Woody Shaw was one of the great trumpeters of the 1970s. Although his sound was influenced by
Freddie Hubbard,
Shaw's more advanced improvisations on his modal originals were quite original and fiery. This Muse set has three of his compositions (including "In Case You Haven't Heard") and a song apiece from pianist
Ronnie Mathews and bassist Stafford James; altoist
Frank Strozier and drummer Eddie Moore complete the quintet. The varied originals give the musicians strong foundations for their freewheeling and spontaneous solos, making this one of
Woody Shaw's better recordings. ~ Scott Yanow