Moor Mother - Woody Shaw

  • A heartfelt ode to a free jazz juggernaut.
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  • Either Moor Mother is secretly a collective, or Camae Ayewa is a woman possessed. The industrious Philadelphia rapper has released "Woody Shaw"—the first single off her upcoming album Jazz Codes—just a couple weeks after releasing a collaborative album with DJ Haram, and around four other LPs over the past two years. "Woody Shaw" is a poetry-driven ode to the jazz innovator and legendary trumpet player of the same name. Ayewa takes the spoken-word approach here, musing meditatively on Shaw's life and impact, and landing land with an impressive cool. Warm, staccato chords and synthesizers groove over shuffling drums, as Melanie Charles takes it away with some gorgeous backing vocals: "Woody Shaw, elevator out of town / He's coming, he's coming up and down." There aren't any trumpets on here, but it's a gorgeous tribute that emulates Shaw's distinguished avant-garde style in kind.
RA