Lito: Live at the North Sea Jazz Festival

Lito: Live at the North Sea Jazz Festival is a live album by saxophonist Carlos Ward, his debut as a leader. It was recorded on July 9, 1988, at the North Sea Jazz Festival in Rotterdam, Netherlands, and was released on LP in 1989 by Leo Records. On the album, Ward is joined by trumpeter Woody Shaw, bassist Walter Schmocker, and drummer Alex Deutsch. The album was reissued in 1992 with an additional track.

Reception
The editors of AllMusic awarded the album 4½ stars, and writer Michael G. Nastos called it "excellent."

The authors of The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings described the album as "a valuable documentation both of Ward and of Woody Shaw, who sounds magnificent." They stated: "What is interesting about Lito is how effective a writer the saxophonist is."

Steve Vickery of Coda called the album a "last testament to the creative genius of Woody Shaw," and singled out "Sundance" for praise, noting that Shaw "glides through his solo, playing with the theme like a puzzle to be unravelled."

Track listing
All compositions by Carlos Ward.


 * 1) "Lito (1,2,3)" – 24:28
 * 2) "Pettiford Bridge" (Dedicated to Oscar Pettiford) – 7:42 (bonus track on CD reissue)
 * 3) "Lee" – 13:05
 * 4) "First Love" (Dedicated to T. Monk) – 5:23
 * 5) "Sundance" – 7:38

Personnel

 * Carlos Ward – alto saxophone, flute
 * Woody Shaw – trumpet
 * Walter Schmocker – bass
 * Alex Deutsch – drums