Woody Shaw - Stepping Stones

Mike Schwartz · December-14th-2005, 01:27 PM

Live at the Village Vanguard [Columbia/Legacy] August 5 & 6, 1978

Shaw- Cornet & Flugel
Carter Jefferson- Tenor & Soprano Sax
Onaje Allen Gumbs-Piano
Clint Houston-Bass
Victor Lewis-Drums

First time on CD...24-Bit digital remaster

His second recording for Columbia.
In the section of the liner notes written by Michael Cuscuna, he mentions that they had enough material for 2 albums...the idea of that rejected by "the powers that be," so that 3 of the 7 tracks on this CD have never been released.

I remember seeing Shaw's groups on a regualr basis during these years knowing how absolutely great this band [and the other combinations at the time] was. Thrilling for me to hear this band again!

Carter Jefferson was the pefect front line match, Clint Houston one of my personal all time faves shows why, and died young do to illness, and it seemed like the young Victor Lewis came to this band fully formed, with Gumbs right there doing his thing.

Some of the tunes on this album [Stepping Stones, In A Capricornian Way, Escape Velocity in particular] are very difficult, and they really nail every tune.

Highly recommended..can't miss, and right out of the gate available in many places online that I've seen at discount-type pricing.

groover · December-14th-2005, 01:40 PM

Yes, it is really good, and a must-have for any fan of Woody Shaw.

The 4th volume of live sets on High-Note, released in April 2005, while maybe not quite as good as Stepping Stones, is also worthwhile, along with volumes 1 through 3.

Doc Martin · December-14th-2005, 02:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by groover

Yes, it is really good, and a must-have for any fan of Woody Shaw.

The 4th volume of live sets on High-Note, released in April 2005, while maybe not quite as good as Stepping Stones, is also worthwhile, along with volumes 1 through 3.

Agreed.

I also like:

ROSEWOOD (SONY 65519)
SOLID (SAVOY 17298)
LITTLE RED'S FANTASY (SAVOY 17230)

JamesH · December-14th-2005, 02:28 PM

All of the above plus the Mosaic box set which includes Rosewood but may be out of print.

Squaredancecalling Steve · December-14th-2005, 03:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doc Martin

ROSEWOOD (SONY 65519)
SOLID (SAVOY 17298)
LITTLE RED'S FANTASY (SAVOY 17230)

Love those three, as well as IMAGINATION.

BFrank · December-14th-2005, 03:22 PM

I've got it on order from BMG. Looking forward to it.
I think "Moontrane" is my favorite Woody album, followed closely by "Love Dance".

Gary Sisco · December-16th-2005, 09:06 AM

It's amazing how fast he seemed to be forgotten. All the hoopla about the young lion's supposedly keeping acoustic jazz's flag flying and all that.

Woody Shaw was a real flag flyer of those times, along with others. They just didn't fit the marketing scheme that'd been devised, or the party line that was dutifully toed by the Official Jazz Press, Inc.

Nevertheless, Shaw (and others) was there, playing the shit out of some acoustic jazz.

Doc Martin · December-16th-2005, 10:22 AM

Is anyone familiar with what Woody “puts down” as a side man on the Walter Bishop Jr. recording; “Coral Keys”. It’s worth a listen.

groover · December-16th-2005, 11:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doc Martin

Is anyone familiar with what Woody “puts down” as a side man on the Walter Bishop Jr. recording; “Coral Keys”. It’s worth a listen.

Thanks for the tip, Doc. I'm adding it to my wish list, but at $35, it'll be a while until I get a copy to listen to.

I doubt it's available any cheaper as a download from any of the major sources, though AMG has song samples for it.

Rob C · December-18th-2005, 12:35 PM

Now playing. This is a great record.

If Woody is forgotten, what about Carter Jefferson?!

Mike Schwartz · December-18th-2005, 08:18 PM

Carter was a fabulous player, but a guy who could and did get lost the a crowd [and I believe went to Europe], as opposed to Woody who was an innovator...a groundbreaker.

Hard not to notice and sad that Shaw, Jefferson, and Houston all died young...

Clay Fink · December-18th-2005, 08:35 PM

I saw Carter not too long before he died here in DC. He did two nights with Jack Walrath and Larry Willis at the One Step Down. They were recording that night (it may have been the dreaded Mapleshade records running the tap that night). Carter (as well as Walrath and Willis) was really on that night. He was also way off the waggon as well which accounts for his not being around any more.

Carter was from D.C. and I saw him at the One Step many times. I also remember one night with a quintet with he and Eddie Henderson that really lifted the roof.

A great player. BTW, the work he did ith Walrath was supperb as well.

Tom Marcello · December-18th-2005, 11:12 PM

When Stepping Stones was originaly released, it got a poor review in Down Beat.

I know that it was something that bothered Shaw, because I talked to him about it soon after it was published. Now it's, rightly so, being praised.

When are editors going to learn?

Gary Sisco · December-19th-2005, 08:20 AM

Never mind reviewers.

Rob C · December-19th-2005, 12:19 PM

Learn what?

Tanager · January-5th-2006, 04:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rob C

Now playing. This is a great record.

Now playing. It's a holy motherfucker of a record. Crap, do I dig this. I really like Gumbs' playing as well, don't see him mentioned much, but I think he was the perfect harmonic engine for this band - really drives the near frenetic levels of energy at times, but able to show a softer touch as well.

The Mosaic box has long been OOP - I picked mine up on eBay a couple of years back for around $80, and I thought it was a steal at that price. I have the single disk of Rosewood as well, along with the Savoy, etc. disks. Personally, I'm not a huge fan of Solid, at least not in comparison with the earlier stuff - it's an unfair comparison, but hearing Woody play chestnuts with what sounds, to me, like a pickup band (I'm not talking about the players - tough to go wrong with the lot he's got, but the cohesion and fire just aren't there, to my ears) isn't even close to hearing Woody play Woody's tunes with that badass band of the late 70s. There's a point on the second High Note live disk, somewhere in "The Legend of the Cheops," I think, where I swear to God, I can almost see the band members grinning to each other as they just crank the energy up and up and up, and they fucking soar. And that rhythm section is just so beautiful together, it makes me want to cry.

Woody is easily one of my all time top 5 jazzers. No question.

Tom Marcello · January-5th-2006, 04:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rob C

Learn what?

Sorry for the late response.

They should learn to reject a review that is outrageously wrong and harmful and to employ reviewers that are thoughtful and serious in their deliberations.

Have you ever read those old Down Beats that dis Miles with Coltrane?

Tanager · January-5th-2006, 04:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom Marcello

Sorry for the late response.

They should learn to reject a review that is outrageously wrong and harmful and to employ reviewers that are thoughtful and serious in their deliberations.

I never read the original review, but why should an editor be the judge of whether a review of a recording is "wrong," and how does "harmful" weigh in? I don't think reviewers owe us much beyond as honest and well-informed an appraisal of a work's merits as they can give us. If you/I disagree, so be it.

Tom Marcello · January-5th-2006, 05:53 PM

I agree.

Honesty, intelligence and a command of cannon knowledge is all I ask for.

After all of the hard work and sacrifice that artists put into their recordings, editors should demand intelligence from their review staff.

Rob C · January-5th-2006, 08:00 PM

Tom, thanks for your response, because I was basically thinking you meant something along the lines of, when will they learn "to not have wrong opinions" or "to not change their minds" or something. I haven't read the original review (or the disses of Miles you mention). I mean, I find it hard to believe this material could get a bad review, but I don't know what they said. I agree with you that knowledgeable, intelligent criticism is not too much to ask for, and a bad review should be justified by the critic (so should a good one, for that matter!).

Tom Marcello · January-5th-2006, 08:36 PM

That's exactly what I mean.

One of the reviews that I'm thinking of is the Miles at Newport review ( of the actual concert in 1958, in Down Beat ) where the reviewer said something like that Coltrane was a bad influence on Cannonball!

BFrank · January-5th-2006, 09:14 PM

I know this is the "wrong" thing to say, but this album doesn't do much for me.

It's high energy for sure, but it doesn't seem to go anywhere. The sound is "thin", too. I'll give a few more spins, but I would rather listen to the High Note or earlier Muse recordings.

Pete C · January-6th-2006, 06:47 PM

Does anybody know The Iron Men? Sounds fascinating.

Review by Scott Yanow

This is a particularly interesting set by Woody Shaw (not yet reissued on CD) because it teams the trumpeter with the great avant-gardist Anthony Braxton and such forward-thinking players as altoist Arthur Blythe, pianist Muhal Richard Abrams, bassist Cecil McBee and drummer Joe Chambers. Highlights are versions of Eric Dolphy's "Iron Man" and Fats Waller's "Jitterbug Waltz" that are based on renditions Shaw had recorded with Dolphy back in 1963; the latter has Braxton playing clarinet. A couple of brief free improvisations by the trio of Shaw, Abrams and McBee in addition to Andrew Hill's "Symmetry" and the trumpeter's "Song Of Songs" round out this continually intriguing and adventurous program.

stonemonkts · January-6th-2006, 07:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pete C

Does anybody know The Iron Men? Sounds fascinating.

I've had it for a while now. It's pretty good, if not a bit tentative. I think Abrams stands out, fwiw. I picked this up as part of a 2-fer on the 32Jazz label called "Two More Pieces of the Puzzle".

Gordon B · January-6th-2006, 07:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom Marcello

When Stepping Stones was originaly released, it got a poor review in Down Beat.

I know that it was something that bothered Shaw, because I talked to him about it soon after it was published. Now it's, rightly so, being praised.

When are editors going to learn?

I remember. I think it got 2.5*. I always thought it was a very good record. I just did a web search and see that the cd reissue got 4* in db.

The only Woody Shaw album I don't like is "Bemsha Swing." I think I have them all except for "Night Music".

Gordon B · January-6th-2006, 07:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stonemonkts

I've had it for a while now. It's pretty good, if not a bit tentative. I think Abrams stands out, fwiw. I picked this up as part of a 2-fer on the 32Jazz label called "Two More Pieces of the Puzzle".

The other piece of the puzzle, "Live at the Berliner Jazzstage" is the superior of the two dates.

BFrank · January-6th-2006, 09:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gordon B

The other piece of the puzzle, "Live at the Berliner Jazzstage" is the superior of the two dates.

Arguably a better live album than "Stepping Stones".
Not to mention Woody's contribution to Dexter's "Homecoming" set.

frankiepop · January-6th-2006, 09:35 PM

this was a great group, i though jefferson was destined to be a star.

John L · January-7th-2006, 12:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gordon B

The other piece of the puzzle, "Live at the Berliner Jazzstage" is the superior of the two dates.

My opinion as well.

Gordon B · January-7th-2006, 09:36 PM

John, did you live in DC when the Cellar Door was around? I saw Woody there in the summer of '79 or '80 when I had a summer job at Dept of Labor.