The iconic 86-year-old Wayne Shorter is revered in the top echelon of jazz greats both as a player and composer. Wynton Marsalis, the Artistic and Managing Director said it succinctly, “Wayne Shorter is at the highest level of our music- you can’t get any higher than him. Everybody strives to have a personal sound. Wayne’s sound is definitive.” As most of us know, through his early Art Blakey and solo Blue Note albums, his tenure with Miles Davis’ Great Quintet, the pioneering fusion band Weather Report, his work with Joni Mitchell, and in recent years The Wayne Shorter Quartet, Shorter’s influence is all over the map of jazz. Yet, these two discs, taken from three nights in performance with the 15-piece Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra (JLCO) led by Wynton Marsalis, represent the first time the saxophonist has been heard in the context of a large brass-laden ensemble. What’s even better, all ten selections across these two discs are Shorter compositions.
You’ll hear the master Shorter on tenor, to whom he is somewhat indebted to Coltrane, with whom he practiced in the mid-’50s while still an undergraduate, Shorter eventually developed his own tenor style, more succinct but with robust tone and intensity and, in later years, adding an element of funk. You’ll also hear him on soprano, where Shorter is almost another player entirely, with his lovely tone, more sparse choices of notes, and lyricism beyond compare. Keep in mind that these performances are culled from 2015, when Shorter was 81. As such they predate his 2018 Grammy-winning Emanon although “The Three Marias,” originally from 1985’s Atlantis and also “Endangered Species” from that classic album, appear here too. Note that the 3-disc Emanon did feature a large string-laden orchestra on the first disc, but not a brass-laden orchestra like this.
Each of the Shorter pieces, most from the first decade of his career, was arranged by a JLCO member including classic songs like “Armageddon” (from 1964’s Night Dreamer), and the Marsalis-arranged “Teru” (from 1966’s Adam’s Apple). The other pieces include “Yes and No” (from 1964’s Juju), “Diana” (from 1975’s non-Weather Report fusion period Native Dancer), “Mama G” (from his first session as a leader, 1959’s Introducing Wayne Shorter Quintet) and three from his stint with Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers in the early ‘60s – “Hammer Head,” “Contemplation” and “Lost.” Shorter solos on all but “Teru” where tenors Blanding and Goines have the honors (see below). Shorter’s soprano is on four selections – “Diana,” “Endangered Species,” “Lost” and “The Three Marias” while all others feature him on tenor. The music, in true Shorter fashion, is intricate, often meandering, and gorgeously soaring and satisfying. On Disc 1, as a whole piece, the swinging, rollicking “Hammerhead” is a clear highlight while Shorter shines best on tenor on his extensive soloing on “Contemplation” where he is the only soloist, and best on soprano on the rousing “Endangered Species,” paired with the driving rhythms and furious drum solo from Ali Jackson. On Disc 2, the three lengthy pieces, each with multiple and spirited soloists, are the draw – “Lost” (soprano), “Armageddon”(tenor) and “Mama G” (tenor), the latter allowing all three rhythm players to shine.
In the album’s liner notes, renowned bassist, bandleader, and Jazz Night in America host Christian McBride reflects on Shorter’s unique ability to draw inspiration from unlikely sources: “There are two stories that come to mind that exemplify the imagination and daring that Wayne Shorter brought to his career as a composer and bandleader. The first was told to me by pianist Renee Rosnes and involves her first rehearsal with Wayne’s group in the late 1980s. As the musicians gathered in Wayne’s rehearsal room, he asked them to first sit and watch the Ridley Scott classic Alien. Midway through the viewing, Wayne got up to pause the tape just as the famous, gory scene of an alien bursting through a human chest unfolded. As most of the band sat squirming in their seats while this bloody creature was frozen on the screen, Wayne pointed at it and said, “THIS… is how I want this band to sound.”
The second story happened in 2002, when I played a performance with Wayne Shorter’s quartet in Den Haag. Upon my arrival, I was quite trepidatious about the gig, as I wasn’t going to have much time to rehearse with the quartet. I called Wayne in his hotel room to let him know I arrived. When I shared my fear of playing with him unrehearsed, Wayne paused and said, “If I remember, you’re a big comedy fan, right? Well, play that. Play me some comedy.” What I learned from Wayne is that, with a strong imagination (and skill), uncharted territory becomes less intimidating… and sometimes quite fun.”
The JLCO is a 30-year tenured institution that has been led by Wynton Marsalis since its inception in 1987. Their mission statement reads as follows: The mission of Jazz at Lincoln Center is to entertain, enrich and expand a global community for jazz through performance, education, and advocacy. We believe jazz is a metaphor for Democracy. Because jazz is improvisational, it celebrates personal freedom and encourages individual expression. Because jazz is swinging, it dedicates that freedom to finding and maintaining common ground with others. Because jazz is rooted in the blues, it inspires us to face adversity with persistent optimism.
The JLCO is comprised of 15 high caliber and incredibly busy musicians, with a roster of 28 substitutes. The players on this recording are: Wayne Shorter- Tenor and soprano sax, Wynton Marsalis, Ryan Kisor, Marcus Printup, Kenny Rampton – trumpets; Chris Crenshaw, Elliot Mason, Vincent Gardner – trombones;, Walter Blanding, Victor Goines, Sherman Irby, Ted Nash, Paul Nedzela – saxophones and all kinds of woodwinds; Dan Nimmer – piano, Carlos Henriquez – double bass, and Ali Jackson -drums.
The JLCO’s label, Blue Engine Records, plans three more releases in early 2020 which we hope to cover on these pages: Next week you’ll see on these pages a review of Sherman Irby’s Inferno, a journey through the nine circles of hell from the JLCO’s lead alto saxophonist next week. Coming later are Black Brown, and Beige – Duke Ellington’s groundbreaking masterpiece, and The Ever Fonky Lowdown – a sweeping Marsalis suite with narration from actor Wendell Pierce and contributions from three vocalists. Stay tuned. 2020 is off to a great start with this, The Music of Wayne Shorter.