 
By the late ‘70s, there wasn’t really anyone else around who could challenge Woody Shaw as the premier jazz trumpeter of his day. Even if there was, it would still be a tough call. Woody played with unparalleled skill, and had he struck out on his own 15 years earlier, maybe his name would have been more well-known. As it turned out, the revival of acoustic small-combo jazz would be dominated by Wynton Marsalis and other “young lions” at the dawn of the ‘80s, and Woody would die unsung before the decade’s end. The 1979 live album Stepping Stones, recorded at the famed Village Vanguard in New York City, is re-released for reconsideration in today’s much more varied and inclusive, but probably no more lucrative, jazz market. Its cover art is completely re-done, making it an outwardly more attractive package than the monochrome cover of the original LP. What’s more, three tunes are added to the program (though one from the original LP, “It All Comes Back To You,” was left off). Aided by Carter Jefferson on tenor and soprano, Onaje Allan Gumbs on piano, Clint Houston on bass and Victor Lewis on drums, Woody actually passes on the trumpet in favor of cornet and flugelhorn. The band really cooks, stretching out on a bunch of 10+ minute hard bop jams that are a little short on memorable idiosyncrasies, yet packed with brilliance nonetheless. - Michael Fortes
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Woody
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