INDISPENSABLE Wayne Shorter 4 Jon3 17.x.11

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

Jez Nelson presents the Wayne Shorter Quartet in their first UK performance for several years. Shorter is one of the most renowned saxophonists and jazz composers of the last half a century, making his name with Art Blakey's Messengers and Miles Davis's second quintet before co-founding seminal jazz-fusion group Weather Report. His acoustic quartet of the last 11 years has earned huge critical acclaim, especially for its live performances, breaking new ground in its embrace of energetic, free dialogue within Shorter's complex compositions. Alongside him are pianist Danilo Perez, bassist John Patitucci and drummer Brian Blade.

Jon3 probably doesn't get better than this [they have little to do with it really]

[charles t]

Honorable Sir!

Wayne Shorter?

I do concur!

[Serial_Apologist]

Honorable Sir!

Wayne Shorter?

I do concur!

Specially given that Radio 3 is generally on the wayne.

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

This week’s Jazz on 3 features every note from one of the jazz events of the year so far – The Wayne Shorter Quartet in concert at the Barbican on Saturday 8 October. Twice the great saxophonist was hollered back on stage by an audience that didn’t want the evening to end, while his stellar band of pianist Danilo Perez, John Patitucci, bass and Brian Blade, drums, seemed equally eager to play on.


From this evidence, Shorter is still as dynamic and as searching a musician as he appears in the classic Blue Note albums of the '60s or his pioneering work with Weather Report in the following decades, despite being just two years short of 80. In the group’s spellbinding forty-minute opener, Shorter’s sense of space and well-timed phrase on the tenor gives way to a melodic urgency as he switches to the soprano, as around him the band effortlessly move between moods and vamps. Improvised interaction is the key, as famous Shorter themes coalesce, develop and then morph into new things. As John Patitucci describes: 'Anyone can cue the pieces at any time. There is no setlist. We compose in real time.' The result is extraordinary to hear, a rare music that is both free and yet packed with tension and relief as if through-composed.


Brian Blade is at his exciting, explosive best, dialoguing with an increasingly animated Shorter, while Danilo Perez delivers some fine solos and textures on familiar tunes Joy Ryder and Plaza Real. The latter begins with Wayne Shorter happily whistling a theme, evidence, perhaps, of the 'child-like' invention that, Danilo Perez suggests to us in a short interview, is what drives Shorter to be so consistently inventive a musician.


The band reported back that they were ecstatic at the reception The Barbican audience had given them. As you’ll hear tonight – it was well deserved.

from the Newsletter

[Serial_Apologist]

There was a lot of controversy about this band in its most recent incarnation on the Miles Box Set thread a few weeks ago. Will be interesting to hear if the criticisms read there are in any way borne out.

[Old Grumpy]

A very listenable Jon3 broadcast - until I fell asleep due to the lateness of the hour - "listening again" now - excellent.

[Serial_Apologist]

Much enjoyed by me too. Danielo Perez in particular is just terrific - no longer the Herbie imitator.

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

glad you found it enjoyable OG, i am too ....blooming marvellous .... definitely the genius not the dementia eh ...