August 23, 2024
Blue Note Records has released Celebration, Volume 1, the first in a series of archival releases that the legendary saxophonist and composer Wayne Shorter curated before he passed away in 2023. This thrilling 2014 live recording captured Shorter’s acclaimed quartet with pianist Danilo Perez, bassist John Patitucci, and drummer Brian Blade at the Stockholm Jazz Festival in Sweden. The intrepid set includes some of the band’s favorite vehicles of exploration including “Zero Gravity,” “Smilin’ Through,” “Orbits,” “Lotus,” and “She Moves Through The Fair,” as well as a stunning version of “Edge of the World (End Title),” a theme by composer Arthur B. Rubinstein from the 1983 film WarGames.
Shorter’s longtime Quartet bandmates spoke with Blue Note President Don Was for a very special episode of “First Look.” The musicians reminisce about the experience of being in Shorter’s orbit during their two-decade run as one of the greatest modern jazz bands of the 21st century, and the many musical and life lessons they learned from the Jazz legend.
“In the fall of 2022, Rob Griffin started sending a lot of unreleased music for Wayne to sort thru,” writes Carolina Shorter in the album’s liner notes. “He started listening around the clock. I’d be doing something around the house, talking on the phone, doing work and he’d yell ‘Carolina! You’ve got to come and hear this shit! Check out what these guys are doing!’ Wayne made detailed notes – some of them are reprinted on this album jacket.”
“When he heard the Stockholm concert, he said ‘this is the album!,’” she continues. “Then he started listening to more things and, over time, realized that it was going to have to be more than one record. He originally wanted to call the collection Unidentified Flying Objects – thinking of the notes everyone played as being UFOs! In January 2023, when he was hospitalized for the last time, he continued picking tracks and laying out the albums. His ‘Never Give Up’ spirit, which underlines his entire mission, was stronger than ever and he was excited to release more music. It was only in the last 10 days of his life that he realized he was not going to be around to see it to fruition. He started feeling the urgency of celebrating life and decided to change the name of the collection to Celebration. I said ‘Yes Wayne! Let’s celebrate!!! That’s what it should be called. A celebration!’”
Blue Note is also celebrating Shorter’s legacy with several reissues of his classic albums including a Tone Poet Vinyl Edition of Odyssey of Iska (1970), a Classic Vinyl Edition of JuJu (1964), and a Blue Note Authorized Dealer exclusive blue vinyl reissue of Speak No Evil (1964) which is available at participating independent record stores. Celebration, Volume 1 is available now on limited edition Blue Note Store exclusive color vinyl, black vinyl, CD, and digital.
The credits for Celebration, Volume 1 are as follows:
Side A
- Zero Gravity to the 15th Dimension
Written by Wayne Shorter, Danilo Perez, John Patitucci, Brian Blade
- Smilin’ Through
Written by Arthur A. Penn
Side B
- Zero Gravity to the 11th Dimension
Written by Wayne Shorter, Danilo Perez, John Patitucci, Brian Blade
- Zero Gravity to the 12th Dimension
Written by Wayne Shorter, Danilo Perez, John Patitucci, Brian Blade
- Zero Gravity – Unbound
Written by Wayne Shorter, Danilo Perez, John Patitucci, Brian Blade
- Orbits
Written by Wayne Shorter
- Edge of The World (End Title)
Written by Arthur B Rubinstein
Side C
- Zero Gravity to the 90th Dimension
Written by Wayne Shorter, Danilo Perez, John Patitucci, Brian Blade
- Lotus
Written by Wayne Shorter
Side D
- She Moves Through The Fair
Written by Wayne Shorter
Wayne Shorter: tenor and soprano saxophone
Danilo Perez: piano
John Patitucci: bass
Brian Blade: drums
Produced by Wayne Shorter and Don Was
Recorded live October 18, 2014 by Rob Griffin and Nicolas Poitrenaud at Stockholm Concert Hall, Stockholm Jazz Festival, Stockholm, Sweden
Assisted by Olivier Chambin
Re-Recorded and Mixed by Rob Griffin at AcousTech, Casco Viejo, Panama
Mastered by Harold LaRue at Harold LaRue Mastering, Houston, Texas
Vinyl Mastering by Chris Muth at Taloowa Corporation, Yonkers, NY
Vinyl Manufactured at Record Technology Inc. (North America) / Optimal (ex-North America)
