Woody Shaw's Timeless Jazz

Modal jazz and post-bop intensity come together in the music of Woody Shaw, a trumpeter and composer widely regarded as one of the most influential of the twentieth century. Born in Laurinburg, North Carolina, in 1944, Shaw grew up in Newark, New Jersey, and began playing the bugle at the age of nine before switching to trumpet at eleven.

• Shaw's early career included working with Eric Dolphy and Willie Bobo, as well as a stint in Paris in the early 1960s. • He became a regular on the Blue Note label in the mid-1960s, replacing Carmell Jones in the Horace Silver quintet and recording with notable musicians. • Shaw's association with Muse Records from 1974 led to the creation of iconic albums such as Love Dance, which showcases his mastery of wide intervals and polytonality.

With a rich, dark tone and a clean, precise attack, Shaw's trumpet playing is a hallmark of his innovative style, which blends harmonically complex post-bop, modal jazz, and nods toward fusion and free jazz. Tickets are with the button beside the article for the event on Thursday, 12 November 2026, at Resident Music in Brighton, where fans can experience the timeless jazz of Woody Shaw.