Wayne Shorter, Emanon (Blue Note)
Although Wayne Shorter’s saxophone artistry and that of his quartet need no enhancement, the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra shares the first disc of this three-CD collection. As always, the Orpheus is impressive for the precision of its musicianship, but the combination plods compared with the exhilaration of the second and third discs by the Shorter quartet alone. Recorded in a London concert, Shorter, pianist Danilo Perez, bassist John Patitucci and drummer Brian Blade soar through several of Shorter’s most sublime compositions. Minus the orchestra, the quartet is magnificent in “Pegasus,†“Prometheus Unbound,†“Lotus†and a lengthy exploration of “The Three Marias.†A graphic novel created by Shorter, artist Randy DuBurke and writer Monica Sly is included with the album. It reflects Shorter’s belief that free expression in a free society operates hand-in-hand with the essential nature of jazz. (The album has no detectable musical nod toward Dizzy Gillespie’s pioneering 1946 big band blues also titled “Emanon.â€)
