A perfect illustration of the rich new directions
Wayne Shorter was taking at the start of the 70s – an amazing flurry of sounds and styles that's light years ahead of where he began in the 60s!
Shorter's one of those players who was already great at the start – an amazing tenorist, both on his own and with the groups of Art Blakey and Miles Davis – yet by the time of this record, he'd absorbed a huge amount of influences from Brazilian music, modal jazz, the spiritual underground, and even the free European scene – all of which come to play on the long, complex tunes on the set! The record has
Shorter working with some other key contemporaries of this new moment in jazz – John McLaughlin on 12 string guitar, Chick Corea on marimba and percussion, Dave Holland and Miroslav Vitous on bass, and Ron Carter on cello – all players who have the same open, exploratory vibe as
Wayne's own lines on tenor and soprano sax. Titles include an excellent cover of
Milton Nascimento's "Vera Cruz", plus the tracks "Antiqua", "Iska", and "Montezuma".