Wayne ShorterThe career of encompasses practically the entire history of the second half of jazz in the 20th century. He gained his first experience with Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers and eventually became the band’s musical director, helping to develop the new sounds of Miles Davis’ second great quintet and often composed for Davis; and he co-founded the groundbreaking jazz fusion group Weather report. Not only was he an absolute master of the saxophone (initially on the less common soprano, then concentrating on the tenor), he also redefined jazz composition, wrote a number of pieces that have since become popular standards, and won numerous awards, including several Grammys. He died in 2023 at the age of 89, but his spirit lives on in the music he composed and in the exploratory mindset of the many musicians he influenced.
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This year, two important Shorter albums appear in the Blue Note catalogue: the 1965 JuJu, as part of their Classic Vinyl Series and 1971’s Odyssey of Iska, as part of their Tone Poet vinyl series. JuJurecorded in 1964, is clearly post-bop and showcases Shorter’s skills as a bandleader and composer, exploring the boundaries of modal jazz with a melodic rush and a heated rhythm section of musicians best known for their collaboration with John Coltrane: Piano player McCoy TynerBassist Reggie Workman and drummer Elvin Jones. In an interview with writer Jim Macnie, Shorter explained that Coltrane wanted to team up with him because they played “not the same way, but in the same areas of the horn.” Shorter also described his own view of the rhythm section as a vessel; if Coltrane was the leader, Tyner accompanied him as a navigator. Together they were the front line. All of this is to say that Shorter was incredibly well suited to working with Coltrane’s rhythm section – not in the same way as Trane, but perhaps in the same areas.
Tyner is navigator on JuJu also an impressive presence with impressive solos. The energy of the ensemble is immediately palpable on the title track that opens the record, Tyner’s piano and Shorter’s horn dancing together in agile formation while the rhythm section provides the foundation. Shorter’s post-bop work is characterized by distinctively melodic saxophone lines in various moods, and this is already evident when jumping to JuJuHe is optimistic about the excellent “Flood“but becomes melancholic at”House of Jade“. And then there’s “Mahjong”, another beautiful song on an album full of standouts. Each musician gets a chance to shine, while Shorter’s horn exudes sophistication and grace, with a hint of meditativeness. JuJu was Shorter’s fifth album as a leader and his second for Blue Note, but perhaps the first to truly showcase the potential of his abilities and not only hinted at but heralded further greatness.
Odyssey of Iska is a near-perfect conclusion, not only because it was one of the last two albums Shorter recorded for Blue Note (until a return in the 2010s), but also because it marks a change in his style. The album was recorded in 1970, around the time that Weather Report was recorded by Shorter and keyboardist Joe ZawinulThe band defined jazz fusion, alongside Chick Corea‘S Return to eternity And Herbie Hancock‘S Headhunter. Excerpts from the upcoming merger can be heard on Odyssey of Iskaconsisting of four atmospheric Shorter originals and a wonderfully gentle version of “Depois Do Amor, O Vazio (After Love, the Emptiness)”, a Bossa Nova-inspired song by Bobby Thompson.
The album is exploratory and atmospheric, the musicians working with a dense palette while exploring both spiritual and avant-garde impulses. The personnel include the iconic bassist Ron Carter and drummer Billy Hart (a member of Herbie Hancock’s Mwandishi Band), alongside a wider selection of instruments that include guitar, vibraphone and marimba. Misty percussion sets the mood for “Storm‘, but when Shorter’s horn enters the battle, it’s a call to arms that matches the guitar’s frantic pace. Iska is a nod to Shorter’s daughter, born around the time the album was recorded, but to continue the metaphor of ships and navigation: Iska could also be a majestic vessel carrying these sonic travelers on a free-flowing voyage. Taken together, the albums are a striking showcase of Shorter’s evolution as a bandleader and composer. From modal jazz and post-bop to fusion and avant-garde to his orchestral explorations later in life, Shorter’s legacy is undeniably wide-ranging. His contributions are forever woven into the fabric of jazz.
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