Jimmy Woode was one of a dynasty of jazz musicians from Boston, where he began his career with the likes of Charlie Parker and Sidney Bechet. He joined Alyn Shipton during one of his last visits to the UK before his death, to select his finest records, including examples of his work with Ellington, and with the Kenny Clarke/Francy Boland band with whom he played after settling in Europe at the end of the 1960s.