Onward Music Soldiers

Went to Wayne Shorter show on Friday night. (Boy went too, was well-behaved but fidgety during second half. He sat through and enjoyed almost 2 hours of jazz with only 1 small intermission! We fueled him with chocolate ice cream. He clapped enthusiastically!)

Here is a review I posted on Kimmel Center blog: http://blog.kimmelcenter.org/archives/2008/03/wayne_shorter_q.html

"Terell Stafford's group was very nice, textbook jazz performance. They were excellent.

Wayne and company perform in the free yet together style of Miles 60's quintet. They were always on the same page yet roamed wherever they wanted to go. This type of playing is not for everybody but should have been expected by anyone attending as it was what one hears on Beyond the Sound Barrier and Footprints Live. I too wish he would play some of his classic heads of the 60's Blue Note albums (I think I heard a snippet of Ju-Ju) but am happy to hear 4 great players play with one mind for 45-50 minutes. The encore seemed to be a written out piece that was new to me and extremely weird (pianist had a 6-7 page chart laid out). Maybe a new composition from Wayne. Although Wayne is one of the best and most innovative jazz composers of the 20th century, (see 60's Blue Note + 60's Miles Quintet albums. There are an unbelievable number of unique, strange compositions) this show was Wayne the improviser playing acoustic jazz on the edge which unfortunatly many listeners find difficult to listen to.They don't do head, solo, head; they spontaneously compose as a group the whole time, yet they are always together and in sync. This is an incredible ability not matched since the Davis/Shorter/Hancock/Carter/Williams band did it.
A great show."

The other opinions (all 3) didn't seem to go for Wayne's set and there were many walkouts.
I was transfixed and highly entertained.
So it must be that this type of playing is only interesting to other musicians, even specifically Jazz musicians. Even amongst that small category there is probably those that wouldn't go for Wayne's set.

Is it a case of science for scientists or are there other reasons people don't always 'get' it?
What is the future of jazz if the furthest types of reaching away from 'standard' ways of playing aren't dug by the audience?
Maybe everyone is just a little behind and one day a recording of that show will sell like hotcakes and the folks who walked out will say proudly, "I Was There! Wow, what a crazy scene it was!"

I empathize with those that find it bewildering to listen to because it is Hard to listen on the intensity level that they are playing. (And being prepared by having no preconceived expectations except that they will play what they play...and familiar with all recent recordings)

For those interested in Wayne's work I recommend:

Beyond the Sound Barrier (2003)- Exactly the style of playing that we heard on friday. same band. 'tunes' are entirely made up on the spot or loosely structured around a worked out theme or 'song'.

JuJu (1964)- 6 great tunes played in the standard head, solo, head way but with crazy chord changes and great players. Almost all tunes are in the real book.

Speak No Evil (1964)- same as above except a few different but great players and trumpet. Recorded on xmas eve, 1964.

Adam's Apple (1966), Night Dreamer (1964 yes 3 albums that year), The All Seeing Eye, Etcetera, The Soothsayer(1965 four albums that year counting ESP) Schizophrenia (1967)- These all contain exclusivly Wayne's tunes except for an odd 2 or 3 by other band members. All recommended.

All albums by Miles Davis Quintet between 1964-1968. ESP, Miles Smiles, Sorcerer, Nefertiti, Miles in the Sky, Filles De Kilimanjaro. Anything live by that band contain the roots of this style of playing...

Also,
High Life (1995) a funk and r&b album of highly composed music. lots of keyboard orchestration.

Footprints Live (2001) Wayne plays his tunes from the sixties with three great players in strange new arrangements.