Zoltan is a jazz instrumental composed by Woody Shaw that was first recorded and released in 1965 on a Larry Young session, with the widely known Unity album following in 1966. Unity, a Blue Note release, features Larry Young on Hammond B-3 with Woody Shaw on trumpet, Joe Henderson on tenor sax, and Elvin Jones on drums. The tune opens with a march-like motif drawn from Kodály’s Háry János and then shifts into a bright, Lydian-infused jazz theme. Three Woody Shaw compositions anchor Unity, and Zoltan is often cited as a post-bop milestone for its adventurous harmonic approach. The track is instrumental, released on Blue Note and produced by Alfred Lion, with cover art designed by Reid Miles.
