Woody Shaw - Jazz At The Maintenance Shop (1979)

Here we have a unique video recording catching the Woody Shaw Quintet in action. For this concert Woody showcases a dynamic group especially including Carter Jefferson on saxophones, pianist Onaje Allan Gumbs, bassist Stafford James and drummer Victor Lewis. The group sets about to enthrall the audience with a number of standards and contemporary tunes. Thanks to the Iowa Public Broadcasting Network this concert was preserved on DVD. For its time the picture quality is reasonable, but the real captivation is the music!!!

Recorded at "The Maintenance Shop", Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 

Musicians:
Woody Shaw - Trumpet
Carter Jefferson - Tenor Sax, Soprano Sax
Onaje Allan Gumbs - Piano
Stafford James - Bass
Victor Lewis - Drums 

Setlist:
1. Bye Bye Blackbird {Mort Dixon, Ray Henderson}
2. On Green Dolphin Street {Ned Washington, Bronislau Kaper}
3. Seventh Avenue {Victor Lewis}
4. Sun Bath {Peggy Stern}
5. Dolphin Dance {Herbie Hancock}
6. It All Comes Back To You
7. Theme For Maxine 

Video info from: https://www.loc.gov/item/jots.200016535/ 

Lineage: Broadcast > VHS > DVD
DVD to MKV using HandBrake cropping flickering borders preserving aspect ratio at the same and apply filters in an attempt to improve video quality.
Screenshots of the artists taken from running MKV using K-Lite Media Player.

Buried Treasure in your yard, Part 2

 Umm... I really am kind of baffled by this one, how did I not know that I had this and where the hell did it come from? I am a BIG fan of this particular band and the idea that I have one that has missed attention in the recent wave of live Woody Shaw recordings being both issued or widely circulated seems, well... almost inconceivable! I have looked high and low and compared against every set list I could see for 1979 and this does not match anything that I see. It seems unlikely, however, that it would be 1979, this lineup suggests 1977. The text document in the file lists Clint Houston on bass and Onaje Alan Gumbs on piano - my ears tell me that is not true in either case and there is no reason to assume it is not the normal band with Stafford James and Larry Willis. It is a radio broadcast from a Seattle jazz club, Parnell's... James is a little too prominent in the mix, but your ears adjust quickly: 

 The best part for me is that we get one more small scrap of Carter Jefferson to add to the precious little around! I have not done any editing to this so it has some warts.

Chris' video post has convinced me that it really is Gumbs rather than Willis in 1979, but there is still no way that is Clint Houston.

Robin Kenyatta - Nomusa (1975) [vinyl>flac]

When I interviewed him in 1974, Robin Kenyatta allowed that, for him, "jazz has always been about stomping your feet or clapping your hands; it's always been about being happy. I don't mean I just want to work in discotheques or play for dancers, but I want the feeling to be there. People should feel like dancing, feel like being happy. That's the feeling I always try to keep in my mind." Nomusa isn't a heavy, get-down dancing album. It's a light, pirouetting, on-your-toes-and-into-the-air dancing album. And feelings, happy feelings, are definitely what it's about. ~ Bob Palmer.

Muse Records, MR 5062, 1975

Recorded 28^th January, 1975 at Blue Rock Studios, New York

Musicians:

Robin Kenyatta - Alto Saxophone, Soprano & Alto Saxes (#A1)

Xaba Ndikho - Piano (#A1)

Dom Salvador - Piano, Organ (#A1)

Stafford James - Bass

Joe Chambers - Drums

Tracks:

A1. Nomusa {Xaba Ndikho} (9:33)

A2. Warm Valley {Duke Ellington} (7:35)

B1. Slow Boat To China {Frank Loesser} (6:29)

B2. Afternoon Outing {John Handy} (5:35)

B3. Prettyside Avenue {John Handy} (6:19)

Note:

#B1 is a duet between Robin Kenyatta and Dom Salvador with each musician overdubbing a second part.

Credits:

Producer - Michael Cuscuna

Recording Engineer - Eddie Korvin

Jacket Photo and Design - Leandro Katz

Liner Notes - Bob Palmer

Also Released as:

Robin Kenyatta - Warm Valley

American Jazz & Blues History, Vol. 56

Tobacco Road [B/2556]

Germany

------------------------

Happy Bird B/90091 (1975)

Germany

Dexter Gordon - Homecoming (LP rip)

Ahhhh yes, it is actually me over here for a moment! Given the major sparks being thrown off this last week by all my beloved blog-mates, I just HAD to chip in with a bit of a firework of my own!

My coffee mate Cliff has pointed out to me that this particular album is more than a little over-looked in the Dex catalog, largely due to some unfortunate decisions at Columbia/Sony. Clifford recently went and bought a crispy promo copy of the original LP and gave it to me to rip; couldn't leave y'all out of the Lagniappe.

These marvelous live tracks were recorded shortly after Dex's return from Europe but I seem to recall there was a Xanadu date just prior to this. In a surprising but savvy move, Dex chose to play his first Vanguard booking with Woody Shaw and his magnificent working band of the time.

Michael Cuscuna and Columbia had the good sense to show up and record the gigs and this very well received double album set (subsequently released in 1977) was the fortunate result. Now comes the confusing part.....Despite the relative popularity (jazz-wise) of both Dex and Woody in the ensuing years, this album sees only two pressings and then disappears from print until 1990. In 1990 Columbia reissues the set with two additional tunes on a double disc CD. Great news, eh? Well....not so much... do you remember those first Columbia digital remasters on the blue cover Jazz Masterpieces series? Do you remember the way they absolutely butchered their first CD issue of Kind Of Blue? They may have done an even worse job on their reissue of this jewel! Even more baffling is the idea that they have yet to rectify this travesty to this day!

Soooo...here we are - my buddy scored this lovely copy and I've ripped it to FLAC, of course. We enter the Way-Back Machine to 1976 at the Village Vanguard, the bill says Dexter Gordon, Woody Shaw, Ronnie Mathews, Stafford James and Louis Hayes....You buying a ticket?