”Pinnacle” by Buster Williams on Muse MR 5080

April 12, 2025

Great stuff from bassist Buster Williams.

The opening tune is funky as hell. Dig it a lot. I have definitely developed my jazz listening from years gone by, cause the funky side of jazz is nothing I’ve been interested in sampling before. But that first tune is dripping with a sweaty and funky beat that is hard to resist nodding your head to. Has some cosmic, deep space vibes going on as well. Other tunes are more spiritual other more post-bop. A couple features the great Woody Shaw on trumpet.

Buster Williams is a lovely player and he really shows that here, both on double bass and electric bass. He has played with a great number of artists, among them Herbie Hancock, Dexter Gordon, Kenny Barron, Nancy Wilson, Bobby Hutcherson and the list goes on. Easy to understand why he was so in demand.

Favorite tune is the 14 min long ”Batuki” with it’s spiritual vibes. Shaws’s presence is wonderful and Williams’ contribution on this tune is outstanding.

The Muse label has many gems and I’ll continue my explorations into it’s catalogue.

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”The Moontrane” by Woody Shaw on Muse MR 5058

March 21, 2025

Continuing my quest for more Woody Shaw albums. This one was among the top ones I was looking for. Not easy to find. Recorded in 1974 in New York. Out of the Shaw albums I’ve listened to up to this point, this is one of the best for me. This title treats the listener to a great dose of 70’s jazz, both in terms of the musical direction as well as the sound. Great playing by everyone and Shaw shines with his electric, masterful style. I also particularly love the percussive elements provided on several of the tunes.

We have the leader playing together with Azar Lawrence on tenor and soprano sax, Steve Turre on trombone, Onaje Allen Gumbs on piano and electric piano, Buster Williams on double bass (two tunes only), Cecil McBee on double bass (the rest of the tunes), Victor Lewis on drums, Tony Waters on congas and Guilherme Franco on percussion.

I love the cover art with it’s textured front displaying a black and white photograph of Shaw holding his trumpet and the lovely choice of typography.

Essential stuff.

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”Little Red’s Fantasy” by Woody Shaw on Muse MR 5103

March 17, 2025

Been trying to find stuff featuring Woody Shaw for a good while now and it’s not been entirely easy. I’ve managed to acquire a few titles and got another one on the way as well. He of course was a master trumpeter and sits high on my favorite trumpeters list for sure. This title is another one from that lost package, so I’m very happy to be able to spin it now.

The music is some lovely post-bop and the intricate spice of Shaws’ playing is elevating the proceedings to great heights. The band backing him is a good one, with Frank Strozier on alto sax, Ronny Mathews on piano, Stafford James on double bass and Eddie Moore on drums. I really like Strozier, and he and Shaw is a really nice pairing.

Highly recommended.

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”The Free Slave” by Roy Brooks on Muse MR 5003

March 12, 2025

Miracles do happen apparently. Like I’ve mentioned in a previous post, I had a package lost containing four records. It was posted in the beginning of October of last year, and traveled through the USPS network until it stopped and didn’t move. And it’s here that I want to give a big shoutout to my guy Spencer who started to look into what had happened by making numerous calls to USPS, spending hours trying to get clarity, putting in a missing mail request and so on. He kept me informed all the way and did his very best to figure out what the problem was. He had done everything right, all the info on the package was correctly filled in. So, the package was lost, and then out of nowhere five months after it was posted it started to move, and it finally arrived in Stockholm today and I could collect it. Sitting here listening to one of the albums and I can’t believe it really. Couldn’t thank you enough Spencer for all that you did. Thank you so much!

And so to the album on display. It’s a title I’ve been after for a long time so I’m extremely happy to finally have it spinning on the turntable. It’s a live recording from the Left Bank Jazz Society, Baltimore, Maryland in 1970. The music has funky elements as well as post-bop and spiritual leanings. Top playing by a stellar group which consists of Brooks on drums, Woody Shaw on trumpet, George Coleman on tenor sax and Cecil McBee on double bass.

The recording is fantastic and offers a very natural soundstage adherent to the club it was recorded in. This original copy is in outstanding condition and plays like new. Couldn’t be happier. Like I said, it’s a miracle to be able to sit here and finally listen to this album.

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”Bugle Boy Bop” by Charles ”Bobo” Shaw & Lester Bowie on Muse MR 5268

February 15, 2025

Lovely duo session, recorded in 1977 and released in 1983, with drummer Charles ”Bobo” Shaw and Lester Bowie on trumpet. Been getting into jazz duos lately, with different instrument combinations. Drums together with just one other instrument excites me. The Rashied Ali title with drums and violin is amazing and this one is another highlight.

The music is very creative despite it’s limited instrumentation, rhythmically exciting and the unusual combination of just drums and trumpet is astonishingly fresh and engaging. Stripped down avant-garde is apparently my kind of stuff.

Mississippi-born Shaw was a member of the Human Arts Ensemble and Black Artists Group and I will definitely check out both. Trumpeter Lester Bowie was a member of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians and co-founded the Art Ensemble of Chicago which I’ll also check out in depth. So much music to immerse myself in. It’s an endless well.

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The Woody Shaw Concert Ensemble at the Berliner Jazztage on Muse MR 5139

December 22, 2024

Lovely Shaw title on Muse recorded live in Berlin in 1976. It features a great group with Louis Hayes and Frank Foster among others. René McLean, Jackie Mac’s son, is also featured which is quite cool. Didn’t know he had a son who was a musician.

The music is some awesome post bop with top playing by all involved. Woody Shaw was such an amazing artist and he is definitely on my top 5 list of favorite trumpeters now. Since I started to explore his work I’ve really felt I’ve been missing out in the past. Better late than never, right?

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”Epistrophy & Now's the Time” by Richard Davis on Muse MR 5002

December 11, 2024

Great session led by a virtuoso double bassist.

My first Richard Davis led session is a great one, recorded live in New York in 1972 and released on the Muse label. Been getting in some Muse titles lately and this was one of them. The music leans towards the avant-garde which I enjoy a lot. It’s quite accessible though.

I have enjoyed Davis’ bass playing for a long time, and he was part of one of the greatest groups ever assembled in my opinion. I’m referring to the one with Dolphy, Booker Little, Waldron and Blackwell. The group on this session is great as well, with Davis joined by Clifford Jordan on tenor, Marvin Peterson on trumpet, Joe Bonner on piano and Freddie Waits on drums.

I will dive deeper into Davis’ catalogue as a leader and see what other gems I can find.

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