Wayne Shorter was universally recognized as an all-timer jazz composer long before his passing in 2023, and many albums centering on his songs have been made while he still walked this earth. Some of these releases are quite good. But like Thelonious Monk’s tunes, there’s no such thing as too many Shorter tributes and one of the latest ones dropped in October, 2024 come from a small combo in Italy, the Luca Gelli Organ Trio.
Shorter Notes (Dodicilune) puts a greasy, soul-jazz spin on Wayne Shorter’s incomparable set of songs that work well in this kind of layout. Led by guitarist, educator, composer and arranger Luca Gelli, he’s backed by Manrico Seghi on the Hammond B3 organ and Giovanni Paolo “jp” Liguori on drums.
In coming up with the set list, Gelli picked some fantastic Shorter tunes, but when you’re choosing from his Blue Note ’64-’67 run, it’s hard to go wrong. Some of these are soulful numbers that adapt easily to the organ trio format. Others, the Luca Gelli Organ Trio figure out how to make it work.
“Adam’s Apple” is an obvious choice if prime blues-soul is your objective but Gelli goes further by coming up with a funky figure to go with it and the band puts stop-start exclamation points at the end of bars. In place of Shorter’s preferred tenor sax, they bring in Dario Cecchini to play a honky baritone sax.
If there’s one Shorter tune begging for the B-3 treatment, that would have to be the boogaloo “Tom Thumb.” It previously got that treatment back in the 90s by John Scofield. It’s real tough to beat Sco’s rendition and it’s not bested by Gelli’s group but the Italians still do the song great justice, starting with Gelli’s tasteful playing.
“House Of Jade” is slowly smoldering take, dripping with the blues, Gelli using a delicate, considered touch to get all the juice out, and before it can sag, Liguori shifts it into a swing for a spell. Then it gets even more notcurnal when Seghi has his turn. Elsewhere, the brilliant major/minor concoction “Yes Or No” serves as a platform for Gelli’s crisp bop lines.
The masterpiece album Speak No Evil is represented no less than three times, here. The title song shuffles as originally played, and Seghi and Liguori stretching out raises the temperature. Right after that, the trio serves up a chilled, sauntering take on “Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum,” featuring guest asides from saxophonist Pierre Do Sameiro and trumpet player Cosimo Boni. And if the ballads are to be represented here, there’s none better than “Infant Eyes.” Gelli takes this one on himself for the first two minutes, giving the song an intimacy that’s mandatory for doing it right. Seghi follows with glowing tones that hit just right.
Order Luca Gelli Organ Trio’s Shorter Notes from Dodicilune Records.
- Luca Gelli Organ Trio – ‘Shorter Notes’ (2024) - December 28, 2024
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- Ingebrigt Haker Flaten (Exit) Knarr – ‘Breezy’ (2024) - December 26, 2024
