Wayne SHORTER - The All Seeing Eye 1965

Wayne SHORTER - The All Seeing Eye 1965
Label: Blue Note
Audio CD: (September 12, 2000)

Jazz
 
Mr Thelonious Monk once said that he wasn't ahead of the public but that the public was 20 years behind, meaning he was NOW. Well, in 1965 Miles Davis recorded live at the Plugged Nickel, Ornette Coleman recorded whilst on tour in London and Stockholm. Meanwhile, in the studio, John Coltrane recorded Ascension and Herbie Hancock recorded Canteloupe Island. Wayne Shorter recorded THE ALL SEEING EYE in 1965 as well. That was then. And it was NOW music then. It is still NOW music NOW, cf, Kenny Wheeler A LONG TIME AGO c2000, et al. From the opening notes of Freddie Hubbard on Flugelhorn to the dying sounds of Alan Shorter's marvellous closer - Mephistopheles - this is great music. 1965 must have been a very special and creative time whilst the Beatles were on top (uh? What? Who?) Apart from the fine compositions programmed around Biblical themes, and the truly outstanding musicianship of these players (Mr Spaulding sounding like Mr Dolphy on Chaos for example, Mr Carter an absolute genius on bass, Mr Hubbard never sounding better or more inventive - Genesis is a revelation)as well as the recording quality and arrangements, I recommend you, dear listener, focus on Herbie Hancock for one listening to hear a master at work, whether throwing in a trill on Mephistopheles, or sounding like Mr Cecil Taylor on Chaos he's always there. Brilliant. An absolute stunner.
Recommended without reservation.
By Ian Muldoon.
**
The all-seeing Eye is one of Shorters more obscure records but it's actually his best IMO. The reason for it's relatively unpopular status is probably because the music is pretty close to free-jazz at times (it's not a free jazz record though, explorative post-bop or inside/outside is probably the best description), a form of music many people hate. For me, who love free-jazz and this Blue Note post-bopstyle, it's pure heaven. Wayne Shorters playing is explosive throughout and so is Hancock. I'm not a big fan of Hubbard who appeared on far too many Blue Note records in this era (why they didn't use Woody Shaw more often is a mystery to me) but he does a good job without really standing out (as usual). The front line is filled out with the awesome trombonist/composer Grachan MoncurIII and the underrated altoist James Spaulding. They don't solo much but their contributions are no less important for that, giving the ensembles a rich sound.
My two favourite songs on this cd is "Chaos" and "Mephistopheles". "Chaos" is raw, edgy post-bop at it's very best with a great, Dolphy -inspired solo by Spaulding and one of my all-time favourite Shorter solos where he starts off pretty uninspired but soon turns into one of his most explosive solos (also check out Joe Chambers drum responses when Shorter kicks into high gear). Even Hancock gets aggressive on this one!!!
"Mephistopheles" is the most untypical song on the record. It was written by (and includes) Waynes brother Alan who was more of a free/avantgarde performer. It was also recorded for Marion Browns debut album with a different title. This version, however, is much better. The tempo is slower and the drums get into an awesome, almost tribal, groove. Hancock pretty much plays one chord throughout which gives it a hypnotic quality. This song sounds almost unlike anything in jazz and MUST be heard!
Overall, this album may not appeal to people who like other Shorter records like Ju-Ju, Speak No Evil (my other Shorter favorite) or the slick Adams Apple but if you like adventurous music,
be sure to check it out!!!
By Jakob Hellberg.
**
Wayne Shorter- (Tenor Saxophone)
Freddie Hubbard- (Trumpet and Flugelhorn)
Grachan Moncur III- (Trombone)
James Spaulding- (Alto Sax)
Herbie Hancock- (Piano)
Ron Carter- (Double Bass)
Joe Chambers- (Drums)
Alan Shorter- (Flugelhorn)
**
01. The All Seeing Eye (Wayne Shorter) 10:32
02. Genesis (Wayne Shorter) 11:44
03. Chaos (Wayne Shorter) 6:55
04. Face Of The Deep (Wayne Shorter) 5:29
05. Mephistopheles (Alan Shorter) 9:38
**
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