Johan Budi
The global jazz landscape continues to undergo a significant transformation as archival preservationists and modern independent labels bridge the gap between historical mastery and contemporary innovation. This duality is currently exemplified by three distinct releases: the reissue of Woody Shaw’s Love Dance on Time Traveller Recordings, the archival revival of The Descendants of Mike and Phoebe’s A Spirit Speaks via Mack Avenue, and the latest studio effort from the QOW Trio, The Rule of Three, released on Whirlwind Recordings. These albums, spanning over half a century of musical development, offer a window into the evolution of post-bop, modal jazz, and the socio-cultural underpinnings of the American jazz tradition.
The Restoration of the Muse Catalogue and the Woody Shaw Lineage
The reissue of Woody Shaw’s Love Dance represents a critical moment in the ongoing effort to curate the catalog of the Muse label, a task spearheaded by acclaimed archival producer Zev Feldman. Recorded in November 1975 at Blue Rock Studio in New York City, Love Dance captures Shaw at a pivotal juncture in his career. Shaw is widely regarded by musicologists as the final link in a trumpet lineage that connects the bebop innovations of Dizzy Gillespie and Fats Navarro to the virtuosic hard-bop of Clifford Brown, Lee Morgan, and Freddie Hubbard.
Love Dance serves as a stylistic sibling to Lee Morgan’s The Last Session. While Morgan’s final works began to integrate elements of jazz fusion, Shaw’s 1975 output remains firmly rooted in the expansion of modal jazz. The personnel involved in the session—including trombonist Steve Turre, saxophonists Rene McLean and Billy Harper, and pianist Joe Bonner—represents a "who’s who" of the mid-70s New York jazz scene.
The technical proficiency of the ensemble is most evident in the track "Obsequious," a composition that demands a level of commitment and rhythmic precision that analysts argue has become increasingly rare in contemporary recordings. Rene McLean’s performance on the album is particularly noteworthy; as the son of the legendary Jackie McLean, his stylistic choices on soprano and alto saxophone demonstrate a clear inheritance of his father’s sharp, emotive phrasing, while forging a distinct identity within the post-bop framework.
Chronology of the 1970s Sessions and the Lee Family Legacy
To understand the historical weight of these releases, one must look at the timeline of their creation. Two years prior to Shaw’s session, in December 1973, a unique family ensemble known as The Descendants of Mike and Phoebe recorded A Spirit Speaks at Minot Studios in White Plains, New York. While the "Joneses of Detroit" (Thad, Hank, and Elvin) often dominate discussions of jazz dynasties, the Lee family—consisting of siblings Bill, Clif, Consuela, and A. Grace Lee Mims—produced a work that is perhaps more representative of the era’s socio-political consciousness.
The early 1970s was a period of intense focus on Black American identity and ancestral roots. The group’s name itself, referencing ancestors Mike and Phoebe, highlights a preoccupation with genealogy and cultural continuity. Bill Lee, the bassist and composer who would later gain wider fame for scoring the early films of his son, Spike Lee, serves as the structural anchor of the group.
However, the album has long been a subject of debate among critics regarding its stylistic cohesion. The inclusion of A. Grace Lee Mims, a vocalist with a highly studied, almost operatic approach, creates a juxtaposition with the improvisational nature of the instrumentalists. This is most visible in the interpretation of Thomas A. Dorsey’s "Take My Hand, Precious Lord." While the track is steeped in the gospel tradition, its formal delivery contrasts sharply with the "fire" found in the group’s instrumental reading of the traditional "Boll Weevil."
Modernity and the Piano-less Trio: QOW Trio’s The Rule of Three
Moving from the archival to the contemporary, the QOW Trio’s third album, The Rule of Three, provides a modern response to the historical precedents set in the 1970s. Recorded at Fish Factory Studios in Harlesden and released circa 2025, the album features Riley Stone-Lonergan on tenor saxophone, Eddie Myer on bass, and Spike Wells on drums.
The trio format—specifically the piano-less trio—is a direct nod to the minimalist configurations popularized by Sonny Rollins in the late 1950s. This format places an immense burden on the bassist and drummer to provide both harmonic structure and rhythmic drive. In The Rule of Three, the interplay between Myer and Wells is central to the album’s success. Wells, a veteran of the British jazz scene who famously worked with Tubby Hayes, brings a historical depth to the session that complements the younger Stone-Lonergan’s eloquent phrasing.
The trio’s repertoire on this release is telling of their philosophy. By including a rendition of Albert Ayler’s "Ghosts," the group engages with the avant-garde, yet they reinterpret the piece with a "dancing quality" that departs from Ayler’s original, more abrasive intent. This ability to synthesize iconoclastic material with a more intimate, reverential jazz sensibility is a hallmark of the group’s maturing sound.
Technical Data and Discographical Information
The following data summarizes the production details of the three albums under review, highlighting the shift in recording technology and geographical focus over five decades:
1. Woody Shaw: Love Dance (Time Traveller Recordings / Muse TT-M004)
- Recording Date: November 1975
- Location: Blue Rock Studio, NYC
- Primary Tracks: "Love Dance," "Sunbath," "Zoltan," "Soulfully I Love You"
- Personnel: Woody Shaw (t), Steve Turre (tb), Rene McLean (as/ss), Billy Harper (ts), Joe Bonner (p), Cecil McBee (b), Victor Lewis (d).
2. The Descendants of Mike and Phoebe: A Spirit Speaks (Mack Avenue)
- Recording Date: December 19-21, 1973
- Location: Minot Studios, White Plains, NY
- Primary Tracks: "Coltrane," "Attica," "Take My Hand, Precious Lord," "Too Little, Too Late"
- Personnel: Clif Lee (flh), Consuela Lee Moorhead (p), Bill Lee (b), Billy Higgins (pc), Sonny Brown (pc), A. Grace Lee Mims (v).
3. QOW Trio: The Rule of Three (Whirlwind Recordings WR4847)
- Recording Date: c. 2025
- Location: Fish Factory Studios, Harlesden, UK
- Primary Tracks: "Lush Life," "NowHere," "Sheriff Elvin," "Ghosts"
- Personnel: Riley Stone-Lonergan (ts), Eddie Myer (b), Spike Wells (d).
Comparative Analysis: Stylistic Implications and Market Reception
The release of these three albums suggests a healthy, albeit niche, market for jazz that refuses to conform to "smooth" or overly commercialized standards. Woody Shaw’s work, in particular, continues to be re-evaluated as a high-water mark for technical brilliance. The track "Soulfully I Love You (Black Spiritual Of Love)" illustrates Shaw’s ability to communicate with a "burnished tone" that avoids the empty rhetoric often found in the fusion era that followed.
In contrast, the reissue of A Spirit Speaks serves as a historical document of the Black Arts Movement’s influence on jazz. While some critics find the "studied" vocal approach of Grace Lee Mims to be at odds with the spontaneity of jazz, the album’s sincerity and its focus on themes of ancestry and struggle (as seen in the track "Attica") provide essential context for the music of the 1970s. It reflects a time when jazz was not just an art form but a vessel for social and familial identity.
The QOW Trio represents the "full circle" of this evolution. By stripping away the harmonic safety net of the piano, they force a dialogue between the saxophone and the rhythm section that is both vulnerable and authoritative. Their treatment of Billy Strayhorn’s "Lush Life" demonstrates a quiet reverence for the Great American Songbook, while original compositions like "Sheriff Elvin" show an engagement with the rhythmic complexities of modern life.
Broader Impact on the Jazz Industry
The strategic decision by labels like Mack Avenue and Time Traveller Recordings to invest in high-quality reissues is a response to a growing demographic of listeners who value physical media and historical authenticity. Producers like Zev Feldman have turned the "archival discovery" into a significant revenue stream and a way to bolster the legacies of underappreciated masters like Billy Harper and Joe Bonner.
Furthermore, the emergence of the QOW Trio on Whirlwind Recordings—a label known for its transatlantic reach—indicates that the future of the genre lies in small, artist-led or boutique labels that prioritize musical integrity over mass-market appeal. The "Rule of Three" suggests that for jazz to survive, it must maintain a balance between three pillars: a deep knowledge of the past, a commitment to technical excellence, and the courage to experiment in the present.
As these recordings circulate among enthusiasts and scholars, they reinforce the notion that jazz is a continuum. Whether it is the 1975 modal explorations of Woody Shaw or the 2025 trio interactions of Spike Wells and his younger counterparts, the music remains a vital, evolving language of American and global culture. The preservation of these sessions ensures that the "sparks of creativity and spontaneity" mentioned by observers of the QOW Trio are not lost to time, but rather serve as the foundation for the next generation of improvisers.
