I begin this review with a confession: I like Wayne Shorter’s music so may be a tad biased. I was lucky to see him perform at the Barbican Centre in London with Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at the Lincoln Center Orchestra and had high expectations, which can be a mistake. Shorter, however, didn’t disappoint. He had a quiet stage presence, but even though Wayne himself is a man of few words, the music spoke volumes.
Reviewing Emanon, a mammoth three-disc set, might seem something of a marathon task but in this case, multiple CDs is totally fine. The music is engaging and possibly Wayne Shorter’s best music yet, or rather music which speaks of his essence in ways which he has not perhaps done before. Shorter has won 10 Grammy Awards and is, in every sense, a living example of how musicians can cross genres and produce music which is different and exceeds that which has gone before – and keep doing it across a lifetime. Emanon, released this month, is the second album released on Blue Note by Shorter since his return with 2013’s Without a Net. Like the completion of a circle, it was a return to the label he started with as part of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers in 1959.
Emanon features the the Wayne Shorter Quartet — with Shorter playing soprano and tenor saxophone, Danilo Perez on piano, John Patitucci on bass, and the incomparable Brian Blade on drums, accompanied on many tracks by the 34-piece Orpheus Chamber Orchestra.
Shorter’s undeniable place in jazz history is clear when you consider both his own influences and the effect he has had on other musicians. He has worked with the greats, including John Coltrane. The recently released Both Directions at Once was named because of a conversation the two greats had as young men – the subject apparently being, “What if you could have a musical sentence, start in the middle and go in both directions at once?” Miles Davis apparently told Shorter to write something for him with strings and orchestra. The title Emanon (“no name,” backwards) is the title of this four-part orchestral composition, and also that of the graphic novel included with the music. (It was also a Dizzy Gillespie title).
Central to the novel is the multiverse theory: the idea that the universe we inhabit is one of an infinite number that all exist in parallel realities – a theory Mr Shorter is by no means alone in believing. “After reading and listening to Emanon, you might begin to notice alternative realities glimmering beneath the everyday world around you,” Esperanza Spalding writes in her introduction to the novel.
With every recording, especially one as huge as this, there is a story, a back drop and theories about the meanings, the ins and outs, who worked with who but at the end of the day, the final product is what is heard and Wayne Shorter inhabits a world where ideas, people and creativity come together to produce something amazing.
In Emanon, there is life – and all it entails. There are swathes of richness, swatches of poignancy, threads of despair and fibers of hope, linked by chords, harmonies and musical understanding about delivering those essences which denote a true musician. Shorter’s musicality is nothing short of genius, and he picks notes to create sounds which click with the conscious and unconscious understanding of the listener. There is a connection between Wayne Shorter and the listener and also to the greater, wider world. Like a great novelist, Shorter assures himself a place in the annals of musical history with a delivery so profound, yet also enjoyable.
Some of the tracks, such a “Pegasus,” show a lightness of spirit. Here, we get a sense of exploring further, pushing out over the top of chords and cadences which veer between improvised, linearly linked pieces and steady, scaled harmonics. The orchestral arrangements also add a classical overtone to the piece. The movements in this number are wonderful, with waves of sound crashing in and falling away to leave room for exquisite solo sections. “Prometheus Unbound” works like a charm with its beautiful, coordinated ascensions led by the strings, a gentle piano and percussion part and then a section where the sax simply flies.
“Lotus” is introduced by an orchestral section, before Shorter lets fly with his sax, creating twists and turns, never settling but buzzing around with different themes and slicing strokes and changes. Gorgeous. The orchestra build until into the sudden silence drops the sax again, creating atmosphere and interacting with the percussion and piano in syncopated dialogue. “The Three Marias” has almost a Leonard Bernstein-esque feel to the opening, but this ebbs as the piece becomes pure Shorter. The arrangements in this number are quick-fired and tangibly quirky whilst the sax sections with the piano show razor-sharp interactions and quick-fingered movements which demonstrate Shorter’s absolute mastery of his instrument. The live version which follows – with whistled introduction – is just as good and extended to include additional string lines and improvised additions. Almost half an hour of sheer delight.
“Lost and Orbits Medley” is again a whip-cracking exchange of musical ideas, interludes and interactions, with almost whispered quietness and gentle parts tagged onto wild, sax-centered displays of emotion. Shorter’s instrument is totally mesmerizing here, and the piano lines divine. The live take on “Lotus” from London is delivered with aplomb and the calypso-style rhythmic section is very engaging.
“She Moves Through the Fair” begins with a double bass solo, then the piano joins, followed almost immediately by the sax, building the atmosphere and musical weight before the percussion moves in to complete the musical density. From then on, each take turns to lead, follow and the whole piece flows easily in conversation. By the time the sax-led section comes, the engagement is complete. Beautiful. “Adventures Aboard the Golden Mean” is short, quirky and delivered with flair and some quick fired exchanges, with infinitesimally tight time-keeping. Both piano and sax excel on the live version of “Prometheus Unbound,” which closes Emanon with just over 14 minutes of joy.
The music on Emanon is wonderful, the expectation delivered. Wayne Shorter shows he is a good leader, as well as a soloist without parity. From slicing high notes and arrangements which strike the heart, Shorter has delivered a musical masterpiece, the near perfection of which he is possibly unaware of. From the composition, the arrangements and the spaces allowed for solos, whilst also clearly appreciating the dynamics which make music live and breathe, Wayne Shorter could convert the hardest heart to his music – because there is on offer a sprit, a sense of understanding and comprehension of the full musical journey here being fulfilled.
When we listen to music, we are seeking something which takes our heart and finds its way to our inner persona. Only those who understand music, and make it non-elite and appealing to everyone, truly know how to deliver it – and Wayne Shorter has, in this writer’s opinion, found the way. Emanon needs no name, because it just IS.
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