Wayne Shorter in Atlanta

[DTMX]

Last Saturday I had tickets to both the Wayne Shorter and Sonny Rollins concerts in Atlanta. Unfortunately the respective venues were miles apart so I had to pick one. I chose the Shorter and gave my Rollins ticket to a friend (haven't heard from him since). On to the show. The rhythm section kicked things off with nice groove. Shorter seemed tentative at first, starting on tenor, but was back in form before long ("form" being defined as "Footsteps Shorter" as opposed to "Free For All Shorter"). John Patitucci and Brian Blade were absolutely phenomenal, especially Blade who was the most hyperactive person I saw all night (except for the guy in seat C104). Danílo Perez played harmonics on his piano strings and used his water bottle to do some prepared piano effects. In fact, Perez started channeling John Cage at one point - crumpling said water bottle under the microphone and raking the crushed plastic across the piano strings while JP and BB played some abstract music/sounds in the background. Shorter joined this piece by whistling something that sounded a little like Jobim's "Cocovado" but probably wasn't. The musicians were constantly cracking each other up - which made the performance more fun. The poor Steinway on the stage was used as locker, what with the bandmembers keeping their water bottles, bows, and (maybe) charts in its interior. Shorter seemed to have a bad spring on the G# key of his soprano - he was constantly adjusting and picking at it during the performance. Didn't affect the quality of the music though - all of the non-waterbottle-related music was first rate.

But here's the deal: Although there was much acknowledgement of the audience throughout the show, Shorter never spoke to announce song titles or anything. Now I've got a shitload of Shorter on CD, but I couldn't recognize a single theme at the show that night. Given this quartet's penchant for turning Shorter's Bluenote classics inside out I could see why I wouldn't hear anything familiar - plus this quartet's been together for so many years now they've probably got their own book of unrecorded stuff that they play in concert.

So here's the question: has anyone seen Wayne Shorter on his most recent tour and did they recognize any of the set? As exciting as it was to hear some unfamiliar material, I'm curious as to whether any of it was revamped old stuff.

[bertrand]

I've been following this band since its inception. The set list has of course changed over the past two years, but here is an idea of what you might have heard.

Footprints Live, which documents the first year of the band's existence contains:

Sanctuary

Masqualero

Valse Triste

Go!

Footprints

Ju-Ju

Aung San Suu Kyi

Atlantis

Chief Crazy Horse (Japan only)

Since this CD came out, some new pieces have been added to the repertoire (most of the ones above are still in the repertoire):

Joy Ryder

Over Shadow Hill Way

Smilin' Through (theme from a thirties movie)

On The Wings Of Song (I don't really know this one, but it's a cover)

12th Century Carol

In concerts where the group is backed by an orchestra, they have also played:

Angola

High Life

Orbits

Midnight In Carlotta's Hair

Vendiendo Alegria

Children Of The Night

Prometheus Unbound (new Shorter composition, as of yet unrecorded)

Yes, Wayne does not talk or make any announcements at most concerts, which some people find annoying. I don't mind it too much, except at the concert where I did not recognize one of the pieces (I was told later it was 'On The Wings Of Song')! He did announce 'Smilin' Through' in D.C. on 3/7/02, which is how I know it (I rented the movie and memorized the head). He plays this one at almost every concert - it's a gorgeous arrangement. He told me it may appear on a future record.

If I think of any other titles, I'll update this posting.

Bertrand.

Edited April 8, 2004 by bertrand

[DTMX]

Thanks. I'll dig through the stacks for my copy of Footprints Live and see if I can recognize any of the music while the concert is still (relatively) fresh in my memory.

[Morganized]

I saw Wayne about 2 years ago with this group. At that time they had not been playing together that long. It was the best jazz show I think I have ever seen. As I recall, Wayne did not say much that night either. He only introduced a couple of tunes and I had some difficulty as well identifying all the tunes.( Usually could but it took awhile) I used to say Wayne jazzed his own jazz that night. It was a piece of art. I was so impressed.

That group's work is memorialized in Footprints, Live and is one reason I like that CD so much, but I have said all of that previously....

Wayne Shorter

Think about it. Get Footprints and repost in about two months........I think you may see it differently, or then again, maybe not........ Just a suggestion. In any event you can always say you saw one of the real legends.

Take care

[Morganized]

Thanks. I'll dig through the stacks for my copy of Footprints Live and see if I can recognize any of the music while the concert is still (relatively) fresh in my memory.

DTMX,

Looks like you are ahead of me on this one!

[Late]

Going to see (hear) Wayne in six days! I probably won't recognize any of the newer compositions, but if I do, I'll post here. The guys probably won't need water bottles here, though — the weather is just starting to warm up. A whopping 68 degrees today!

[Matthew]

I'm sooooooo bummed out! Shorter is playing 15 minutes from where I live Saturday night......... AND I HAVE TO WORK!!!

[GregK]

I saw this group in Ann Arbor in April 2002, and Wayne talked briefly near the end of the show, to introduce Smiling Through. He seemed extremely shy, talking very low and looking down at the floor most of the time. I hope they release more from this group

[sheldonm]

I also saw this band a year or so ago and I agree with DTMX, I didn't recognize several of the tunes either and wasn't really that impressed. Although I've always been a fan of Shorter's, I certainly didn't think this was close to being the best show I had seen. It appeared that Wayne played little "snippets" of tunes but never really got down to playing. I have also seen all of the musicians in other bands and thought their prior performances were much better. Fellow board member Ghost was also at the show with me. I think he posted his opinion on this show elsewhere and I don't recall him being over impressed. Ghost, if you're reading this, correct me if I'm wrong!

Mark

[Bill Nelson]

Atlanta Show, Sat. Night 4/3/04

Was there and dug it supremely. (No, I wasn't sitting in C-104)

Such an incredibly intuitive mind-meld of Shoter and his three

Sons of Miles. They ARE the post-Miles classic quintet of 1966-68.

Without electric keys, of course. Danilo is a hybrid of Chick and Herbie.

The water bottle on piano strings was just for one number.

Didn't mind the absence of tune titles -- they're just words.

[DrJ]

This is a group I think will be remembered as one of the greatest...too bad it's in an era in jazz where everyone assumes there ARE no greatest anymore.

Anyway, saw them last year and was bowled over. They have fun, serious fun, and it's a joy to listen to them. Their music isn't going to trigger any great sea changes, but they're picking up and running with some threads from the mid- to late-60's "outside in" people - and Wayne was one of those people - that hadn't been yanked on quite this way during the intervening years.

Doesn't hurt either that Brian Blade is my favorite current drummer...and again, one reason is that he's picking up where Tony Williams left off in the later 60's, before changing his playing and going in a direction that I never really did warm to.