Footprints Live! cover

Footprints Live!

Released

Wayne Shorter brought back a lot of his old repertoire on this 2002 effort, the recorded debut of the defining band of his later years, a quartet with pianist Danilo Pérez, bassist John Patitucci and drummer Brian Blade. But from the opening version of the Bitches Brew classic “Sanctuary,” it was clear that the saxophone legend was interested in these pieces not for their familiarity but for their ability to propel him and his band into the unknown. Soaring over the band’s turbulent churn on “Masqualero” or weaving in and out of its slippery pulse on “Footprints,” Shorter sounded more energized than he had in years.

Hank Shteamer

Recommended by

Suggestions
Trout Mask Replica cover

Trout Mask Replica

Captain Beefheart
Monk’s Dream cover

Monk’s Dream

Roswell Rudd, Steve Lacy
The Ballad of the Fallen cover

The Ballad of the Fallen

Carla Bley, Charlie Haden
We Be All Africans cover

We Be All Africans

Idris Ackamoor ☥ The Pyramids
Kompakt: Total 6 cover

Kompakt: Total 6

Various Artists
Time Travel cover

Time Travel

Dave Douglas Quintet
Back In Time cover

Back In Time

Odyssey the Band, James Blood Ulmer