Customer Reviews

The All Seeing Eye [Vinyl]

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4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

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!!!

"The All Seeing Eye" is the most avant-garde of all Wayne Shorter's Blue Note albums. This edition marks the second time it has been available on CD -- it was one of the first twelve albums issued in the Connoisseur Series, and it sold out very quickly. And deservedly so since it is a brilliant, intense, multi-layered soundfest that lives up to its omnipresent title. Recorded in late 1965 the album features some of the best musicians of the day -- Freddie Hubbard, Grachan Moncur, James Spaulding, Joe Chambers, Herbie Hancock and Ron Carter (the latter two of course were Wayne's colleagues in the great 1965-68 Miles Davis Quintet). It is a rare album that can accommodate the distinct sound of so many musicians, especially in a format designed to promote collective improvisation, but this one does. The overpowering horn textures on the title-track and "Genesis" are rivaled in terms of their quality and passion only by those on Archie Shepp's "Fire Music" (see my review) during this period. "Chaos" is a classic Blue Note hard bopper, reminiscent of Wayne's work with the Jazz Messengers a year earlier, while "Face of the Deep" is a ballad in the mode of his compositions with the Miles Davis group, though the four horn frontline adds a different dimension. The final track, "Mephistopheles," is the album's wildest. Written by Wayne's brother Alan, who joins the group on this track only, it showcases the most avant-garde of the Shorters with its meandering theme and dark, ominous feel. The RVG edition also seems to have a different sound from the original Connoisseur version. It's not of better quality, since the Connoisseur was also remastered with 20-bit technology, more like a different mix. In any event, the sound is great, the music is challenging and inventive, and this disc is a classic not to be missed.

Shorter and company pulled off this delightful improvisational album for Blue Note in 1965, and thankfully it has been remastered at 24-bits by Rudy Van Gelder. The personnel is a talented bunch of players, including Freddie Hubbard (trumpet), Al Shorter (flugelhorn; 5 only), Grachan Mongur III (trombone), James Spaulding (alto sax), Wayne Shorter (tenor sax), Herbie Hancock (piano), Ron Carter (bass) and Joe Chambers (drums).

Miles' 1959 "Kind of Blue" altered the culture and future course of jazz as we know it and in that strain Shorter came along with this work of topnotch modal improvisational jazz. At the time this was recorded Shorter had never led with such a big group of sidemen. The nature of this music is immensely exploratory, channeling textures and colors that seem to move outward as the sounds unfold.

Before I forget, Herbie Hancock is outstanding on these tracks. Wayne was questioning and daring on this date, blowing his horn and sending torrents of investigative sound at listeners. This Rudy Van Gelder Edition offers buyers the top-quality sound of Wayne's most unique Blue Note recording.

THE ALL SEEING EYE is a concept album that moves into freer territory than Wayne Shorter's other solo sessions of this period. Shorter's work here will probably be more interesting to followers of avant-garde jazz than to mainstream-leaning fans (to whom I would steer toward a number of his other albums, such as SPEAK NO EVIL). The tunes are ambitious, and such soloists as Freddie Hubbard play in an adventurous free-form style that is more out-of-the-box than even the classic inside/outside Miles Davis quintet albums of the period. An anomality in relation to other Shorter Blue Note albums, and arguably of more interest historically than a disc that most will play very often. Nonetheless, THE ALL SEEING EYE is an admirable stretch for an artist who seems to always find some fresh musical path to explore.

While much of Wayne Shorter's other albums neatly fit into the conventions of jazz, 1965's "The All Seeing Eye" defies those conventions and stands as the most challenging and most daring record of his career with Blue Note. Featuring an all-star lineup that includes heavyweights Herbie Hancock (piano), Freddie Hubbard (trumpet), and Joe Chambers (drums), "The All Seeing-Eye" is an often fascinating journey of dark moods, interesting textures, and unexpected highs. The frenetic, kickoff title cut has Hubbard and Shorter feeding off each others' energy to the frantic beat of Chambers on drums. "Chaos," a great hard bop number, hits you hard with its fierce blows of aggression, while the best is saved for last: the dark and ominous "Mephistopheles" which is a true mind-blower. A must own for those who like a little spice in their jazz collection, "The All Seeing Eye"'s power can't be underestimated. Turn off the lights, crank up the sound, and step into Wayne's World.

The liner notes are a little ambiguous on whether or not Alan played on tracks other than his composition "Mephistopheles." Nat Hentoff writes that on Mephistopheles, Alan "takes his only solo in the set." Wayne gets quoted as saying "Freddie was essential for those top notes in the ensemble passages....And Alan, in everything he does--the solo and the ensemble work--has that constant sense of what makes dramatic impact." I guess if I listen closely, I should be able to determine if Alan is playing in the ensemble passages on the first four tunes. A five-horn front line--an octet--is an unusual grouping. What says the jazz scholars of Amazone?

Some people say this is Wayne's answer to 'A Love Supreme'. I think it blows it away. When Wayne brings a subject to music, many things can happen, sometimes beautiful, sometimes happily cooking, sometimes intensely explorative. Always great. The musicians are very adventurous here; this record is on the opposite end of the spectrum from 'Speak No Evil'. He's pushing the envelope both playing-wise and composition-wise. I love this record, but if you want to check out Shorter I would get Speak No Evil and Juju first; if you want to hear some more adventurous blowing, then check this out. You wont be disappointed.

...i imagine God layin beneath a starless sky on a patch of dirt with a small puddle of water in the middle of it...He's bored and lookin for somethin to get into, layin on his back, one hand submerged into the pool...flippin water into the air from that hand inspires him to create the stars and then it all comes together: Genesis....
this is the soundtrack to our beginnings....
if coltrane's 'a love supreme' represents the spirit of man pleading to his creator, then this represents God contemplating only to Himself....
very foreboding, extremely dark...i love it, but i can hardly recommend this for others to listen to. i bought this about six or seven years ago and probably havent played it more than six or seven times. it's good if you have a multi-disc player, then you could put it on full-random-mode and listen to it sandwiched between other artists. unless you are already familiar with wayne shorter, then i really suggest you try something else either from him or someone else (there is an extremely deep catalogue of jazz music to choose from), but if you are lookin for something for you to play in the solitude of your own thoughts, then this is it!...

I would agree with others' reviews in that this is adventurous. However, like a lot of listeners, I am most familiar with JuJu and Speak No Evil which I am a huge fan. This recording is much more "out there" and is more contemplative than energizing. Check out the song titles.