Search - Wayne Shorter :: Footprints Live

Finally, Our Man Wayne in the Setting He Deserves

Stephen Silberman | SF, CA USA | 05/22/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I hate when reviewers use hackneyed phrases like "a return to form," but that's what Wayne Shorter has done on this album. It's a return to the lean, haunted, fiercely beautiful, exploratory small group format he plumbed the depths of during his Blue Note years, on such brilliant albums as "Adam's Apple" and "Juju." What a relief! It's been disheartening to hear Shorter's inimitable voice become first little more than another special effect in the Weather Report machine, and then pop up here and there in cluttered settings on his own later albums. (I know, I know, "Mysterious Traveller" and even "Heavy Weather" were majestic and ...kicking in places, but Shorter's own laser-like contributions were frequently overwhelmed by Zawinul's synth orchestrations, which sound more dated and time-bound these days than Shorter's earlier work.) Most disappointing of all, perhaps, was that weird duet session with Herbie Hancock several years ago, which promised intimacy and telepathy, and delivered only a couple of weary masters recycling their tonal cliches.Finally, Wayne has surrounded himself with young players who obviously SCHOOLED themselves on those great Miles and Blue Note-era albums. The dark magus of Miles hovers over this session; like The Great Quintet, this is a band that can be lovely and terrifying in the same three bars. Blade is clearly the most energetic and sensitive young jazz drummer out there these days, Pattitucci is eminently tasteful and into-it, and Perez is all over the changes of such devastatingly beautiful melodies as "Masqualero" and "Footprints," deconstructing and reinventing while staying true to the incendiary spirit of the original recordings.If you thought Shorter had just become another brand name worthy of reverence for his early work and worthy of keeping your mouth shut about the last 25 years of his music out of respect, put on this CD. This could have been a monumental trio session even without Shorter; with him, it's a historic event, evidence that these tunes will still raise the hairs on the back of people's necks in another 200 years."

Really makes you believe in the transformative power of jazz

Jan P. Dennis | Monument, CO USA | 06/04/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It's not that he's making some major new move; it's just that in Footprints Live Wayne Shorter has honed his basic ingredients into a provocative, even magical, new musical amalgam. It helps, of course, to be linked up with perhaps THE most accomplished of the younger generation of jazz practioners, namely, the inimitable Danilo (Panamonk) Perez on piano, the nimble John Patitucci on bass, and that drumming wizard, Brian Blade. The results are nothing short of astonishing.I'm not generally a fan of live albums; it seems to me that they often trade precision for immediacy. Not here; thankfully, we've got both. I attribute that to the level of musical accomplishment. Danilo Perez's got chops to burn, most prominently on display on Valse Triste. Same with Brian Blade. Is there a more versatile drummer on the scene today? If so, please tell me who it is. And speaking of musical accomplishment, check out Shorter's solo on Valse Triste. These guys literally wail. Ok, Sebelius may be turning in his grave, but I don't think so. He was one extraordinary cat himself, and he's probably leading cheers in glory.Jazz operating at the absolute highest level. Not to be missed."

Interactive

Mitch Bogen | Somerville, Massachusetts | 08/13/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"First, a word about Wayne Shorter the saxophonist. Wayne Shorter does NOT play cliches. EVER. He never inflict mindless bop runs on the listener--the kind that only prove the soloist's ability to finger, while leaving everyone else bored. This is not to say he doesn't have technique. I hear some phrases on this recording that would take a week to transcribe.Further, Wayne Shorter listens, and inspires his band to do the same. And he is always aware of shifting the mood and tone of a piece as it proceeds. This is why Footprints Live is an excellent example of the jazz art form. Memo to Stanley Crouch et al-- there are not even 30 seconds of "swing" on this recording, and nothing could be more jazz than this.What do we get instead? We get passages of gaiety, bravura, majesty, anguish, play, reflection, and more. We get metamorphisizing grooves that move us from event to event. We get an escape from routine music making. Oh...the compositions. Wayne writes themes that are accessible but that can never be reduced to conventional modes. They encourage the player to avoid rote expressions.For all these things and more, Wayne Shorter deserves some kind of medal. Or at least to be heard. Check out Footprints Live!"