by Scott Yanow\r Not a great deal is known about Jimmy Woods, an explorative altoist who recorded two impressive albums for Contemporary during 1961-1963 and then largely dropped out of the music scene. A passionate improviser, Woods joined Homer Carter's R&B band in 1951. After a period in the Air Force (1952-1956), he worked in some other R&B groups including Roy Milton's. He played with Horace Tapscott in 1960, recorded with Joe Gordon the following year, and spent a period playing with Gerald Wilson's big band and Chico Hamilton. However, Jimmy Woods rarely made a living out of music and has been little heard from since the mid-'60s.\r