H

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H WAYNE SHORTER
FREDDIE HUBBARD, trumpet; WAYNE SHORTER, tenor sax;
HERBIE HANCOCK, piano; RON CARTER, bass; ELVIN JONES, drums
Legends, folklore and black mag- through in the compositions, with myself, with my ethnic roots,
ic — the arts of mystery and dark- especially in the floating har- and so forth. But now, and espe-
ness — have long been a special monies, the chords filled with cially from here on, I’m trying to
source of inspiration for artists, tonality-disturbing ambiguities, fan out, to concern myself with the
perhaps because their symbols about to move in one direction but universe instead of just my own
are drawn from the roots of the sometimes stopping to float like small corner of it.” It is, particular-
imagination. One of the best the elements in Shorter’s “misty ly at a time when the expression of
examples is the work of Edgar landscapes.” The effect is height- interior emotions is a focal point
Allen Poe, who mercilessly ened by the remarkable interac- for many young players, a partic-
exposed the forbidden fantasies tion between Ron Carter and Elvin ularly refreshing statement.
that drift near the ends of dreams. Jones. Little of what might specifi- “Whatever change I have made
Composers, too, have probed into cally be called time-keeping so far,” Shorter explained, “is
similar areas. Sibelius’s Valse occurs in what they play; rather there inside me, churning around
Triste, Dukas’s The Sorcerer’s there is a flowing, sometimes in a little circle, but still not reveal-
Apprentice, Bartok’s Bluebeard’s overlapping, sometimes inde- ing itself wholly. When I was
Castle and Mussorgsky’s Night pendent pulsation that shifts back doing this date it was a struggle to
On The Bare Mountain are but a and forth between superimposed get it out, to forget about the sax-
few of the better-known works metric subdivisions. ophone and its technical prob-
attributable to magic, legends Shor ter has played his way lems per se and abandon every-
and folklore. through a variety of music and cir- thing that I had done before.” Like
The collection of Wayne Shorter cumstances in his career, some of most of the short, painful steps that
compositions included in Speak which — as with most jazzmen — characterize ar tistic growth,
No Evil follows similar lines. “I must have ranged pretty far from Shorter’s struggles do not always
was thinking,” he explained to his own musical objectives. He produce successful results. But
me, “of misty landscapes with feels, however, that the changes when everything works, when the
wildflowers and strange, dimly- wrought by his years of active saxophone ceases to be a mecha-
seen shapes — the kind of places playing have primarily been in the nism and becomes instead an
where folklore and legends are widening of his own ar tistic extension of his voice (as fre-
born. And then I was thinking of vision. “I’m getting, “ he said, quently happens in this record-
things like witch burnings, too.” “more stimuli from things outside ing), the value of Shorter’s goals
Much of this feeling comes of myself. Before, I was concerned becomes clear.
 509996 36512 56

H SPEA K NO EV IL
WITCH HUNT SPEAK NO EVIL High Resolution Mastering by
FEE-FI-FO-FUM INFANT EYES Alan Yoshida and Robin Lynn
DANCE CADAVEROUS WILD FLOWER at Blanche DuBois, April 2012.

“Witch Hunt” makes extensive was thinking,” he said, “of some of quality of Shorter’s tenor sound,
use of fourths in its line, which is these doctor pictures in which you not unlike the velvety middle regis-
fundamental and blues-like in see a classroom and they’re getting ter sound of the cello. “Wild
style, but ethereal and haunting ready to work on a cadaver.” The Flower” can be heard, according
enough in execution to fully justify most noticeable musical feature of to Shorter, simply as what the title
Shorter’s title. Interestingly, all the Shorter’s line is the recurring chro- suggests — an ode to a wildflower.
soloists, first Shorter, then Hubbard matic chord change. Hancock’s It is a 6/4 tune, with a dancing,
and Hancock, use a fourth as a first chorus, gentle as a sonnet, light-hearted line that probably
constructional motive in their floats above the complex planes of will stay with you long after your
improvisations. The second title, interlocking rhythms played by phonograph is turned off. The
Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum of course, is a con- Carter and Jones. Notice too how soloists — Shorter, Hubbard and
traction of the famous couplet spo- the returning melody blossoms out Hancock — play with distinction,
ken by the giant in the story of of Shorter’s solo. and notice in particular the mar-
“Jack and the Beanstalk.” I doubt, Both Hubbard and Shorter ven- velous rhythmic cross-currents in
however, if that monstrous creature ture into unusual improvisational Elvin Jones’s accompaniment. No
ever swung through his castle with areas in their choruses on “Speak small part of his talent lies in his
quite the elemental feeling the No Evil.” Shorter in particular ability to adapt to a given playing
Shorter group achieves. Hubbard, seems interested in finding rhyth- situation by finding an appropri-
who takes the first chorus, plays mic and melodic ideas that are ate complimentary area of his own
with plangent lyricism, but, char- unrestricted by traditional bound- interpretive powers.
acteristically, he varies his phrases aries. “Infant Eyes” is the only line Legends, folklore, black magic —
with exploding bursts of quick, that departs from ways of magic all sources of artistic inspiration. But
flashing runs. Shorter plays a gutsy and folklore. “I was thinking of my nothing about the work of Wayne
solo, coloring it with a fascinating daughter,” said Shorter. The piece Shorter and his group can be traced
range of timbres, bending and is constructed, in unorthodox fash- to necromantic secrets. In Speak
smearing his tones through the use ion, of three consecutive 9-bar No Evil they rely upon the stuff of all
of a flexible embouchure. The rela- phrases. Shorter plays throughout artistic achievement — talent,
tionship between “Dance most of the track except for craftsmanship and imagination.
Cadaverous” and Sibelius’s Valse Hancock’s introduction and brief – Don Heckman,
Triste was noted by Shorter, but he nine-bar solo toward the end. Original Liner Notes
had another inspiration as well. “I Listen for the clear, unaffected P 2012 Blue Note Records. Blue Note® is a registered trademark of Capitol Records, LLC.
g 2012 Blue Note Records. All Rights Reserved.
 WAYNE SHORTER

On the spectrum of jazz chal- resembles something from the note- ing is this? Even Shorter, who wrote
lenges, Wayne Shorter’s “Speak book of Thelonious Monk – a simple the tune, sometimes struggles. He
No Evil” appears to lean toward the staccato motif that stairsteps up and begins “Speak No Evil” by repeat-
easy side. It sits in a comfortable down, each phrase defined by ing a deftly tongued single note
and utterly approachable medium strategic accents. over and over, as though chopping
swing. Its primary theme is a series Yet as often happens in the music his way into new territory. Shorter’s
of long tones outlining placid, of Wayne Shorter, things are not first few lines are simple declara-
open-vista harmony. Its bridge entirely what they seem. There are tions with a smidgen of blues in
layers. The notes of the melody tell them – he’s not thinking about solo
one story; the chords nudge the hijinks, he’s just trying to hang with
musicians someplace else, a realm the slalom course that is his cre-
where theory lessons are of limited ation. As he steers around tight
value and instinct matters more than curves, his lines coalesce into a
intellect. To thrive in this place, the kind of spontaneous lyricism – he’s
musicians have to relinquish the singing through the horn, linking
tricks of the jazz trade – the light- seemingly disconnected phrases
ning-fast bebop runs, the killer licks into one (!) hauntingly memorable
they lean on to navigate chord chorus. The subsequent soloists
changes. The tune, simple though it embrace his melody-first example
may be, comes with its own specific when improvising: Trumpeter
language – a trait it shares with Freddie Hubbard blows wistful then
many of Shorter’s pieces. Before tender then fierce; Herbie Hancock
diving into the conversation, the follows spry modal lines into quiet
improviser has to discover the spe- introspective corners.
cific quirks of the form, its textures This subtle “guiding” of soloists is
and temperament. How challeng- a crucial component of Speak No
 SPEAK NO EVIL

Evil, and much of Wayne Shorter’s would stir something similar

compositional output. The last of within the soloists. The moods
three monumental works Shorter he explores here are deep
recorded in 1964 (the others are and absorbing, far from typi-
Juju and Night Dreamer), this cal jazz club fare: “Dance
album frequently turns up on short- Cadaverous” offers a
lists of essential jazz, and one rea- macabre tour of a haunted
son is Shorter’s ability to coax those house (or, perhaps, a haunted
around him out of their comfort mind), while the keening
zones, and into new ways of play- octaves of “Infant Eyes”
ing. (For proof, compare Hubbard’s sketch human vulnerability
contributions to this record with with a rare sustained empa-
anything else he recorded). thy. Incredibly, these pieces
Shorter’s melodies encourage musi- become deeper and thicker in
cians to stretch, and so do his vivid- the solo passages, as each of
ly imagined harmonic environ- the players gingerly endeav-
ments – playgrounds, really. No ors to enhance the beauty lode” of jazz composition. That
other jazz figure found such innova- already on the page. songbook has many riches – some
tive ways to balance hard-bop That’s what ever y composer are stone simple, some merely
rhythmic fire against delicately wants – the chance for the vague sound simple, and some are decep-
loosened (yet, crucially, still tonal) notions he scribbles on paper to tively sophisticated and complex.
harmony. And where some contem- take root, expand and blossom as It’s a vast trove of heady music, and
poraries built brainy maze-like con- music. Shorter managed that with the high-level sorcery at work within
traptions, Shorter went straight for astounding consistency over the Speak No Evil is a great way to
the heart, trusting that the poignan- years, creating a songbook that’s begin exploring it.
cy he embedded in his structures regularly described as the “mother – Tom Moon, 2012