Chris Woods (musician) Chris Woods (musician) Chris Woods (December 25, 1925, Memphis, Tennessee – July 4, 1985, New York City) was an American jazz alto saxophonist. Woods played locally in Memphis early in his career before moving to St. Louis to play with the Jeter-Pillars Orchestra and trumpeter George Hudson. He then joined Tommy Dean's combo, recording with them for Town and Country, Miracle, and States. Striking out on his own, he first recorded as a leader in 1953 for United Records. In 1962 he moved to New York, where he played with Dizzy Gillespie, Clark Terry, Sy Oliver, and Ted Curson. He
Dizzy Gillespie of Racial Equality, Southern Christian Leadership Conference and Martin Luther King, Jr.; in later years they became a collector's item. In 1971, he announced he would run again but withdrew before the election. Gillespie joined the Bahá'í religion in 1968. The universalist emphasis of his religion prodded him to see himself more as a global citizen and humanitarian, expanding on his interest in his African heritage. His spirituality brought out generosityand what author Nat Hentoff called an inner strength, discipline, and "soul force". Gillespie's conversion was most affected by Bill Sears' book "Thief in the Night". Gillespie spoke about the