Woody Shaw: Blackstone Legacy

When trumpeter Woody Shaw passed away in 1989, he left behind a wealth of amazing music, notwithstanding the realized sadness inherent in wondering what more he could have accomplished had he lived a longer life. Back in the mid '60s, Shaw was ubiquitous as a sideman recording iconic albums with the likes of Larry Young, Horace Silver, Chick Corea, Art Blakey, and McCoy Tyner. Despite common misconceptions, Shaw led his first date as a leader in December of 1965, which was a demo that he hoped would be used to parlay his own Blue Note contract.

While little came of Shaw's first session, the results not actually being released until 1983, the trumpeter remained active as a session musician throughout the end of the 60s. The next opportunity for Shaw to lead his own session would come at the end of 1970 for Contemporary Records, Lester Koenig's boutique label known for documenting some of the most important music coming from the west coast during the '50 and '60s. Unfortunately, the times were rapidly changing and a shift in musical tastes meant that Shaw's debut, Blackstone Legacy, would somehow get lost in the shuffle.

Not often discussed when analyzing Shaw's recorded legacy, his Columbia sides getting the most favor, Blackstone Legacy has recently become somewhat of an underground classic. The most recent CD edition of the set goes as far back as 1999, meaning that Craft Recording's latest reissue on vinyl will come as a welcomed surprise for those seeking it out and wanting to avoid paying $500 or more for an original edition. Kevin Gray has remastered the analog tapes, the two-LP set being pressed at RTI and featuring a Stoughton tip-on gatefold jacket.

Shaw's clarion call ushers in the brisk title track, which takes up the entire first side. Drummer Lenny White offers the momentum that propels this strong opening gambit forward. Tenor saxophonist Bennie Maupin takes things out on his own before engaging with Shaw in some fiery interplay. The flipside starts with "Think On Me," a well-known original from George Cables that finds Shaw at his best. White kicks off "Lost and Found," another fast-paced cooker that features an ascending melody line and brooding harmonies from Shaw, Maupin, and Gary Bartz.

Taking up the third side, Cables is represented once again as a composer on "New World." With Clint Houston's funky bass lines and the distorted keyboard sounds provided by Cables, this one definitely sounds like it could be an outtake from another period piece of the time, namely Miles Davis' Bitches Brew. However, the analogies between the two albums have become highly exaggerated over the years.

The final side includes one of Shaw's best tunes, "Boo-Ann's Grand," which had previously been recorded with Jackie McLean in 1967 under the title "Boo-Ann's Grind." It's the kind of wide and sprawling line that brings out the best in everyone including Shaw, who displays the assured and burnished voice that would make him one of the last true innovators of his generation. By contrast, "A Deed for Dolphy" is darker and more foreboding, although Maupin's flute work is a heady reminder of the tune's namesake.

Unlike the label's classic catalog, this album was not recorded on the west coast. Engineer Don Hahn would be behind the board at New York's A&R Studios. The sound fits the music perfectly and the new transfer here is nothing short of fantastic. Vinyl for this review was found to be flat and quiet throughout, making this the definitive version of an album that is truly deserving of wider recognition.

Associated equipment used for evaluation

VPI Scout 1.1 turntable with Soundsmith Aida Mk II cartridge Musical Fidelity A3CR amplifier and preamp
Sutherland Insight phono preamp
Arcam SDS 50 SACD player
Bowers & Wilkins Nautilus 805 loudspeakers
Cardas cable and interconnects, Chang Lightspeed power conditioner
Solidsteel S3 Series audio rack