Allan Songer Posted December 5, 2004 Share Posted December 5, 2004 Was listening to some Miles Davis this morning (ESP and In a Silent Way) which led me to some Wayne Shorter--first up was Night Dreamer which has always been "favorite" Wayne Shorter LP. Shorter joins up with Lee Morgan on trumpet and GELS with Coltrane's rythym section! Very much influenced by Coltrane but SO WHAT--this is a killer record with all five tunes penned by the leader and OUTSTANDING solos from all. Shorter's solo on the title track is one of my all time favorite "post-hard bop" tenor solos. Shorter followed this LP with two more dates as a leader for Blue Note within just a few months. The first was "Ju Ju" another date with the same goup as "Night Dreamer" less Lee Morgan. This is even MORE of a Coltrane-inspired romp--maybe the absence of Morgan is the reason? Very much in the vein of Trane's "Crescent" and "A Love Supreme." While I love this record for the amazing interplay among these players and for Shorter's amazing solos I can uderstand why some think of this record as a "wannabe Trane" album With his THIRD LP for Blue Note Shorter came fully into his own. On "Speak No Evil" he is joined by two of his bandmates from the Miles Davis quintet, Herbie Hancock and Ron Carter with Elvin Jones holding over from the first two dates. Freddie Hubbard joins on trumpet. The result is MAGIC--one of the truly GREAT jazz records of the 1960s. Hubbard is ABSOLUTELY ON FIRE on this date. This is "advanced hard bop" or "post hard bop" at its BEST. Shorter took everything he learned from Blakey and Trane and made it his own on this disk. The compostions are first rate and the playing is AMAZING--especially Hancock and Jones. Shorter is of course still going strong today--I have tickets to hear him at UCLA in March. That should be SOMETHING! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garymd Posted December 5, 2004 Share Posted December 5, 2004 Allan, I picked up Speak No Evil on CD a few months ago for my commute and remember not liking it much. Its been sitting idle ever since. I'll let you know what I think after another listen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxg Posted December 5, 2004 Share Posted December 5, 2004 Oh the relief!!! Clever title for the thread you swine. I thought - please tell me this is the old Allan writing about his real passon - Jazz and not that other topic that has become so deominant. Reading this just makes me wish with all my heart that I "got" Jazz. Sadly it is not to be - although I do come back to try it again from time to time. Beethoven's sixth is still playing (I mentioned it in a previous thread). There just isnt anything better to me than this (conductor choice nowithstanding). What wonder music is - whatever the flavour that ignites your passions! Welcome bakc Allan of Yore - you have been missed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Songer Posted December 6, 2004 Author Share Posted December 6, 2004 ---------------- On 12/5/2004 5:01:44 PM garymd wrote: Allan, I picked up Speak No Evil on CD a few months ago for my commute and remember not liking it much. Its been sitting idle ever since. I'll let you know what I think after another listen. ---------------- I know you will have changed your mind once you do! It's a GREAT album . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve_L Posted December 7, 2004 Share Posted December 7, 2004 Alan, I love all the old Wayne Shorter stuff. I also love Adam's Apple, which is another great from that time period. I've seen Wayne Shorter a couple of times over the last few years and as much as I love his old stuff, I just didn't care for his oblique new stuff. Just too abstract and not melodious enough for me. I also head Herbie Hancock at the same concert once recenly at Harvard in Cambridge and they were both a disappointment. Give me their old stuff any day. I alsmost wonder if someone is afraid to tell the King he isn't wearing any clothes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dodger Posted December 7, 2004 Share Posted December 7, 2004 As noted, an excellent tile for this thread. This is the Allan Songer I have come to thorughly enjoy reading. Huge knowledge base, but does not Lord it over you. A great review. Thank you Allan. Win Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garymd Posted December 7, 2004 Share Posted December 7, 2004 I know you will have changed your mind once you do! It's a GREAT album . . . ---------------- Yes, it's a great album. The performances are outstanding and Hancock is as smooth as silk. Thanks alot. Another LP I need to buy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ben. Posted December 7, 2004 Share Posted December 7, 2004 "Power of Three", led by Michel Petrucciani is an absolutely masterful album. Swings without drums or bass. The recording is nearly perfect, and all three are masters of their respective instruments. It doesn't get much mention on forums, being a newer release, but it is well worth finding. I have a DMM on 180g, and it is dead quiet. And that was on the old AR! Well, maybe I should say that it was quieter then the motors on the old girl.... I remeber jamming on a lot of Wayne Shorter tunes back in my college years. Juju used to get pretty out there... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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