing him to explore the interplay between his jazz vocabulary and the samba's rhythmic character. The track demonstrates that the band's musical reach extends well beyond mainstream swing.
Rickey Woodard was 41 to 42 years old at the time.
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