Kimmel Center Blog

Wayne Shorter Quartet & Terell Stafford Quartet

Wayne Shorter, one of the most unique and influential saxophonists and composers performing today, will perform in Verizon Hall tonight. At 75, saxophonist-composer Wayne Shorter continues to take jazz across musical boundaries. Known for being a gifted and versatile player with a voice all his own, Terell Stafford combines lyricism and a deep love of melody with a spirited, adventurous edge. An educator as well as a performer, Stafford currently holds the positions of Professor of Music and Director of Jazz Studies at Temple University.

What did you think of the show?

My wife and I loved Terell Stafford's part of the show. The music was melodic, beautifully arranged and presented, and all of the musicians were wonderfully talented. His group's performance was outstanding and enjoyable.
We did not enjoy Wayne Shorter's performance at all. The volume on the piano and bass was way too loud, drowning out the sound of Mr. Shorter's playing. Also, their long, rambling work did not hold up, as time went on. Their performance was a major disappointment (a rarity at the Kimmel Center).

I enjoyed Terell Stafford's performance. The group was very talented and the music was enjoyable. BUT do not enjoy Wayne Shorter's performance. What sound came from Wayne, you bearly heard it.. Yes the volume on the piano and bass was too loud. Also, the tune was too long ... well, it sum up that I really was very very disappointed.

Mr. Shorter;s career was built on flat out jazz, most of his audience was 50plus yrs . thirty five minutes into his first A;vante-guarde piece a third of them left. What a waste. Terrell Stafford saved the night.

Terell Stafford's group was very nice, textbook jazz performance. They were excellent.

Wayne and company perform in the free yet together style of Miles 60's quintet. They were always on the same page yet roamed wherever they wanted to go. This type of playing is not for everybody but should have been expected by anyone attending as it was what one hears on Beyond the Sound Barrier and Footprints Live.
I too wish he would play some of his classic heads of the 60's Blue Note albums (I think I heard a snippet of Ju-Ju) but am happy to hear 4 great players play with one mind for 45-50 minutes. The encore seemed to be a written out piece that was new to me and extremely weird (pianist had a 6-7 page chart laid out). Maybe a new composition from Wayne. Although Wayne is one of the best and most innovative jazz composers of the 20th century, (see 60's Blue Note + 60's Miles Quintet albums. There are an unbelievable number of unique, strange compositions) this show was Wayne the improviser playing acoustic jazz on the edge which unfortunatly many listeners find difficult to listen to.
They don't do head, solo, head; they spontaneously compose as a group the whole time, yet they are always together and in sync. This is an incredible ability not matched since the Davis/Shorter/Hancock/Carter/Williams band did it.

A great show.

I thought that the show was almost perfect. Terrell Stafford was enjoyable, however I believe the music was a little difficult to connect to Wayne Shorter, However was the highlight of the season for me, incredibly interesting and engaging, and some of the best musicians I have heard at the Kimmel to date. The standing ovation was no surprise.

Bravo WS

The Wayne Shorter Quartet has found a new kind of music. A new way of playing music. The first piece was about an hour and ten minutes. Normally a single piece of music that long takes some effort to sustain continued concentration. But this felt more like a movie in that it was so engaging that you couldn't look away or let your mind wander for a second. A lot of people may be uncomfortable with this, especially if they are expecting and hoping for a more traditional type of jazz playing. His music is like water. It flows effortlessly and order cannot help but establish itself. The four musicians know each other so deeply that the most profound musical ideas seem to just take form all by themselves. It was the most gratifying and wonderful performance I've ever been to and I'll treasure it for as long as I live.

Also:
I have no problem with people know just know what they like, and they like old jazz or new jazz in an old style. That's fine. If you think that Wayne was better when he was with Miles or recording Night Dreamer, fine. Go ahead and think so, talk about it or write it in a review. Although I might privately consider it to be indicative of a certain insensitivity to great music, I will wish you well and simply disagree.
But I have great contempt for anyone who would speak low of Wayne Shorter or this group and also anyone who would be disrespectful enough to WALK OUT on one of the great performances of one the greatest musicians of all time. Shameful. Many people did so and I liken them to a passionless and spineless version of those who bood and rioted The Right of Spring, the snobs who snubbed West Side Story because it wasn't glitsy enough, and the dolts who think Tim Berton's version of Sweeney Todd was better than Patti LuPone on Broadway. Jerks.