Woody Herman Shaw II (December 24, 1944 – May 10, 1989) was an American trumpeter and flugelhorn player. 

Early in his career he was influenced by Freddie Hubbard, although the influence of Eric Dolphy, with whom he played and recorded in the 1960s, became more marked in the 1970s. He also played during the 1960s and 1970s with Horace Silver, Max Roach, and Art Blakey. During this period he also recorded extensively for Blue Note Records, working as a sideman with Andrew Hill, Jackie McLean, McCoy Tyner, and others. From the mid-1970s until 1983 on he worked primarily as a leader, developing a mature individual style. During the remaining years of his life he continued to perform with major musicians. Jump to: navigation, search December 24 is the 358th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (359th in leap years). ... Jump to: navigation, search 1944 was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... Jump to: navigation, search May 10 is the 130th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (131st in leap years). ... Jump to: navigation, search 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A trumpeter may be one of several things: A trumpeter is a musician who plays the trumpet. ... Flugelhorn- this is a standard 3-valved Bb model. ... Jump to: navigation, search Frederick Dewayne Hubbard (born April 7, 1938, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA) is an American jazz trumpeter. ... Eric Allan Dolphy (June 20, 1928 - June 29, 1964) was a jazz musician who played alto saxophone, flute and bass clarinet. ... Jump to: navigation, search The 1960s in its most obvious sense refers to the decade between 1960 and 1969, but the expression has taken on a wider meaning over the past twenty years. ... Jump to: navigation, search The 1970s in its most obvious sense refers to the decade between 1970 and 1979. ... Jump to: navigation, search The 1970s in its most obvious sense refers to the decade between 1970 and 1979. ... Horace Ward Martin Tavares Silver (born September 2, 1928) is a famous jazz pianist and composer. ... Max Roach (born January 10, 1924-) is an American jazz drummer and composer. ... Arthur (Art) Blakey, also known as Abdullah Ibn Buhaina, ( October 11, 1919 - October 16, 1990) was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. ... Blue Note Records is a jazz record label, established in 1939 by Alfred Lion and Francis Wolff. ... Andrew Hill (born June 30, 1937) is an American jazz pianist and composer. ... John Lenwood (Jackie) McLean (born May 17, 1932) is an American jazz alto saxophonist and educator, born in New York City. ... McCoy Tyner Alfred McCoy Tyner (born December 11, 1938), commonly known as McCoy Tyner, is a jazz pianist from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, best known for his work with the John Coltrane Quartet. ...

In 1978 Shaw was signed to Columbia Records and began recording a series of albums which were, and still are, considered jazz classics. Among these are albums ROSEWOOD, STEPPING STONES, WOODY III, FOR SURE, & UNITED (Rosewood was nominated for a Grammy and was voted Best Jazz Album of 1978 in the Down Beat Reader's Poll, which also voted Woody Shaw Best Jazz Trumpeter of the Year and #4 Jazz Musician of the Year.)

Like many geniuses, Woody's journey would involve periods of prolonged struggle and hardship, yet through his sacrifice and dedication to the evolution of Jazz music, he added to the vocabulary of the trumpet and created a musical language which was all his own. In many ways, he is the last true innovator on his instrument and is well established as one of the major contributors in the line of great modern trumpet players that began with Louis Armstrong. Furthermore, Woody Shaw's early departure (May 10th 1989), while tragic in many ways, considering his tremendous role as one of the leaders of his generation, helps us realize how much he achieved in such a short period, and how far ahead of his time he truly was, and still is. The scale and complexity of his achievements are comparable to those of the greatest innovators of modern music, and thus his contributions live on forever as a tremendous source of learning for future generations, and as a true representation of the dignity which characterizes the profound legacy of Modern Jazz. (Final Paragraph by Woody Shaw III © 2005-2006. Courtesy of The Official Woody Shaw Website}

"Woody added to the vocabulary of the trumpet.... His whole approach influenced me tremendously."

- Wynton Marsalis

Discographies:

The Official Woody Shaw Discography Page

Critical Discography of Woody Shaw