Woody III

AMG Review of Woody III

Scott Yanow
All Music Guide

This superb LP has only been thus far reissued on CD as part of a Mosaic limited-edition three-CD box set, not counting "Escape Velocity" (a leftover track from Woody Shaw's previous live set Stepping Stones), which has yet to appear on CD. On the first half of the program ("Woody I," "Woody II," and "Woody III"), Shaw, one of the finest trumpeters of the '70s and '80s, heads a 12-piece group featuring such sidemen as tenor saxophonist Carter Jefferson, trombonists Steve Turre and Curtis Fuller, altoist James Spaulding, and pianist Onaje Allan Gumbs. The flip side of the LP has a pair of other Shaw originals ("To Kill a Brick" and "Organ Grinder") plus bassist Clint Houston's "Escape Velocity." For the latter performances, Shaw (who doubles on flügelhorn and cornet for the date) is showcased with groups ranging from a quartet to a sextet. He is in peak form throughout, and the strong compositions (along with some adventurous solos) make this one of Woody Shaw's most essential recordings.