These sets were taped 43 years ago this week -- one of them this very night in 1978 -- and if we lived in a world that had its priorities straight, I wouldn't be posting them because they'd have been legitimately issued eons ago, as an essential part of the recorded canon of a towering trumpet figure.
These are in that category of, OK, if only all archival recordings came in this degree of clarity and quality. Plus the music is so tremendous I feel like I could name 100 official live records that don't approach these tapes on any salient criteria.
The leader of this quintet died a well-documented and horrible death, but don't let that distract you from the fact that whilst he was here with us, he about dominated the field on his instrument and supplied a good few tunes that became standards along the way.
Again, if we lived in a social construct that had its priorities at least set on the minimal "protect seminal-but-vulnerable artists" function, Woody Shaw might still be around, penning more timeless standards for people hundreds of years from now to learn and play.
In lieu of that bare minimum of dignity in a civilization, I guess we'll have to settle for artifacts like these pre-broadcast jewels from one of Woody's most exploratory groups.
Woody Shaw Quintet
European broadcasts
1.10+12.1978
CD1
01 There Is No Greater Love
02 Rahsaan's Run
03 Are They Only Dreams
04 band introductions
05 Sunshowers
CD2
01 unidentified piano trio title
02 Love Dance
03 The Legend of the Cheops
CD3
01 The Moontrane
02 Are They Only Dreams
03 Sunshowers
04 Every Time I See You
05 Blues for Ball
Total time: 2:49:00
CDs 1 & 2: Subway, Köln DE 1.10.1978 FM
CD3: Café het Hijgend Hert, Breda NL 1.12.1978 FM
Woody Shaw - trumpet, cornet & flugelhorn
Carter Jefferson - tenor & soprano saxophones
Onaje Allen Gumbs - piano
Clint Houston - bass
Victor Lewis - drums
two indeterminate broadcast captures
spectral analysis indicates CDs 1 & 2 go past the range of canine hearing and are pre-FM sourced
CD3 goes all the way to 18kHz, so it could be a pre-broadcast tape of some sort or a really good digital FM rebroadcast
beginning of CD3, Track 04 restored by EN, January 2021
956 MB FLAC/January 2021 archive link
956 MB FLAC/January 2021 archive link
I will be back on Friday with some truly disturbing party favors, but until then don't snooze on Woody's Blues, or somehow think it's all yesterday's news. OK?--J.
12.24.1944 - 5.10.1989