Among Wayne Shorter’s many huge musical accomplishments, one can’t help but be awed by his ability to establish a completely distinct artistic space for himself as a tenor and soprano saxophonist when the shadow of John Coltrane’s enormous musical personality was so pervasive. Where almost every other post-Trane sax player for the next 30 years would wrestle with the enormity of his influence, Wayne made finding his own voice seem effortless.
And that makes all the more remarkable this concert. I had this on CD and must have listened 100+ times. To see it on video after all these years is a gift. To have Wayne and Liebman playing soprano side-by-side is really something, and Jack DeJohnette reminds once again why he’s one of the greatest drummers of all time. Wayne steps into Coltrane’s space with total assurance. For someone who never seemed to be copying Trane’s language, it turns out that he knew every corner of Trane’s musical universe and was just as comfortable there as in his own space. Beautiful, fiery, fearless and inspirational.
Thanks for posting this video, Ken – as riveting as you suggest.
I heard Wayne Shorter once, at the 2013 London Jazz Festival. I’ve not come across a release, but it was similar to his 2010 set Without a Net which had only just come out. That features the same line-up of Shorter on soprano and tenor saxes, John Patitucci on bass, Danilo Perez on piano and Brian Blade on drums. As amazing as Shorter’s playing was, it was Blade’s drumming that sealed the deal for me – akin to a synthesis of Keith Moon and Ginger Baker in an ensemble context.
That, along with Cecil Taylor’s 1987 set at the South Bank and George Russell’s 80th-birthday concert at the Barbican in 2003, are my live jazz highlights – about as good as it gets musically!