Mr. Shorter, The Soothsayer

Who is the man who had five albums as a leader of his own band plus put was part of a Miles Davis Quintet who also put out five albums, was on Miles Davis's Bitches Brew and founded the Jazz fusion band Weather Report? Anyone know this answer. The man we speak of is Wayne Shorter. He also played on Steely Dan and a Rolling Stones albums. Wayne Shorter is one of my favorite musicians to listen to. Wayne Shorter is extremely prolific and his music and his songs tell the tale. Every once in a while I will grab someones CD and notice that a Wayne Shorter song is on it. It is great to hear someone else do his songs.

What makes Wayne Shorter so great is the fact that his compositions in the Miles Davis Quintet were amazing. They are the ones that you remember as a listener and really wonder how such beautiful music like this is created. It's almost when you hear songs like "All The Things You Are" or "All of You" (a Cole Porter Classic) and lastly one of my favorites "Bye Bye Blackbird." Wayne used to write wonderful pieces that just worked so well. After plenty of listening you hear that theme of what makes a great piece. Some Jazz people really put Wayne Shorter as one of the best writers in the Jazz world. I went to see Joshua Redman one day and he spoke for about five minutes about how he loved the music of Wayne Shorter. It meant a lot to me to hear that.



His catalog of song is quite nice to hear. His two compositions on Bitches Brew are quite impressive musically and the form is great as well. Miles Davis had some great respect for his musical placement of notes and let him write a majority of the songs in the quintet he was in.
Wayne Shorter eventually developed his own more succinct manner on tenor sax, retaining the tough tone quality and intensity and, in later years, adding an element of funk. On soprano, Shorter is almost another player entirely, his lovely tone shining like a light beam, his sensibilities attuned more to lyrical thoughts, his choice of notes becoming more spare as his career unfolded.(AM) Even the one International type album he did with Milton Nascimento is classic. The attractive side trip into Brazilian-American tropicalismo was something I really enjoy. It shows he could be put in any good musical genre and do well at it.



The album's five originals and one arrangement (of Sibelius' "Valse Triste") show a multi-layered complexity that seems effortless even as it weaves together contributions from a very strong, stylistic sextet. Of particular interest is the interplay of the three horn players, including altoist James Spaulding and trumpeter Freddie Hubbard. As a performer, Shorter also shows a lot of strength, with fluid, at times subtly evocative, solos that bloom with energy without ever seeming frantic or harsh. The title track shows Shorter at his most forceful and is one of the most passionate moments on the album, but even here, beauty seems to come first, while his low-key standard "Lady Day" embodies grace and calmness in every moment. The album was recorded during his most prolific time in the 1960's, but sadly never saw the light of day till the late 70's.

Wayne Shorter's music is something to experience I suggest many albums, but to me this is the one to get. There is so many albums that he made his own and that he really kicked major butt on. Even the lineup of musicians on his albums are first rate. You even have his rhythm section from the Miles Davis Quintet from the 1960's on this. How can you go wrong. The music tells the tale and let Wayne Shorter tell it to you. After a while you as well will be telling all your friends that your new/old favorite musician is Wayne Shorter. After this I suggest others, but that will be for another post. Enjoy!