Wayne Shorter - 1965 [1990] "The Soothsayer"

The Soothsayer is the seventh album by Wayne Shorter, recorded in 1965, but not released on Blue Note until 1979. The album features five originals by Shorter and an arrangement of Jean Sibelius' "Valse Triste". An additional take of "Angola" was added to later CD releases.

Part of an explosion of solo albums Wayne Shorter recorded just after he joined Miles Davis' band, The Soothsayer wasn't released until the late '70s. Listening to the album, it is hard to believe because it ranks with the best of his works from this incredibly fertile period. Shorter has been called Davis' "idea man," and the creativity and thoughtfulness that earned him that moniker are quite evident here. 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 Soothsayer may be comparably less of a benchmark in Wayne Shorter's discography, and remains to some extent overshadowed by its close contemporary Speak No Evil (Blue Note, 1964), but it's a solid and enduring album—despite 15 years between the recording session and the original LP release.

Things were happening big time for Shorter in early 1965, when The Soothsayer was recorded. After five years with drummer and band leader Art Blakey as musician, composer and, finally, musical director, the saxophonist had recently joined trumpeter Miles Davis' second great quintet. With Davis, Shorter would record six studio albums over the next three years—the first, E.S.P. (Columbia, 1965) was recorded two months before The Soothsayer—plus a further four under his own name.

There was an embarrassment of Shorter riches around, and The Soothsayer was initially shelved to make way for the release of the more structurally adventurous The All Seeing Eye (Blue Note, 1965). When Shorter left Davis and joined Weather Report, The Soothsayer, temporarily, was overtaken by events. It was finally released in 1980.

The album finds Shorter in the company of two Davis quintet colleagues—bassist Ron Carter and drummer Tony Williams—together with pianist McCoy Tyner, then a member of saxophonist John Coltrane's classic quartet, trumpeter Freddie Hubbard and the relatively unsung alto saxophonist James Spaulding. Hubbard and Carter had been retained from Speak No Evil; Tyner had been featured on the earlier Shorter albums Night Dreamer (Blue Note, 1964) and Ju Ju (Blue Note, 1964). Spaulding and Williams were new recruits.

Shorter's virile playing aside, the album is worthwhile for the presence of drum prodigy Williams (Shorter's regular drummers of the time were Elvin Jones and Joe Chambers)—who turns in an inventive solo on "Angola"—and for the strength of Shorter's writing. The triple meter, medium groove "Lost," the opener, is quintessential Shorter of the period. Eight years before the release of The Soothsayer it was featured on Weather Report's Live In Tokyo (Columbia, 1972). "Angola," which follows, sounds like it could have been written earlier, for Blakey's band. The haunting "Lady Day" is a ballad tribute to singer Billie Holiday.

Of interest too is Shorter's re-arrangement of Finnish composer Jean Sibelius' pretty "Valse Triste"—on Speak No Evil, Shorter had credited Sibelius as a key inspiration for that album's "Dance Cadaverous." The word "deconstruction" may not have been common jazz parlance in 1965, but deconstruct is exactly what Shorter does here, sensitively and engagingly.

http://jazz-rock-fusion-guitar.blogspot.com/search?q=wayne+shorter

http://jazz-rock-fusion-guitar.blogspot.com/search?q=ron+carter

http://jazz-rock-fusion-guitar.blogspot.com/search?q=tony+williams

http://jazz-rock-fusion-guitar.blogspot.com/search?q=freddie+hubbard

Track listing:

All compositions by Wayne Shorter except where noted.

1. "Lost" – 7:20
2. "Angola" – 4:56
3. "The Big Push" – 8:23
4. "The Soothsayer" – 9:40
5. "Lady Day" – 5:36
6. "Valse Triste" (Jean Sibelius) – 7:45
7. "Angola" [Alternate Take] – 6:41

Personnel:

Wayne Shorter – tenor saxophone
Freddie Hubbard – trumpet
James Spaulding – alto saxophone
McCoy Tyner – piano
Ron Carter – bass
Tony Williams – drums

Wayne Shorter - 1969 [1988] "Super Nova"

Super Nova is the twelfth album by Wayne Shorter, recorded in 1969 and released on the Blue Note label. The album features five originals by Shorter and an arrangement of "Dindi" by Antônio Carlos Jobim. "Water Babies", "Capricorn" and "Sweet Pea" were originally recorded in a more traditional jazz setting in 1967 during the sessions with the Second Miles Davis Quintet that would be released in 1976 on the album Water Babies.

Chick Corea appears on drums rather than his typical role as a keyboardist.

Recorded just 8 days after the Bitches Brew session, many of the same artists from Bitches Brew appear here: saxophonist Wayne Shorter, guitarist John McLaughlin, drummer Jack DeJohnette, and pianist Chick Corea (playing drums and vibes on this!). Other Miles Davis alums appear: Brazilian percussionist Airto Moreira and acoustic bass player Miroslav Vitous (both later would become members of Wayne Shorter's Weather Report). The band plays new versions of 3 Shorter tracks previously recorded with Miles Davis (but not released until Water Babies in 1976). They are performed much better in this context. Though this is post-bop (stretching into free jazz)... it's far more melodic than the dark moody Bitches Brew. Highly recommended.

Super Nova is an important transitional album for tenor saxophonist Wayne Shorter. Doubling on soprano (which he had recently begun playing), Shorter interprets five of his originals (including "Water Babies," which had been recorded previously by Miles Davis) and Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Dindi." He definitely used a forward-looking group of sidemen, because his "backup band" includes guitarists John McLaughlin and Sonny Sharrock, Walter Booker (normally a bassist) on classical guitar for "Dindi," bassist Miroslav Vitous, both Jack DeJohnette and Chick Corea (!) on drums, and percussionist Airto; Maria Booker takes a vocal on the touching version of "Dindi." The influence of Miles Davis' early fusion period is felt throughout the music, but there is nothing derivative about the often-surprising results. As with Wayne Shorter's best albums, this set rewards repeated listenings.

It was the summer of 1969, flower power was in the air, conventional hard bop was in serious trouble, and Wayne Shorter wrought the hipfest Super Nova in the company of a gaggle of guitarists and percussionists. Super Nova , while typical in many ways of jazz in 1969, is by no means the average Blue Note session or the average Wayne Shorter album, but it has its charms.
He had the help of a stellar lineup. Shorter’s soprano (he plays no tenor on this album) was complemented by guitarists John McLaughlin and Sonny Sharrock, who were joined by Walter Booker on one track; Miroslav Vitous on bass; Jack DeJohnette on drums and African thumb piano; Chick Corea, of all people, on drums and vibes (no piano); Airto Moreira on additional percussion; and Maria Booker singing on one track. An unusual lineup today, but not too head-turning alongside the likes of Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew or Pharoah Sanders’ Karma , which have more in common than is usually acknowledged, and were the sort of thing that turned heads back then.

"Super Nova" kicks off our love-in with a repeating motive from Shorter, who follows his figure down various paths and returns repeatedly to home base with an oboe-like Coltraneish tone, while behind him his guitarists and drummers bubble and churn. McLaughlin squeezes out an undistinguished solo (with Sharrock thrashing behind him), and then it’s back to Wayne, sounding more like Trane every second. "Swee-Pea" is oddly titled, for the title reminds me of the Popeye’s baby, but the track is the occasion of some beautifully touching playing from Shorter. Romantic and elegiac by turns, he is at his most affecting here. Miles bandmates Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, and Tony Williams would have backed this one up capably, but the percussion and guitars create a shimmering backdrop that works quite well. "Dindi" takes us to a hooting, groaning rain forest, which is suddenly broken by, lo and behold, Maria Booker singing a soft Portuguese ballad a la Astrud Gilberto. Playing Joao to Maria’s Astrud is Walter Booker on classical guitar. Then it’s back to the rain forest. There doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason to the structure of this song, except that bossa nova was popular in 1969, and Maria’s part is nice. Shorter plays outstandingly all through this album, but especially on "Water Babies," where he is the only soloist. The sidemen get restless on "Capricorn," especially the drum corps, and Shorter’s soprano grows more sonorous to match them. His soprano preaches, brays, and warns; the drums churn and the guitars quiver, but never get solo time to speak of. Wayne is always at the center on this album. Not to take anything away from Wayne: he can pull it off, and does.

In August of 1969 the Great Sorcerer Miles called together many acolytes to form the legendary electro-psychedelic-groove-jazz orchestra which unleashed "Bitches Brew" unto the world.

The following week, four of those acolytes (Shorter, Corea, McLaughlin & DeJohnette) reconvened across town with Sonny Sharrock and others in tow to continue questing, the Holy Fire still burning brightly in their souls. Meanwhile in the outside world, men were walking on the moon and the hippie tribes were gathering at Woodstock -- kozmik times indeed!

Hence Wayne Shorter's "Super Nova" album was literally the first* fruit borne by the Bitches revBrewlution which really did knock jazz on it's ass for most of the next decade. Though this album is far from a mini-"Brew", for starters because Blue Note's approach to recording was far different than the extravagances Miles was laying down over at Columbia. "Super Nova" and everything else on Blue Note in those days was cut live in the studio to two-track tape, and (perhaps with a little editing) that was pretty much it as far as "production" goes (in contrast, the extended pieces on "Bitches Brew" were multitracked & edited together from day-long jam sessions.)

"Super Nova" is also distinctive in that several of the musicians are not even playing their usual instruments! Starting with Wayne Shorter playing soprano instead of his usual tenor (the higher pitched soprano is often used for more "exotic eastern" sounds, exhibit A: Coltrane's raga-delic version of "My Favorite Things.") Also keyboardist Chick Corea plays percussion, bassist Walter Booker makes a guest appearance on classical guitar, and Booker's wife sings (her only appearance on record as she was not a professional musician.) Furthermore, the rather strange seven-piece lineup doesn't fit any usual mold in jazz or rock: a front line of only one horn accompanied by two electric guitars, a bass and three percussionists (no keyboards.)

The combination of all of these factors results in one uniquely organic, wooly & free-kadelic jazz record. Although this is technically a "fusion" record, it's important to note that it is not the "funk/jazz" fusion usually associated with the term, but rather a "psychedelic/jazz" fusion. There is not really any discernible hint of "rocknroll" nor any electronics (aside from the guitar amps, which aren't used for feedback or anything exotic like that.) Yet the record feels more akin to the galactic explorations of contemporary "rock groups" like Pink Floyd or the Grateful Dead than to anything else coming out on jazz labels like Blue Note in 1969.

Recorded August 29 (1, 2, 4 & 5) and September 2 (3 & 6), 1969.

Track listing:
All compositions by Wayne Shorter except where noted.

"Supernova" – 4:52
"Swee-Pea" – 4:36
"Dindi" (Antônio Carlos Jobim) – 9:35
"Water Babies" – 4:53
"Capricorn" – 7:47
"More Than Human" – 6:12

Personnel:

Wayne Shorter – soprano saxophone
John McLaughlin – acoustic and electric guitar (1, 2, 4, 5)
Sonny Sharrock – electric guitar
Chick Corea – drums, vibes
Miroslav Vitouš – bass
Jack DeJohnette – drums, kalimba
Airto Moreira – percussion
Walter Booker – acoustic guitar (3)
Maria Booker – vocals (3)
Niels Jakobsen – claves

Miles Davis - 2013 "Live in Europe 1969 - The Bootleg Series" Vol. 2

Live in Europe 1969: The Bootleg Series Vol. 2 is a 3 CD + 1 DVD live album of the Miles Davis Quintet featuring saxophonist Wayne Shorter, pianist Chick Corea, bassist Dave Holland, and drummer Jack DeJohnette. The CDs contain recordings of two concerts in France and one in Sweden and the DVD has an additional concert recorded in Germany.

The first two discs were recorded at the Festival Mondial du Jazz d'Antibes, La Pinède in Juan-les-Pins, France, on July 25 & 26, 1969 with the first concert originally released in Japan in 1993 as 1969 Miles Festiva De Juan Pins. The third disc contains the concert from November 5, 1969 at the Folkets Hus, Stockholm. The DVD was recorded in West Germany on 7 November 1969 at the Berliner Jazztage in the Berlin Philharmonic.

The sets include songs that had been jazz standards for several decades on, material from Davis' hard bop late 1950s and early 1960s period, material from his second great quintet and Miles Runs the Voodoo Down, a fusion composition that his band did not record until four weeks later, on the Bitches Brew album. The last two disks were recorded after Bitches Brew and include that album's title track.

This new set is the first collection of Miles’s Third Great Quintet, the “Lost” Band of 1968-1970 with Miles Davis, Wayne Shorter, Chick Corea, Dave Holland, and Jack DeJohnette at their peak (they were never recorded in the studio). The album captures the short-lived quintet in three separate concert settings, starting with two full-length (one hour-plus) sets at the Antibes Jazz Festival in France, in Stockholm as part of “The Newport Jazz Festival In Europe,” and completed with a stunning 46-minute performance at the Berlin Philharmonie, filmed in color.

The first volume Legacy’s Miles Davis bootleg series offered audio and video evidence of his second great quintet playing the Newport Jazz Festival in Europe in 1967. Acclaim from critics and fans was universal. This second entry, Live in Europe 1969: Bootleg Series, Vol. 2, showcases almost an entirely different band -- only saxophonist Wayne Shorter remains. Bassist Dave Holland, drummer Jack DeJohnette, and pianist Chick Corea made up Davis' road band, and other individuals participated in sessions for Filles de Kilimanjaro and In a Silent Way. But this quintet was never recorded as a lone studio group, making this the first officially released music from the monster "third quintet." Three discs and a DVD offer four concerts: two from Antibes and one from Stockholm are on audio discs, while a performance from Berlin is on video.

The set lists vary but offer something remarkable as a whole: The only period where Davis played music from his bebop, hard bop, modal, and electric eras on one tour. In Antibes, "Directions" opens at a furious tempo with freewheeling solos from Davis and Shorter. It morphs into "Miles Runs the Voodoo Down," featuring an aggressive Holland bassline and DeJohnette's machine gun drums. There is a completely re-envisioned "Milestones" that materializes from the bass solo. Shorter and Davis play with a muscular, intense, communicative freedom that reaches its creative peak here. The rhythm section, emboldened by the front line, is wildly inventive. Corea plays an exceptionally large role.

By 1969, Davis was using not only electric guitar in the studio, but often multiple keyboard players simultaneously. Corea is everywhere as a rhythmic and harmonic counterpart, and as a visionary soloist. His chord voicings on "'Round Midnight" move from skeletal to maximal as the tune is thoroughly reinvented from its spare melody into a nearly funky modal jam with him leading the way. Highlights from the second Antibes gig include a blistering "Spanish Key," driven by Holland and DeJohnette, followed by a brief, lyrical "I Fall in Love Too Easily," preceding an angular, exciting "Masqualero," with fiery interaction between Shorter and Corea. "No Blues," a band solo showcase, gives way to a nearly shimmering swing in "Nefertiti" that unmakes itself after Shorter's solo, eventually gathering steam for a galloping group exchange before shifting to more relaxed pacing, then re-energizing along different harmonic lines.

In Stockholm, the 14-minute "Bitches Brew" is revealed to be still evolving; harmonic and rhythmic ideas are thrown into the mix minute-by-minute. "Paraphernalia" is almost free jazz. Davis' solo on set-closer "This," is risky and physically strident. The DVD offers a gorgeous, color, multi-camera shoot, with terrific sound. The band's intuitive, concentrated interaction is mesmerizing to watch. Seeing and hearing them move seamlessly -- even dramatically -- through "It's About That Time"/"I Fall in Love Too Easily"/"Sanctuary" reveals Davis' in the present viewing the past as a gateway to his musical future. It's obvious here that he freely embraced the sonic, textural, and timbral possibilities that electricity offered him in creating a more open, in-the-moment, music. Live in Europe, 1969 makes obvious that on this tour, Davis' creative vision was holistic and completely assured. These fire-breathing performances offer a band at fever pitch hearing and playing what they knew even then was a new chapter in jazz history.

"It was really a bad motherfucker," Miles Davis wrote in his autobiography of the live band he led in 1969.

Track listing

Disc One: July 25, 1969 at the Jazz à Juan festival, La Pinède in Juan-les-Pins.
1.    "Introduction by André Francis"         0:27
2.    "Directions"    Joe Zawinul    6:00
3.    "Miles Runs the Voodoo Down"    Miles Davis    9:17
4.    "Milestones"    Miles Davis    13:45
5.    "Footprints"    Wayne Shorter    11:44
6.    "Round Midnight"    Thelonious Monk, Cootie Williams, Bernie Hanighen    8:51
7.    "It's About That Time"    Joe Zawinul, Miles Davis    9:30
8.    "Sanctuary"    Wayne Shorter    4:15
9.    "The Theme"    Miles Davis    0:53
Total length:    1:05:42

Disc Two: July 26, 1969 at the Jazz à Juan festival, La Pinède in Juan-les-Pins.
1.    "Introduction by André Francis"         0:26
2.    "Directions"    Joe Zawinul    6:17
3.    "Spanish Key"    Miles Davis    10:36
4.    "I Fall in Love Too Easily"    Sammy Cahn, Jule Styne    2:54
5.    "Masqualero"    Wayne Shorter    8:28
6.    "Miles Runs the Voodoo Down"    Miles Davis    8:46
7.    "No Blues"    Miles Davis    13:34
8.    "Nefertiti"    Wayne Shorter    8:50
9.    "Sanctuary"    Wayne Shorter    0:53
10.    "The Theme"    Miles Davis    0:48
Total length:    1:04:11

Disc Three: November 5, 1969 at the Folkets Hus, Stockholm.
1.    "Introduction by George Wein"         0:30
2.    "Bitches Brew"    Miles Davis    14:38
3.    "Paraphernalia"    Wayne Shorter    9:19
4.    "Nefertiti"    Wayne Shorter    10:02
5.    "Masqualero" (Incomplete)    Wayne Shorter    8:02
6.    "This"    Chick Corea    6:18
Total length:    48:49

Disc Four (DVD): November 7, 1969 at the Berliner Jazztage in the Berlin Philharmonie.
1.    "Introduction by John O'Brien-Docker"         2:07
2.    "Directions"    Joe Zawinul    6:42
3.    "Bitches Brew"    Miles Davis    13:39
4.    "It's About That Time"    Miles Davis    14:09
5.    "I Fall in Love Too Easily"    Sammy Cahn, Jule Styne    3:39
6.    "Sanctuary"    Wayne Shorter    3:55
7.    "The Theme"    Miles Davis    1:11
Total length:    45:22

Personnel

    Miles Davis – trumpet
    Wayne Shorter – tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone
    Chick Corea – electric piano, piano on disc three numbers 3,4 &5
    Dave Holland – bass
    Jack DeJohnette – drums

Wayne Shorter - 1974 [2023] "Moto Grosso Feio"

Moto Grosso Feio is the thirteenth album by Wayne Shorter, recorded in 1970 but not released on the Blue Note label until 1974. The album features four originals by Shorter and an arrangement of "Vera Cruz" by Milton Nascimento. Some of the musicians include guitarist John McLaughlin, bassist/cellist Ron Carter, bassist Dave Holland, and drummers Jack DeJohnette and Micheline Pelzer.

When delving into the expansive and storied discography of Wayne Shorter, “Moto Grosso Feio,” released in 1974, stands out as one of the most enigmatic entries. Here is an album that, while remaining true to Shorter’s reputation for innovation and exploration, veers off into terrain less traveled, even by his adventurous standards.

From the onset, “Moto Grosso Feio” invites the listener into a universe distinctly different from Shorter’s earlier works. If one were expecting a linear continuation from his previous efforts with Weather Report or even his solo albums of the ’60s, they’d quickly realize this was a departure. This isn’t to suggest a disconnection from his past but rather a bold foray into new realms.

The album’s title track, “Moto Grosso Feio,” which translates from Portuguese as “big ugly motor,” serves as an appropriate metaphor for the music’s engine: gritty, relentless, and evoking imagery of industrial landscapes and mechanized processes. It’s a sprawling epic of a track that unfolds over 12 minutes, where Shorter’s saxophone interplays beautifully with John McLaughlin’s guitar, offering an engaging dialogue between the two. Their instruments, at times, seem to be conversing, arguing, and harmonizing in the same breath.

“Iska” provides a different flavor. It’s a contemplative piece, where the complexity of the arrangements is evident. Shorter’s soprano saxophone soars, delves, and dances, guiding the listener through a labyrinth of sound. There’s a certain spaciousness to this track, a quality that allows for introspection amidst the intricate instrumentation.

“Manhattan Lorelei” is perhaps the most accessible track on the album. Its nod to more traditional jazz structures provides a sense of familiarity, but this isn’t a regression. The song serves as a reminder of Shorter’s roots, his foundational love for jazz, and his ability to interweave conventional and avant-garde elements seamlessly.

The inclusion of Brazilian percussionist Airto Moreira on “Vera Cruz” infuses the track with a rhythmic vivacity that feels both earthy and ethereal. There’s an organic nature to this piece, a raw heartbeat that pulses beneath the surface of Shorter’s melodic explorations. It’s a journey to a different place, perhaps a rainforest or a bustling Brazilian cityscape, showcasing Shorter’s fascination with world music.

Yet, while the album is undeniably innovative, its experimental nature might be a double-edged sword for some. “Moto Grosso Feio” demands attentive listening. It’s not an album of instant gratification but requires patience and immersion. For the uninitiated or those expecting a more conventional jazz experience, it might feel overwhelming or esoteric.

Recorded on the same day as the superior Odyssey of Iska, this loose session (Wayne Shorter's final one for the Blue Note label) is quite unusual. Although Shorter sticks to his customary tenor and soprano, pianist Chick Corea plays marimba, drums, and percussion; bassist Ron Carter mostly performs on cello; electric guitarist John McLaughlin sticks to the 12-string guitar, and bassist Dave Holland also plays acoustic guitar, with drummer Michelin Prell rounding out the group. Not released until 1974, the music is influenced by early fusion and has its interesting moments although it often wanders. The group performs Milton Nascimento's "Vera Cruz" and four of Shorter's originals, of which "Montezuma" is the best-known.

“Moto Grosso Feio” can be seen as a pivotal moment in Wayne Shorter’s illustrious career. It’s a testament to his restless spirit and desire to constantly evolve, to seek out new horizons and challenge both himself and his listeners. While it may not be for everyone, its place in the annals of jazz history is indisputable. For those attuned to its frequency, it’s a profound experience that resonates deeply, long after the final note has been played.

Track listing:

All compositions by Wayne Shorter except where noted.

"Moto Grosso Feio" – 12:30

"Montezuma" – 7:53

"Antigua" – 5:25

"Vera Cruz" (Milton Nascimento) – 5:12

"Iska" – 11:22

Personnel:

Wayne Shorter — soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone

John McLaughlin — 12-string guitar

Chick Corea — marimba, drums, percussion

Ron Carter — bass, cello

Dave Holland — acoustic guitar, bass

Jack DeJohnette — drums, thumb piano

Miroslav Vitouš — bass (uncredited on album cover but mentioned as part of sessions in liner notes)

Micheline Pelzer (credited as Michelin Prell) — drums, percussion

Miles Davis - 1976 [2002] "Water Babies"

Water Babies is a studio album by Miles Davis. Released during Miles Davis's retirement in the second half of the seventies, it is a collection of stylistically diverse "leftovers" spanning eighteen months, from the Nefertiti sessions with the Miles Davis Quintet (1967) to the experimental, transitional period between Filles de Kilimanjaro and In a Silent Way (late 1968).
Due to these recordings being released years after they were recorded, the three Wayne Shorter compositions recorded during the 1967 session had made their first appearance in 1969 on Shorter's album Super Nova in a much more free jazz, avant-garde style.
Side 1 features the second great quintet of Davis, Shorter, Hancock, Williams and Carter. On Side 2, Ron Carter is replaced by Dave Holland and Chick Corea doubles with Hancock on electric piano; this line-up is very similar to the one that recorded In a Silent Way, tracks 4 to 6 being from those sessions. Shorter would switch from tenor to soprano saxophone after this session.

This studio LP was first released almost a decade after it was recorded. The first half features the 1967 Quintet (with Wayne Shorter on tenor and soprano, pianist Herbie Hancock, bassist Ron Carter, and drummer Tony Williams) performing three otherwise unknown Shorter compositions. The flip side finds Davis in 1968 leading the same group (with possibly Chick Corea and Dave Holland replacing Hancock and Carter) on two early fusion jams that look a bit toward Bitches Brew. Although not an essential set, this album fills in some gaps during Davis's transitional period from adventurous acoustic playing to early electric performances. 

Side one contains three Shorter compositions recorded on Wayne's 1969 Super Nova (Blue Note); comparisons between the performances confirm Hancock's 1969 comment that "Miles ... shapes all the tunes that come into his band." He shaped his accompanists as well, editing and muting their more extroverted tendencies — at least Shorter, Hancock and Williams sound quite different on their own Blue Note albums of the time. Yet the drummer's simple cymbal dance behind Davis' gentle "Water Babies" solo, and his melodic accompaniment for Shorter on the same piece, are still overwhelming. Carter also gets a chance to dance around Hancock's chorded spot.

The smoking "Capricorn" bears Miles' mark in the use of piano — Hancock lays out through most of the track and solos only with his right hand. Miles harks back to 1956 in his solo, but Carter and Williams boil and evaporate behind him in more contemporary fashion. The way Shorter's thoughts unravel, growing denser and more complex yet still referring to the theme, is marvelous. "Sweet Pea" (dedicated to composer and Ellington collaborator Billy Strayhorn) has a mysterious, floating theme statement. The intensely shaped sorrow in Miles' tone is buoyed by Spanish tinges in the rhythm section, Shorter's sound offers a beautiful complement, and Hancock offers homage to 1959 Bill Evans.

Both tracks on side two feature Hancock and Chick Corea on subdued electric pianos, with the keyboard on left speaker (probably Hancock) dominating throughout. Shorter's "Two Faced" sounds like a dry run for the In a Silent Way sessions; I find it more successful. Williams, Carter and the pianists converse with great spirit, and Shorter plays off the rolling keyboards brilliantly. The long Davis solo is a sustained sigh with more acute hurt occasionally cracking through. "Dual Mr. Tillman Anthony" is credited to one "W. Process" (Tillman is the first name of Anthony Williams' father); it's a funky, syncopated riff, 14 measures long, repeated for 13 minutes by Corea, Carter and bassist Dave Holland while the others cook. Miles is magnificent here, gliding over the line at his own internal, slower tempo while Hancock and Williams bubble around him. Shorter swaggers, recalling the tenor's historical lineage, and Williams takes the piece out.

Time has revealed this band to be as daring and fascinating as any in the long Davis career, and Water Babies contains some of its best music. There is simply so much happening here; hear it.

In 1976, when Miles’ withdrawal from the scene seemed to go on forever, Columbia released an album bringing together two different periods on each side of a single LP.  Side A featured three sublime pieces composed by Wayne Shorter in the spring of 1967. The opening waltz inspired each member of the quintet to such heights that one doesn’t  know who to listen to first—even if the major part was nothing but a concerto grosso of cymbals that accompanied the improbable score of nuances modulating the regular beat of the Charleston cymbal. In “Capricorn,” Herbie Hancock doesn’t come in at all until his right hand solo, but on “Sweet Pea,” his two hands join with those of Ron Carter and Tony Williams in a collective improvisation that the rhythm section maintains throughout Shorter’s homage to Billy Strayhorn. Side B offers two strange constructions from November 11 and 12, 1968. The electric piano’s swabs of color and the unison of the piano and double bass continued the shift that had begun with Filles De Kilimanjaro, leading to In A Silent Way and Bitches Brew the following year.

Track listing

All songs composed by Wayne Shorter except as noted.

1.    "Water Babies" – 5:06
2.    "Capricorn" – 8:26
3.    "Sweet Pea" – 7:59
4.    "Two Faced" – 18:00
5.    "Dual Mr. Anthony Tillmon Williams Process" (Miles Davis, Tony Williams) – 13:20
6.    "Splash" (Miles Davis) – 10:05

Personnel:

Tracks 1-3

    Miles Davis – trumpet
    Wayne Shorter – tenor saxophone
    Herbie Hancock – piano
    Ron Carter – bass
    Tony Williams – drums

Tracks 4-6

    Miles Davis – trumpet
    Wayne Shorter – tenor saxophone
    Chick Corea & Herbie Hancock – electric piano
    Dave Holland – bass
    Tony Williams – drums

Wayne Shorter - 1967 [2021] "Schizophrenia"

Schizophrenia is the eleventh album by Wayne Shorter, recorded on March 10, 1967, and released on the Blue Note label in May 1969. The album features five Shorter compositions and an arrangement of James Spaulding's "Kryptonite". The album features Shorter with alto saxophonist/flautist Spaulding, trombonist Curtis Fuller, pianist Herbie Hancock, bassist Ron Carter and drummer Joe Chambers.

Wayne Shorter was 33 on March 10, 1967, when he recorded Schizophrenia. It was his eleventh leader date overall, his eighth for Blue Note, and first in a little over a year, after having recorded the previous seven within the 17 months following Night Dreamer in April 1964. He was 30 months into a five-and-a-half-year association with Miles Davis, who had followed a half-year hiatus in 1965 by finding steady work for the Shorter-Hancock-Carter-Williams laboratory, resulting in the music documented two months after Schizophrenia on the astonishing Sorcerer, the date that clarified, as Todd Coolman wrote in the notes for Miles Davis Quintet: 1965-‘68, that Miles “had found and solidified the sound, style, and substance he had been searching for” and that the group, with Shorter as its “central compositional voice,” had become “the singular pivotal force in propelling jazz out of the bebop era and into the music of the ‘70s and beyond.”

On Schizophrenia, the leader deploys a less-traveled front line mix of his tenor saxophone, James Spaulding’s alto saxophone or flute, and Curtis Fuller’s trombone, and the same unitary Hancock-Carter-Joe Chambers “rhythm section” that coalesced Shorter’s October 1965 septet suite, The All Seeing Eye, into a visionary masterpiece. He feeds them such ravishing, harmonically ambiguous songs as “Go” and “Miyako” (for his daughter) and burners-with-an-edge like the title track and “Playground” to dig into. In sum, Shorter attains an equipoise between his first-half-of-the-‘60s achievements in “bish-bash, sock ‘em dead’ hardbop as musical director with Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers and the form-bending equations he was conjuring for his Davis bandmates to experiment with on a nightly basis.

Although it couldn’t be predicted in 1967, Schizophrenia would be Shorter’s last “straight-ahead jazz” album for a while. On his ninth Blue Note date, Super Nova, rendered 30 months later, Shorter incorporated multiple guitars and percussion (with a decidedly Afro-Brazilian orientation), offering his own perspective on the new sounds that Miles Davis was exploring on the 1969 recordings In A Silent Way and Bitches Brew. “Miles called me later,” Shorter once told me. “He said,‘We covered a lot of ground, didn’t we.’ His saying that stayed with me. It was music for music’s sake. Miles realized that we had covered a lot of ground; somehow it touched his whole human essence.”

One of the albums that Shorter recorded while he was part of Miles’ second quintet, Schizophrenia is somewhat of a cornerstone or hinge in his solo discography. Indeed, while still entrenched in the standard jazz like his previous albums (like SNE, for ex), Wayne is definitely wondering about and sometimes daring to reach beyond himself, something that Miles was also doing, as clearly both men were pushing each other. The present album is still in the previous effort’s line, despite a psychedelic photo for artwork, with the usual suspects of Hancock, Chambers and Carter, but fronting a horn-trio with, perhaps, the less-expected Spaulding (flute, sax) and Fuller (trombone).

Track listing:

"Tom Thumb" – 6:16

"Go" – 5:42

"Schizophrenia" – 6:50

"Kryptonite" (James Spaulding) – 6:29

"Miyako" – 5:00

"Playground" – 6:20

Personnel:

Wayne Shorter – tenor saxophone

Curtis Fuller – trombone

James Spaulding – flute, alto saxophone

Herbie Hancock – piano

Ron Carter – bass

Joe Chambers – drums

Wayne Shorter - 1966 [2003] "Adam's Apple"

Wayne Shorter - 1966 [2003] Adam's Apple

The Allmusic review by Stacia Proefrock states "it really does rank with the best of his output from this incredibly fertile period. From the first moments when Shorter's sax soars out in the eponymous opening track, with its warmth and roundness and power, it is hard not to like this album. It might not be turning as sharp of a corner stylistically as some of his earlier works, like Speak No Evil, but its impact is only dulled by the fact that Shorter has already arrived at the peak of his powers. Taken in isolation, this is one of the great works of mid-'60s jazz, but when Shorter has already achieved a unique performance style, compositional excellence, and a perfectly balanced relationship with his sidemen, it is hard to be impressed by the fact that he manages to continue to do these things album after album. But Shorter does shine here, while allowing strong players like Herbie Hancock to also have their place in the sun"
One often returns to classic recordings with mixed feelings. On one hand, there's the anticipation of hearing great music, and on the other, trepidation that the recording has failed to hold up over time. By 1966 Wayne Shorter had entered one of his most creative periods, both as a solo artist and as a member of Miles Davis' second classic quintet. Besides his skills as a saxophonist, he also proved to be a prolific writer, penning five of Adam's Apple's seven pieces. It didn't hurt Shorter's musical vision to have pianist Herbie Hancock, bassist Reggie Workman, and drummer Joe Chambers onboard here, sensitive players who were attentive to the thin lines connecting these post-bop concoctions. Hancock's solo in Jimmy Rowles' "502 Blues (Drinkin' and Drivin')," for instance, skirts gently into another realm, offering a tender counterpoint to Shorter's more aggressive horn. The band quickly sets "El Gaucho"'s framework only to let each player wonder freely in the fashioned space, creating a beautifully layered effect. There's also an early version of "Footprints" that would show up on Miles Smiles the very same year (with both Shorter and Hancock onboard). [The 2003 reissue of Adam's Apple includes a nearly seven-minute take on Hancock's "The Collector," offering yet one more reason to pick up this lovely album.]

Track listing

All compositions by Wayne Shorter except as indicated.

1. "Adam's Apple" – 6:49
2. "502 Blues (Drinkin' and Drivin')" (Jimmy Rowles) – 6:34
3. "El Gaucho" – 6:30
4. "Footprints" – 7:29
5. "Teru" – 6:12
6. "Chief Crazy Horse" – 7:34
7. "The Collector" (Herbie Hancock) – 6:54 Bonus track on CD reissue

Personnel

• Wayne Shorter – tenor saxophone
• Herbie Hancock – piano
• Reggie Workman – bass
• Joe Chambers – drums

Herbie Hancock Wayne Shorter Ron Carter Wallace Roney & Tony Williams - 1994 "A Tribute To Miles"

A Tribute to Miles is a tribute album by four of the five members of the Miles Davis quintet: Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Tony Williams, Ron Carter. Taking over for Davis was trumpeter Wallace Roney.

This Miles Davis tribute album brings back four-fifths of his second classic quintet with Wallace Roney the logical choice to fill in for the late trumpeter. Roney comes across as a sideman and is not as forceful here as one would have hoped. Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter and Tony Williams had all grown with time and this reunion has Hancock and Williams taking on more prominent leadership roles than in the earlier days. With the exception of the drummer's "Elegy," all of the music "("So What," "RJ," "Little One," "Pinocchio," "Eighty One" and "All Blues") was regularly performed by the quintet back in the '60s. In general this reunion is a success even if it contains no new revelations. It is particularly nice to hear Wayne Shorter in this setting again.

This Grammy-winning jazz recording is as much a tribute to the trumpeter's greatest band as a testament to Miles Davis himself. But Miles was not given to sentimental gestures, and while he cherished the band's work during the revolutionary '60s, he rarely looked back after disbanding the unit.

But jazz fans could never let go, because Shorter, Hancock, Carter and Williams redefined the freedom principle of the late 1960s, and built daring new melodic structures upon a bedrock of sophisticated harmony and complex rhythmic interaction. As a result, in one form or another--usually billed as VSOP--the quintet would hit the road and recording studios with stunt doubles as notable as Freddie Hubbard and Wynton Marsalis occupying the director's chair.

However, on A TRIBUTE TO MILES the trumpeter is the young Philadelphian anointed by Miles himself after their triumphant 1991 performance at the Montreux Jazz Festival--Wallace Roney (Miles even presented him with his horn). And on the basis of the long harmonic elisions and Davis-like ornaments Roney displays on the live renditions of Davis standards "So What" and "All Blues," the elder's respect is more than justified. There are many highlights throughout this set, from Carter's "RJ," with its brisk tempo and roaring rhythmic exchanges, through Hancock's moody waltz "Little One" and the Spanish-tinged backbeats of "Eighty One." Roney particularly inspires Shorter who responds with a keening soprano solo on his classic tune "Pinnochio," abstracting the melody, fragmenting his line and moving up the scale until the drummer is ready to bust.

 Wallace was mentored by Miles Davis after Miles heard him in 1983 at his birthday gala performance in Carnegie Hall. Their association peaked when Miles chose Wallace to share the stage at his historic performance in Montreux in 1991. After Davis died, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, Wayne Shorter, Tony Williams and Roney banded together and toured the world in tribute.

This is, quite possibly, the best jazz CD ever made. If I had to take only one jazz CD to a desert island, this would be it. Oh, the Miles purist might wince, but Herbie and his mega talented crew of some of the finest talent in the business, have done him an honorable justice in this nearly 60 or minutes of virtuosity and rendition. I love the upbeat tempo of "So What", and the rest, well, just get this one. if you haven't already. And buy more than one for gifting. Your friends will thank you many times over. Enjoy!

I have owned this album since shortly after it was released, and it has been in steady rotation in my collection ever since I purchased it. I have always been amazed that it is not more widely recognized and celebrated. The 5 studio tracks are very good, but by far the highlights of the album are the live versions of All Blues and So What. All five of the musicians on this album are legendary, and hearing them all together again is a treat.

Tony Williams' brilliant performance on All Blues is worth the price of admission alone, and when you add Herbie Hancock and the other musicians on this terrific CD, you've got the makings of a classic release. There are not many things that I can recommend wholeheartedly, but I guarantee you will not be disappointed if you pick up this hidden gem.

This album won all five men the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Individual or Group at the 37th Annual Grammy Awards. This was Hancock's third Grammy Award.

Track listing:

"So What" (Live) (Miles Davis) - 10:19
"RJ" (Carter) - 4:04
"Little One" (Hancock) - 7:20
"Pinocchio" (Shorter) - 5:45
"Elegy" (Williams) - 8:43
"Eighty One" (Davis, Carter) - 7:29
"All Blues" (Live) (Davis) - 15:17

Personnel:

Herbie Hancock – piano, calliope
Wayne Shorter – tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone
Wallace Roney – trumpet
Ron Carter – bass
Tony Williams – drums

Miles Davis - 1967 [1998] "Sorcerer"

Sorcerer is an album recorded in May 1967 by the Miles Davis quintet. It is the third of five albums that this quintet recorded. It also includes one track from a 1962 session with vocalist Bob Dorough, which was the first time Wayne Shorter recorded with Davis. Davis does not play on the second track, "Pee Wee". The album's cover is a photo of actress Cicely Tyson, who at the time was Davis's girlfriend (and many years later his wife), in profile.

The only tune from the album known to have appeared in Davis's live performances is "Masqualero", written by Wayne Shorter. Davis's groups performed it as late as April 1970; the last known version appears on the live album Black Beauty. The tune has also been revived by Wayne Shorter by his quartet since the 90's.
The CD reissue includes alternate takes of "Masqualero" and "Limbo". The alternate take of "Limbo" was actually recorded in Los Angeles on May 9, several days before the final take was recorded in New York City. This take also replaces Ron Carter with bassist Buster Williams. Both versions of "Masqualero" were recorded on the same date and with the same personnel.

Sorcerer, the third album by the second Miles Davis Quintet, is in a sense a transitional album, a quiet, subdued affair that rarely blows hot, choosing to explore cerebral tonal colorings. Even when the tempo picks up, as it does on the title track, there's little of the dense, manic energy on Miles Smiles -- this is about subtle shadings, even when the compositions are as memorable as Tony Williams' "Pee Wee" or Herbie Hancock's "Sorcerer." As such, it's a little elusive, since it represents the deepening of the band's music as they choose to explore different territory. The emphasis is as much on complex, interweaving chords and a coolly relaxed sound as it is on sheer improvisation, though each member tears off thoroughly compelling solos. Still, the individual flights aren't placed at the forefront the way they were on the two predecessors -- it all merges together, pointing toward the dense soundscapes of Miles' later '60s work. It's such a layered, intriguing work that the final cut, recorded in 1962 with Bob Dorough on vocals, is an utterly jarring, inappropriate way to end the record, even if it's intended as a tribute to Miles' then-girlfriend (later, his wife), Cicely Tyson (whose image graces the cover).

Track listing

    "Prince of Darkness" (Shorter) - 6:30
    "Pee Wee" (Tony Williams) - 4:51
    "Masqualero" (Shorter) - 8:55
    "The Sorcerer" (Hancock) - 5:14
    "Limbo" (Shorter) - 7:19
    "Vonetta" (Shorter) - 5:39
    "Nothing Like You" (Bob Dorough, Fran Landesman) - 2:03

Personnel

    Miles Davis - trumpet
    Wayne Shorter - tenor saxophone
    Herbie Hancock - piano
    Ron Carter - double bass
    Tony Williams - drums

The lineup differs greatly on the track "Nothing Like You", since it was recorded several years prior:

    Miles Davis - trumpet
    Wayne Shorter - tenor saxophone
    Bob Dorough - vocals
    Gil Evans - arrangements
    Frank Rehak - trombone
    Paul Chambers - bass
    Jimmy Cobb - drums
    Willie Bobo (William Correa) - bongos

Weather Report - 2006 "Forecast Tomorrow" [3 CD Box]

Forecast: Tomorrow is a 3-CD/1-DVD career-spanning compilation of recordings of Weather Report. The 37 tracks are presented chronologically, beginning with three tracks pre–Weather Report, from ensemble duties with Miles Davis (both Zawinul and Shorter), Cannonball Adderley (Zawinul), and from a Shorter solo album. In addition to one unreleased track, the set closes with DJ Logic's remix of a Weather Report track.
The 4th disc in the package is a 2-hour DVD of a concert in Offenbach am Main, on September 29, 1978 for the German TV program Rockpalast. The boxed set includes a 100-page book with notes on the set by compiler Bob Belden, a long essay on the band by Hal Miller, and a reminiscence of the 1978 concert by drummer Peter Erskine.
Led by Miles Davis alumni Joe Zawinul and Wayne Shorter, Weather Report incorporated elements of electronic, rock and world music into jazz motifs. This 3-CD set covers their entire 15-year (1970-1985) career with 37 tracks, highlighted by favorites like In a Silent Way; Super Nova; Milky Way; Birdland; Havona; Eurydice (Full Version) and more, plus unreleased tracks. And the DVD offers two full hours of live Weather Report in their prime, performing with Jaco Pastorius on bass and Peter Erskine on drums. The forecast is very, very good!

From 1970 to 1985, the jazz-fusion ensemble known as Weather Report reigned supreme as one the most distinguished and indefinable ensembles of the 20th century, and saxophonist Wayne Shorter and keyboardist Joe Zawinul were the cofounders of this ever-changing group. This superb, three-CD, 37-track collection features the band's incredible cast of musicians: drummers Peter Erksine and Alphonse Mouzon; percussionists Airto Moreira, Alex Acuna, and the late Don Alias; bassists Miroslav Vitous, Alphonso Johnson, and the incredible Jaco Pastorius. The roots of their sound are heard in Zawinul's "In A Silent Way," and their greatest hits--from "A Remark You Made" and an unreleased version of "Nubian Sundance" to their 1976 mega-hit, "Birdland," are included here, along with the lesser known classic, "Indiscretions," a DJ Logic, hip-hop remix of "125th Street Congress," and a sizzling, two-hour DVD concert from Germany in filmed in 1978. This set is a powerful primer to their "folk music of the future."

We’ve seen Weather Report best-of discs before, not to mention the remarkable Live and Unreleased of 2002. But Forecast: Tomorrow is the group’s first box set, and probably the final word on Weather Report compilations. Coproduced by founding members Joe Zawinul and Wayne Shorter and famed producer Bob Belden, the box is part chronology and part historiography, highlighting the band’s aesthetic origins by including a track apiece from Miles Davis’ In a Silent Way, Shorter’s Super Nova and Cannonball Adderley’s Domination. (Zawinul and Belden explored the Adderley connection in depth via their 2004 Capitol Jazz collection Cannonball Plays Zawinul.)
From this artistic soil, Zawinul, Shorter, bassist Miroslav Vitous, percussionist Airto Moreira and others grew an enduring body of work, examples of which fill the rest of disc one. Devotees will not want to miss the unedited, 11-minute version of Shorter’s “Eurydice” (with five minutes of rubato introduction) and a long-lost studio take of Zawinul’s “Directions.”
Disc two, spanning the mid-to-late ’70s, documents the band’s Alphonso Johnson and Jaco Pastorius eras. All tracks are previously released except the first—a 13-minute live version of “Mysterious Traveller,” recorded straight from the soundboard in Chicago in 1974. Disc three focuses on 1980–’85, from the end of Jaco’s reign to the band’s final incarnation with bassist Victor Bailey and drummer Omar Hakim. The parting shot is DJ Logic’s remix of “125th Street Congress,” which, oddly enough, is not as au courant as the 1973 original.
The tracks on all three discs are well-chosen and representative. But the bonus DVD, which captures the band live in 1978, in Offenbach, Germany, is reason enough to acquire this box. As a lean-and-mean four-piece with Zawinul, Shorter, Jaco and a 24-year-old Peter Erskine, Weather Report was a sight to behold. Erskine, in newly penned liner notes, sets the scene and recalls his time (paraphrasing Zawinul) with “the band that never soloed and always soloed.”
Jaco, of course, rules the stage. By concert’s end, he and Erskine are shirtless (and Erskine has enough body hair for the both of them). But behind the rock-star antics lies a bedrock creative integrity—yes, even on pieces like “Mr. Gone” and “River People,” unjustly denounced in their day as pop sellouts. In the end, it is Zawinul’s odd harmonic personality and sonic scope that leave the most lasting impression. The band members can hardly contain their joy as they take their bows—except for Zawinul, who seems above the fray, revealing not a hint of a smile.

Track Listings:

Disc: 1
1. In A Silent Way
2. Super Nova
3. Experience In E Major (Excerpt)
4. Milky Way
5. Tears
6. Eurydice (Full Version)
7. Orange Lady
8. Unknown Soldier
9. Directions
10. Surucucu
11. Second Sunday In August
12. 125th Street Congress

Personnel: Joe Zawinul: organ, electric piano, prepared acoustic piano; Wayne Shorter: tenor and soprano saxophones; Miles Davis: trumpet (1); John McLaughlin: guitar (1, 2); Herbie Hancock: electric piano (1); Chick Corea: electric piano (1), drums (2); Dave Holland: bass (1); Tony Williams: drums (1); Sonny Sharrock: guitar (2); Miroslav Vitous: bass (all tracks except 3); Jack DeJohnette: drums (2); Airto Moreira: percussion (2, 5-8); Nat Adderley: cornet (3); Cannonball Adderley: alto saxophone (3); Walter Booker: bass (3); Roy McCurdy: drums (3); orchestra (3); Alphonse Mouzon: drums (5, 6, 7, 8); Wilmer Wise: piccolo trumpet (8); Hubert Laws: flute (8); Andrew White III: English horn (8), electric bass (12); Yolande Bavan: vocals (8); Joshie Armstrong: vocals (8); Chapman Roberts: vocals (8); Roger Powell: consultant (8); Eric Gravatt: drums (9-12); Dom Um Romao: percussion (9-11), pandeira, cuica, tamanco, chucalho, gong, tambourine, cowbell (12); Herschell Dwellingham: drums (12); Marungo: Israeli jar drum (12).

Disc: 2
1. Nubian Sundance (Live)
2. Blackthorn Rose
3. Badia
4. Cannon Ball
5. Black Market
6. Three Clowns
7. Havona
8. Birdland
9. Palladium
10. The Pursuit Of The Woman With The Feathered Hat
11. The Orphan
12. Sightseeing

Personnel: Joe Zawinul: electric piano, synthesizers, oud, melodica, mzuthra, vocal, west africk, xylophone, acoustic piano, orchestration, ARP 2600, Yamaha grand piano, Oberheim polyphonic synthesizer, keyboards, kalimba, thumbeki drums, sleigh bells; Wayne Shorter: tenor and soprano saxophones, vocals; Alphonso Johnson: electric bass (1, 3, 5, 6); Darryl Brown: drums (1); Dom Um Romao: percussion (1); Alyrio Lima: percussion (3); Ndugu: drums (3); Jaco Pastorius: electric bass, mandocello, vocals, steel drums, drums (4, 7-10, 12); Narada Michael Walden: drums (4, 5); Don Alias: percussion (5); Alex Acuna: percussion (5, 6), drums (7-9); Chester Thompson: drums (6); Manolo Badrena: tambourine (8), congas, percussion (9), solo voice, vocals (10); Peter Erskine: drums, vocals (10, 12); Jon Lucien: vocals (10); West Los Angeles Christian Academy Children's Choir: vocals (11).

Disc: 3
1. Dream Clock
2. Three Views Of A Secret
3. Port Of Entry (Live)
4. Dara Factor Two
5. Procession
6. Plaza Real
7. The Well
8. D-Flat Waltz
9. Domino Theory
10. Predator
11. Face On The Barroom Floor
12. Indiscretions
13. 125th Street Congress (DJ Logic Remix)

Personnel: Joe Zawinul: keyboards, percussion, vocoder, vocals, orchestrations, electric piano); Wayne Shorter: tenor and soprano saxophones; Jaco Pastorius: electric bass, percussion, voice (1-4); Peter Erskine: drums, drum computer, claves (1-4); Robert Thomas Jr.: percussion, hand drums, tambourine (1-4); Victor Bailey: electric bass, vocals (5-12); Omar Hakim: drums, vocals (5-12); Jose Rossy: percussion, vocals (5-10); Mino Cinelu: percussion (12); Miroslav Vitous: acoustic bass (13); Andrew White III: electric bass (13); Eric Gravatt: drums (13); Herschell Dwellingham: drums (13); Marungo: Israeli jar drum (13); Dom Um Romao: pandeira, cuica, tamanco, chucalho, gong, tambourine, cowbell (13); Carlos (Omega) Caberini: vocal (13).

Herbie Hancock - 1977 [1988] V.S.O.P. "The Quintet"

The Quintet is an album by V.S.O.P. It was compiled from two concert performances: one at the Greek Theatre, University of California, Berkeley, on July 16, 1977; the other at the San Diego Civic Theatre on July 18, 1977. The musicians were Herbie Hancock on keyboards, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet and flugelhorn, Tony Williams on drums, Ron Carter on bass, and Wayne Shorter on tenor and soprano saxophones. The recording was originally released in October 1977 as a 2-disc LP by Columbia Records.

With the cheers and huzzahs from their 1976 one-off reunion still resounding, the reconstituted Miles Davis Quintet minus Miles went on the road in 1977, spreading their 1965-vintage gospel according to the Prince of Darkness to audiences in Berkeley and San Diego, CA. In doing so, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Ron Carter, and Tony Williams, plus interloper Freddie Hubbard seem to pick up where they left off, with a repertoire mostly new to the five collectively and developed from there. It isn't exactly the same — you miss Miles' brooding presence and sense of space in Hubbard's busy, fiery playing, and Hancock is a more harmonically daring, assertive player than he was with Miles — but the interlocking telepathy and individual virtuosity of the musicians is pretty amazing. This also isn't the best tape from the tour; they were even tighter and more volatile in Japan five days later on Sony's Tempest in the Colosseum. The V.S.O.P. tours amount to a pit stop in the general shape of Hancock's evolution, but their influence upon the direction of jazz as a whole in the '80s and '90s would be staggering 

This has been a desert island disc for me for as long as I can remember. Can you call this jazz? Can you even call it music? It's something that feels like a whole lot more. This music teems with life, people, thought, emotion, creativity, joy, and insane energy like no jazz I've ever heard before or since. And Ron Carter flat out rocks the bottom out of it on acoustic bass. Give these guys a nobel.

The two selections that always kill me are "Jessica" and the hard rocking "Lawra". Jessica features a beautiful arrangement: the bass plays the lovely and poignant melody solo, accompanied by rich, dissonant, single note arpeggios from Hancock which lay out the complex terrain the soloists will then negotiate. Later, the bass is doubled by the trumpet which refines the texture even more.

The same group did a poignant and deeply beautiful version of Maiden Voyage on another live album called "VSOP" but that recording exists only on vinyl. Still the live version of Maiden Voyage is available on some compilation CD. Get it and live well!

This jazz is not a set of solos with other instrumentalists passively watching. Hancock, the Socrates of this group, pushes the band into a state of musical aporia: he doesn't accompany solos, he questions them, challenging each musician with his absurdly inventive figures; and he's coming with both jazz and modern western musical arguments. And when it's his solo he dives deeply into the darkest part of the woods and then, when you think he's lost, he's emerged out into the bright light.

Tony Williams seems to be playing in a state of ecstasy: he pounds new worlds into being and the horns have to dance in his garden or die. Ron Carter rocks out on acoustic bass - he keeps the pulse and he untethers Williams and Hancock to play with the rhythm and meter.

Hubbard plays superb and complex music on his solos; Wayne Shorter then steps beyond music and shows us that a horn can be as expressive as natural language.

Some of the best live jazz I've ever heard. For one, let's get a look at our band, shall we? Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Wayne Shorter on tenor sax; Herbie Hancock on piano; Ron Carter on bass; Tony Williams on drums. Not only is that Miles Davis' old '60s band (minus the leader, who was in retirement at the time - Hubbard takes his place), that's also the same basic group - other than Shorter - that brought us Empyrean Isles and Maiden Voyage. Is that prestigious, or what? This is nowhere near fusion even though Shorter, Hancock and Williams are legends of the subgenre. And that might surprise the Headhunters crowd, but we must remember that before Hancock moved fusion forward he was a post-bop pioneer. And that's pretty much what the group's doing here. Not innovating post bop exactly, but playing it very well, with Hubbard channeling Miles circa 1965 on "Darts". It also contains what may Tony William's best composition: the mutlipart "Laura", with a lengthy drum solo inserted in the middle; and the eerie "Little Waltz", a moving duet dialog Shorter and Hubbard, with Hancock himself playing sweeping arpeggios and eventually a spooky, minor-key solo - followed by an awesome Carter solo spot that often gets so complex it sounds like there are two different basses playing. Meanwhile, there are a few slightly more offbeat compositions, like Ron Carter's odd "Third Plane", where he plays some excellent bass; and "One of a Kind", which has a pretty unique melody. Another good reason to listen to this album is because of the way the group handles soloing. Whenever a member is soloing, the other members play very complex backing to the solos. The last track, "Byrdlike", is about the furthest into hard bop Herbie ever explored, even sounding like Art Blakey, and it's worthwhile - especially for Tony Williams' drumming. The one loser track is "Dolores", which wanders far from the main point and totally loses me. In spite of that little quibble, everyone who has any interest in Herbie Hancock should add this to their shelf as soon as possible and play it as often as they can - it easily ranks with Empyrean Isles, Head Hunters, Maiden Voyage and The Prisoner as one of Herbie's very best

The musicians in the VSOP quintet, Freddie Hubbard, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter and Tony Williams all played on numerous records with each other in the 60's, sometimes all together, sometimes one or two or three with other musicians. In any form, their albums were always exceptional. In the late 70's, after nearly a decade of experimentation with jazz fusion (Shorter's Weather Report, Hancock's Headhunters, William's Lifetime Band, etc.) the five reunited for several albums and tours. The music they made was nothing short of incredible.

If the group had remained as a solid, tight "band" for a long period of time, like Miles Davis' quintets of the late 50's and middle 60's, or Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, VSOP would have undoubtedly be recognized as one of the most influential and finest working bands in jazz history. On this album, the group combines freebop with a bit of what they had picked up in fusion...more erratic drums, a heavier sound, etc. It all comes together beautifully to create an album that really builds off the aesthetic of 1960's Miles Davis. Everyone is top notch here, with no one stealing the show, and no one lagging behind. Each band member contributes at least one tune. My personal favorite is One of a Kind by Freddie Hubbard (which features a luminous soprano solo by Shorter) Third Plane by Ron Carter (excellent solos all around) Dolores by Shorter (Hubbard's finest moment here, IMO, and the churning group improvisation of Darts.

What's really fantastic about this band, and this album, is the LISTENING. They are all picking up on what each other is doing, and thus are constantly building, slowing down, picking things back up, burning, cooling off, all as one. Hearing Hubbard and Hancock interact, Shorter and Williams duel, and Ron Carter at like the unbreakable tree in the storm is just inspiring. This really is freebop (or however you term it) at it's best, and for anyone well versed in the jazz language, and who has heard the music of these players, this is quite simply a stunning, and immensely enjoyable listening experience. I find myself invigorated when I listen to this album, and I think you will too. My only sadness is the days of this band are gone, and will never return, as Hubbard can no longer play, Ron Carter is in semi-retirement, Williams has passed on, and Shorter and Hancock are involved in other activities. Thus, it's imperative people listen to albums like these, so we can always treasure the moments of glory created when these five exquisite musicians were in the same band, working together to create one of the highest forms of aural art: jazz.

Tracks Listing

1. One of a Kind (9:27)
2. Third Plane (7:19)
3. Jessica (7:02)
4. Lawra (9:43)
5. Darts (8:54)
6. Dolores (11:31)
7. Little Waltz (9:33)
8. Byrdlike (8:05)

Total Time 70:13

Line-up / Musicians

- Herbie Hancock / keyboards
- Freddie Hubbard / trumpet
- Tony Williams / drums
- Ron Carter / bass
- Wayne Shorter / tenor and soprano saxophones  

Weather Report - 1971 [1992] "Weather Report"

Originally released in May 1971, Weather Report was the debut album by the group of the same name. The album was reissued by Columbia Records in 1992. The album was digitally remastered by Vic Anesini in November 1991 at Sony Music Studios in New York City, and then released again under the Sony International label. The style of music on this album can be described as avant-garde jazz with electric instruments. It continues the style of Miles Davis album Bitches Brew (on which Zawinul and Shorter played) but in a more ambient setting.

Here we have the free-floating, abstract beginnings of Weather Report, which would define the state of the electronic jazz/rock art from its first note almost to its last. Their first album is a direct extension of the Miles Davis In a Silent Way/Bitches Brew period, more fluid in sound and more volatile in interplay. Joe Zawinul ruminates in a delicate, liquid manner on Rhodes electric piano; at this early stage, he used a ring modulator to create weird synthesizer-like effects. Wayne Shorter's soprano sax shines like a beacon amidst the swirling ensemble work of co-founding bassist Miroslav Vitous, percussionist Airto Moreira, and drummer Alphonse Mouzon. Zawinul's most memorable theme is "Orange Lady" (previously recorded, though uncredited, by Davis on Big Fun), while Shorter scores on "Tears" and "Eurydice." One of the most impressive debuts of all time by a jazz group.

1st album by Weather Report, the greatest Fusion band ever, and a pivotal recording, which would change the face of music for generations to come. The core members of Weather Report were Joe Zawinul (keyboards) and Wayne Shorter (saxophones), two prominent members of the 1960s Miles Davis ensembles, and a young Czech bass player Miroslav Vitous (who played with Davis for a brief period of time only). Vitous arrived in the US in 1966 on a Berklee scholarship (like Zawinul almost a decade earlier) but soon after left the school to explore the soaring jazz scene in NY, where he played with Chick Corea, Herbie Mann, Stan Getz and many others. After meeting Zawinul and Shorter the decision was made to start a new group, which would continue the direction set by Davis on his historic “In A Silent Way” / “Bitches Brew” sessions, based on a collaborative / group improvisation (Davis was moving in the meantime into a more funk oriented period). To complete the group they drafted another ex-Davis musician, the Brazilian percussionist Airto Moreira and a young drummer Alphonse Mouzon. The debut album, recorded soon after the band was formed, reveals with full force the extraordinary rapport the members of the group established immediately, transcending their individual personalities. The music is mostly atmospheric, free form and with subtle melody lines, mostly concealed beneath the improvisations. Thus began a journey, which lasted for over 15 years, which would place Weather Report on the forefront on contemporary music and create a model followed by countless jazz and fusion musicians all over the world to this very day. Although the group would undergo multiple personnel changes and stylistic swings, their innovative, groundbreaking and often prophetic leadership would remain unchallenged. In retrospect it’s interesting to see that something, which is considered a core of American culture, was in fact created by a group in which American born musicians were in fact a minority, with Zawinul and Vitous coming from Europe and Moreira from Brazil. It can be also considered as foretelling, since future Weather Report would be one of the first bands to include World Music elements into fusion. This is monumental stuff, absolutely essential listening and a historical document of great importance.

One of the best of the post-Bitches Brew jazz-fusion albums out there, and one that doesn't seem to get as much respect as it probably deserves.  It's not 100% original, and probably could be considered a bit of Miles Davis' stuff from the time (one key track, "Orange Lady" was even originally an outtake from Bitches Brew, though not a Davis composition), good music is good music.  What this album DOES have on anything Miles Davis did is a larger variety of sound, and since people have complained about his fusion albums sounding too much the same throughout them, it could be considered a beneficial thing.  Ranging from low-key ambient type stuff to very busy and upbeat stuff, as well as fusing a lot in between, the group produces a solid and full-range collection of fine adventurous jazz music.  It's less abrasive than the similar Miles stuff of the era, but hardly less interesting, so I can't fathom why fans of In A Silent Way and Bitches Brew wouldn't find this a fine collection of music.

Track listing

    "Milky Way" (Shorter, Zawinul) – 2:33
    "Umbrellas" (Shorter, Vitous, Zawinul) – 3:27
    "Seventh Arrow" (Vitous) – 5:23
    "Orange Lady" (Zawinul) – 8:44
    "Morning Lake" (Vitous) – 4:26
    "Waterfall" (Zawinul) – 6:20
    "Tears" (Shorter) – 3:25
    "Eurydice" (Shorter) – 5:45

Personnel

    Joe Zawinul – Electric and acoustic piano
    Wayne Shorter – Soprano saxophone
    Miroslav Vitouš – Electric and acoustic bass
    Alphonse Mouzon – Drums, voice
    Airto Moreira – Percussion
 

Miles Davis - 2016 "Freedom Jazz Dance" - The Bootleg Series Vol. 5

Columbia/Legacy Recordings Released Miles Davis Quintet: Freedom Jazz Dance: The Bootleg Series, Vol 5, a 3CD Set featuring 2+ Hours of Previously Unreleased Studio Recordings from 1966-1968, Newly Mixed and Mastered in High Resolution Audio

Latest Volume of Acclaimed Miles Davis Bootleg Series Celebrates the 50th Anniversary of Landmark Miles Smiles Album with In-Depth Access to Full Session Reels including Rehearsals, Partial and Alternate Takes, Studio Conversation & More.

A 3CD box set collection chronicling Miles’ musical evolution in the studio from 1966-1968 working with his “second great quintet,” the latest edition in Columbia/Legacy’s acclaimed Miles Davis Bootleg Series provides an unprecedented look into the artist’s creative process, drawing on full session reels including all rehearsals, partial and alternate takes, extensive and fascinating studio conversation and more.

Celebrating the 50th anniversary of Miles Smiles, the groundbreaking second studio album from the Miles Davis Quintet–Miles Davis (trumpet), Wayne Shorter (tenor saxophone), Herbie Hancock (piano), Ron Carter (bass) and Tony Williams (drums)–this definitive new collection includes the master takes of performances which would appear on the Miles Smiles (1967), Nefertiti (1968) and Water Babies (recorded 1967, released 1976) albums alongside more than two hours worth of previously unreleased studio recordings from original sessions produced by Teo Macero (with the exception of “Fall,” produced by Howard A. Roberts).

“Circle,” “Orbits,” “Dolores” and “Freedom Jazz Dance” were recorded at the historic Columbia 30th Street Studio in New York City on October 24, 1966. “Gingerbread Boy” and “Footprints” were recorded at the same location the following day, October 25, 1966. Full session reels – every second of music and dialogue – that were taped for the Miles Smiles album are included. Prior to this the only material ever released from the classic album were the master takes for the six songs. Never before have the full session reels for an entire Miles Columbia album been released, here providing an in-depth look at the studio process of one of jazz’s greatest bandleaders, and arguably the greatest small jazz group ever.

“Masqualero”, heard on the set in a previously unreleased alternate take, was recorded at Columbia 30th Street Studio on May 17, 1967. “Water Babies” and “Nefertiti” were recorded there on June 7, 1967. “Fall” was cut at the Columbia studio on July 19, 1967. Complete session reels for “Water Babies”, “Nefertiti” and “Fall” are included in the box.

“Country Son”, heard in a unique previously unreleased rhythm section only rehearsal, was recorded at Columbia Studio B in New York City on May 15, 1968.

Miles Davis Quintet: Freedom Jazz Dance: The Bootleg Series, Vol 5 box set was produced for contemporary release by the multi Grammy Award winning team of Steve Berkowitz, Michael Cuscuna and Richard Seidel. The album was mixed from the original 4-track tapes and mastered by Grammy Award winning engineer Mark Wilder, Battery Studios, New York City, July 2016.

In addition to more than two hours of previously unreleased studio sessions, the collection includes “Blues in F (My Ding),” a rare and unique home recording featuring Miles, demonstrating on piano a new blues he was working on to Wayne Shorter.

Miles Davis Quintet: Freedom Jazz Dance: The Bootleg Series, Vol 5 includes revelatory behind-the-scenes liner notes penned by Grammy Award-winning Ashley Kahn, author of Kind of Blue: The Making of the Miles Davis Masterpiece, as well as new interviews with Quintet members Ron Carter and Wayne Shorter.

Sourced from original four-track analog session reels and master tapes transferred and mixed in high resolution at 24-bit/192 kHz, Miles Davis Quintet: Freedom Jazz Dance: The Bootleg Series, Vol 5 offers a profound and intimate look at Miles’ creative process in the studio, providing insight into the bold new musical directions Davis and members of his quintet would take as the 1960s drew to a close.

If ever a band of Miles Davis' deserved the high-intensity inspection/dissection represented by The Bootleg Series Vol. 5, it is his second great quintet. With that man with the horn as the great catalyst, the rapport between pianist Herbie Hancock, saxophonist/composer Wayne Shorter, bassist Ron Carter and drummer Tony Williams is virtually unparalleled in the history of jazz, but to hear the machinations behind their creations here is almost as fascinating as the 'finished product' itself (liner notes rightly suggest use of headphones to hear all the spoken interludes).

One of the major revelations here is that, much more often than not, the working recordings lead to much shorter master takes, illustrations of the truism 'less is more.' The freedom of give and take, verbal as well as instrumental, between the five musicians (and often including producer Teo Macero), is completely unself-conscious, and fearless to boot: perhaps because there are no lack of ideas, there is no apprehension about cutting out parts and condensing longer performances to their essence.

Not surprisingly, one major exception to this working rule of thumb is Shorter's "Footprints." One of his most famous compositions and a regular part of the band's repertoire, unlike much of the material which would appear complete on Miles Smiles,(Columbia, 1967), Nefertiti (Columbia, 1968)and Water Babies (Columbia, 1976), the quintet offers mere sketches of the number: rather than allows itself the luxury of deep exploration of its melodic, harmonic and rhythmic possibilities—relegating that to the concert stage—Davis & co barely scratch the surface while in the studio. It's almost as if they're collectively aware there can be no definitive version.

Rather than the plethora of multiple takes of the same tunes as appear on The Complete Jack Johnson Sessions (Legacy 2003), the preponderance of studio chatter and instrumental experimentation as unreleased content may limit the attraction of Freedom Jazz Dance. Most appropriately, the title tune does benefit from the addenda as it's a cover of an Eddie Harris tune made popular in a much more accessible version at the time of theses sessions beginning in 1966. Otherwise the concept of The Bootleg Series Vol. 5 is a especially focused and rightly so: the work of this band in a live setting already covered in some detail by the inaugural entry in this archival series Live in Europe 1967: The Bootleg Series Vol. 1 (Legacy, 2011) and Live at the Plugged Nickel (Legacy, 1995)

Colorfully packaged in a three-CD digi-pak, a booklet with all the pertinent recording information, in consummate detail, accompanies Ashley Kahn's informative essay; the esteemed jazz scholar provides a similarly accurate timeline of the dates and times involved in these session, besides commentary from principals Carter and Shorter. And the author's own presentation communicates the eye-opening delight he himself experienced in hearing these recordings, a sensation most all other listeners will share as well, and which, judging from the camaraderie among these great musicians, has its source in the relationship between the five players themselves.

Miles Davis Quintet: Freedom Jazz Dance: The Bootleg Series, Vol 5

Disc 1
1. Freedom Jazz Dance (Session Reel)
2. Freedom Jazz Dance (Master Take)
3. Circle (Session Reel)
4. Circle (Take 5)
5. Circle (Take 6)
6. Dolores (Session Reel)
7. Dolores (Master Take)

Disc 2
1. Orbits (Session Reel)
2. Orbits (Master Take)
3. Footprints (Session Reel)
4. Footprints (Master Take)
5. Gingerbread Boy (Session Reel)
6. Gingerbread Boy (Master Take)
7. Nefertiti (Session Reel)
8. Nefertiti (Master Take)

Disc 3
1. Fall (Session Reel)
2. Fall (Master Take)
3. Water Babies (Session Reel)
4. Water Babies (Master Take)
5. Masqualero (Alt. Take 3)
6. Country Son (Trio Rehearsal)
7. Blues in F (My Ding)
8. Play Us Your Eight (Miles Speaks)

Personnel:

Miles Davis :trumpet;
Wayne Shorter: tenor saxophone;
Herbie Hancock: piano;
Ron Carter: bass;
Tony Williams: drums.