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.