Wayne Shorter Quartet

I didn't go into this concert with the optimal mindset. I didn't sleep well the night before and I had knocked out a hard ten mile run in the morning, so I was dragging all day and was afraid I'd have difficulty focusing. I needn't have worried. This was one of the most enthralling concert experiences I've ever had. The band came on stage at 8:05 and without saying a word proceeded to play for an hour straight, pause thirty seconds for applause, knock out another 45 minutes, and then follow up with a ten minute encore (all without saying one word). The energy level throughout was electric, and more importantly a sense of joy emanated from the players and you got the impression that they enjoyed playing with eachother as much as the audience enjoyed hearing them. Really the concert felt like watching an intimate session or rehearsal rather than a full on concert. I don't mean that it wasn't tight, but rather the interplay felt relaxed and intimate rather than the formality you might expect in a concert hall. This is an obvious tribute to the talents of the individual band members (Wayne Shorter, John Patattucci, Danilo Perez, and Brian Blade) and, speaking as a thoroughly mediocre jazz drummer, I only wish I could exhibit the same sense of feel and energy.

What was even more impressive was that the playing was virtuostic, and not at all straight ahead, they kept it accessible enough that even someone not well versed in jazz couldn't help be swept up in the overall vibe. Really the biggest compliment I can give the group is that its the kind of group I would love to play in. Mot necessarily because of the level of musicianship (though that is awesome), but because it would just be fun.