Little did I know, when I visited renowned sound engineer Rob Griffin in Casco Viejo, Panama, the winter of 2023, that I was about to get a sneak peek of music from an upcoming album by the inimitable Wayne Shorter and his legendary quartet. Seated at his elaborate console, Griffin could hardly contain his awe and excitement over the extraordinary music he was working with, dedicated to making it sound as pristine and compelling as possible, representing the artistry and brotherhood as best he could. This music, recorded a decade ago, has finally been released as “Celebration, Volume 1”.
The unparalleled Wayne Shorter Quartet played together for over two decades. Its impact cannot be overstated; one of the greatest bands in modern jazz, it had a unique dynamic, a free spirit, and a singular spaciousness that allowed for extraordinarily imaginative interpretation and exploration. Formed in 2000, it was the late saxophonist’s longest running band, usually playing his celebrated compositions, and reworking timeless pieces dating back to the 1960s. Alongside Shorter on tenor and soprano saxophones, this acoustic quartet was comprised of pianist Danilo Pérez, bassist John Patitucci and drummer Brian Blade – each a celebrated virtuoso, bandleader, composer and mentor.
Before he passed away in 2023, Shorter curated a series of archival releases entitled “Celebration”. This first installment, a live recording of the quartet captured at the Stockholm Jazz Festival in 2014, takes the listener on an intense, adventurous journey. The intrepid set includes several tunes that have been the band’s favourites, including “Zero Gravity,” “Orbits,” “Lotus,” and “She Moves Through the Fair.” Arthur Rubinstein’s “Edge of The World,” one of two pieces not penned by Shorter, appears in the film “War Games”. Concerned with war and world politics, it represents an idea, an intention. “Wayne was always helping us connect humanity and music with purpose,” notes Pérez.
Recorded live by Rob Griffin at Stockholm Concert Hall, the album was produced by Shorter and Blue Note President Don Was. I reached Griffin, a three-time Grammy Award winner, at his home in Panama. Dedicated to live mixing and acoustic studio recording that focuses on purity of sound and exceptional recording quality, he has worked with iconic artists from the jazz world and beyond, such as Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Paco de Lucia or Angelique Kidjo.
Of all the hundreds of concerts the quartet played over the years, what sets the Stockholm set apart? “There are moments on that record that to me are just outstanding,” he muses, “moments when Wayne is playing tenor sax, and he starts playing bluesy. And when Wayne plays bluesy, it’s gonna shake you up. It wasn’t so often that he would go there… There’s a lot of really deep stuff on this recording.”
Traveling the world together and sharing close to 1,000 concerts over the span of 20 years, Griffin got to be “extremely close to Wayne,” he muses. “What an incredible gift, to know that he trusted me.” Griffin’s dedicated work on this album shines. As with every recording, it entailed meticulous studio techniques, including re-recording each track, one at a time, in real time – an arduous and extremely time-consuming process. “I’ve been accused of caring too much; but this is important stuff! I give my entire life to this. I spent 48 hours on three seconds of John’s bass. This is really profound for me.”
Griffin’s old-world craft in the analogue domain offers us spectacular soundscapes. Through decades of experience, he has come up with “this system that nobody else uses. I have extremely high-end analog equipment, and I do phase alignment on every single microphone’s relationship to the other, so that I begin to get more space between each little thing. When you’re making music, it’s not just about the notes; it’s about the space.”
“Wayne’s music is beyond anything I’ve ever encountered,” reflects Griffin. “For me it’s almost like one giant composition. I don’t think of the pieces as separate. Normally a piece has structure; but in the Wayne Shorter Quartet the structure went out the window. The whole band could let nothing happen for six, eight or 20 bars, and then hit it again. What has always amazed me about this quartet, being a musician myself, is that it’s as if they’re never playing in any specific key; as if at any moment they can be in any other composition. It’s like some giant universal key.”
What’s next in the “Celebration” series? “I think it’s really important to release Wayne Shorter’s symphonic music,” says Griffin. “We did many concerts with major symphonies all over the world. We had two nights in Amsterdam at the Concertgebouw, one of the greatest concert halls in the world, with a 100-piece symphony orchestra. Fifty-seven violins!” he exclaims. “This music should be available for people to hear and be inspired by.”
There are also several compositions that have never been released, such as “Scout” and “The Unfolding,” which appear in Shorter’s handwritten notes for this album. “Wayne was among the greatest composers of our lifetime; I would place his composing along with Ellington, Beethoven and Stravinsky. I hope that we can release as many of his unreleased compositions as possible,” reflects Griffin. “I already have a mix of ‘The Unfolding’ performed by the quartet with about five woodwinds and four brass that is almost finished. It’s about 25 minutes long and fantastic.”
There were many “mountaintop experiences” for the quartet, muses John Patitucci. “We felt like we were vessels, really.” With a deep sense of connection and complete surrender, “we just gave ourselves to each other… It was one of the most holy and beautiful things in my life, one of the most powerful examples of God’s gift of music, and of family.” This album is a testament to just that. Inspiring faith, trust and confidence, “[Shorter] opened the door for us to walk into that unknown place,” notes Brian Blade. This fearlessness and trust are palpable and audible on the recording.
If you were fortunate to experience this quartet perform live, you were likely part of an audience fully absorbed in the depth and intensity of a rare and exhilarating musical exchange, as the band explored the outer reaches of Shorter’s music. And if you were not so lucky, this new album is an opportunity to shut out the world, and submit to its intricacy and sublime beauty.
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Sharonne Cohen is a Montreal-based writer, editor and photographer for music, arts and culture, with bylines in DownBeat, JazzTimes, Okayplayer, VICE/Noisey, Afropop Worldwide, The Revivalist, and La Scena Musicale.
Header image: Wayne Shorter. Photo: Robert Ascroft, courtesy of Blue Note Records.