\n<\/p>\n
It reminds me of what it was like to hang out with him and talk to him. One minute he\u2019d be talking about quantum physics, the next he\u2019d be talking about pop culture. I miss talking to Wayne, and playing this particular composition makes me feel like I\u2019m continuing my conversations with him.<\/p>\n
Listen on YouTube<\/em><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Fittingly, the music on \u201cJuju,\u201d Wayne Shorter\u2019s second album for Blue Note, has a dark-arts energy<\/a> about it. These six tracks can send you spiraling into yourself, sounding out unnamed feelings, lost \u2014 but then they\u2019re always somehow liable to bring you back to center and confirm your strength, to leave you feeling fortified. That is partly the work of Elvin Jones\u2019s steady drums: the loping ride cymbal; his judicious, devastating kick drum. Add Reggie Workman\u2019s bass and McCoy Tyner\u2019s piano, and you have a rhythm section entirely associated with Shorter\u2019s mentor John Coltrane. But just as he had learned by now to take only what he needed from Coltrane\u2019s style, as a composer and a soloist, Shorter bends this rhythm section around his own ear. He puts the band to work especially slyly on \u201cHouse of Jade,\u201d with a sticky and slow-moving bass line illuminating Shorter\u2019s melody from odd angles.<\/p>\n When he recorded this album in August 1964, a 30-year-old Shorter was in the process of joining Miles Davis\u2019s band, on Coltrane\u2019s referral. With Davis\u2019s second great quintet, Shorter would make some of the finest small-group jazz in history, but the commitment kept him from touring with his own groups. As far as hearing Shorter as a bandleader during his historic, blazing run of the mid-to-late \u201960s, when he was writing and playing as well as any musician alive, all we\u2019ve basically got is the studio records. And the first spell you should cast for yourself is \u201cJuju.\u201d<\/p>\n Listen on YouTube<\/em><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n As someone who\u2019s delved deeply into Wayne Shorter\u2019s entire catalog, the concept of space frequently arises in my thought process, particularly regarding how a musician\u2019s career trajectory often evolves to reflect their perception of music and life. \u201cAung San Suu Kyi,\u201d written and performed by Shorter, was inspired by the Burmese politician, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and former leader of Myanmar, known for her long struggle for democracy and human rights. In this tune, you can hear various ideas that may correlate to an individual like her, from the simple beauty of the melody to the intense groove it leans against. It also displays a comfort in the unknown, with the notion that we are working together to present this experience.<\/p>\n Shorter\u2019s ability to create beautiful melodies, as seen with \u201cAung San Suu Kyi,\u201d embodies the essence of artistic expression at its highest form, weaving through the history of Black music. The tone and inflection of his horn, combined with the individualism of each player in his ensembles, demonstrate his deep understanding of sound exploration. From bands with Lee Morgan, McCoy Tyner and Elvin Jones to the ensemble Weather Report, and his last band with Danilo Perez, John Patitucci and Brian Blade, Shorter\u2019s music reflects an understanding of changes in not just music but life itself. His compositions are not just tunes; they are narratives that engage listeners, inviting them to explore the depths of musical and emotional landscapes.<\/p>\n\u25c6 \u25c6 \u25c6<\/span><\/h3>\n
Giovanni Russonello, jazz critic<\/h2>\n
\u201cHouse of Jade\u201d<\/span><\/h3>\n
\u25c6 \u25c6 \u25c6<\/span><\/h3>\n
George Burton, composer and producer<\/h2>\n
\u201cAung San Suu Kyi\u201d by Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock<\/span><\/h3>\n