Phil Urso is a great tenor saxophonist of the cool jazz era. His whispery, delicately nuanced phrasing graces classic records by West Coast legends such as Bob Brookmeyer, Chet Baker and Gerry Mulligan. Urso was born October 2, 1925 in Jersey City, NJ. He grew up in Denver and started playing clarinet when he was 13. Then he switched to saxophone at the age of 13. During World War II, he was a member of the U.S. Navy. He died in 1943 after a Japanese dive bomber crashed onto his aircraft carrier near Saipan. This landed him in the Pacific Ocean. After recovering from the trauma at a California military hospital Urso launched his music career. He moved to New York City in 1946, and signed on with Elliot Lawrence. Urso was a loyal acolyte to Lester Young and his expressive style helped him remain anonymous outside the jazz community. After his stints with Jimmy Dorsey, Claude Thornhill and Bob Karch, Urso made his recording debut in 1948. He was joined by Lawrence bandmates Tom O’Neill and Howie Mann in a progressive jazz quartet, which later included Gerry Mulligan, a fellow Lawrence alum, on the baritone saxophone. Stan Getz was replaced by Urso in 1951’s Woody Herman Orchestra. In 1952, a breakthrough session was recorded in collaboration with Mann and Tony Fruscella. Gene Allen, Gene Allen and Red Mitchell also featured Urso’s smooth playing and innovative arrangements. Savoy Records released Urso’s debut album, The Philosophy of Urso in 1952. Urso performed alongside Charles Mingus, an up-and coming musician. He was later collected on the Complete Debut Recordings Box Set. In late 1953 and early 1954, Urso toured with Miles Davis. Then, he earned second billing on the Savoy release Bob Brookmeyer. He also began the collaboration that would define his career. Urso teamed up with Chet Baker to record a series Pacific Jazz dates that embodied the West Coast sound and spirit. Baker was Urso’s partner for over a decade. In 1956, Urso took the time to record Sentimental Journey for Regent. He returned to Denver in the late 1960s despite continued demand and limited his live performances to local clubs like El Chapultepec and Josephina’s as well as The Hornet and The Fourth Story. He was almost forgotten when he unexpectedly returned to the stage in 1986 with the Spinnster release, Taking Sides. This bop-oriented date paired him with Allen Eager, another lost tenor. Urso quickly dropped out of sight, until 2002 when he was reunited with Carl Saunders, a trumpeter, for Salute Chet Baker. This album was issued by Jazzed Media. This session was Urso’s last. He suffered from dental issues in his later years that made it difficult to play. After a long battle, he died in Morrison, CO on April 7, 2008. He was 83.
