Customer Reviews

Juju

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This followup to the excellent Night Dreamer is one of Wayne Shorter's best albums on Blue Note record. It places him in a challenging context: he's the only horn in front of two members and one alumnus of John Coltrane's rhythm section. Any lesser musician would have been smothered by juggernauts like Elvin Jones and McCoy Tyner, but Shorter rises to the challenge. And rather than marking him as a Trane disciple, the backing really highlights differences between the two.

The opening track, "Ju Ju", places him in the surging modal groove that this rhythm section had mastered on "My Favorite Things" and "Out of This World"; but Wayne's playing is a bit more quirky and asymmetrical, less dense than that of Elvin and McCoy's boss. "Deluge" and "Mahjong" highlight Shorter's growing ability to convey images or ideas through composition. And his tunes are always completely surprising, taking 90 degree turns where you least expecting them -- the ballad "House of Jade" (beautiful intro by Tyner) is a classic example. "Yes or No" ventures into Coltrane territory in classic Shorter curveball fashion, while "12 More Bars to Go" is a blues with several connotations.

Along with Speak No Evil this is the perfect introduction to Wayne Shorter's solo albums. Great saxophone playing, great sidemen, and great compositions. Who could complain?

In my opinion, JuJu, Wayne's second recording for Blue Note, is not only the best of Wayne's output as a leader, it is perhaps the best jazz album of its era. Since I first discovered the album in the mid-seventies, it has become the most often played album in my collection. Recorded in August, 1964 (the same month he joined Miles' band), this recording has all the requisites of a superb album - Wayne's renowned compositional skills, the leader's soulful, haunting tenor style, and great sidemen. McCoy Tyner and Elvin Jones had been playing side by side as members of John Coltrane's quartet for the previous four years, and Reggie Workman also did some time with that quartet in late 1960. Wayne had played often with Reggie with his long stint with Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, and had many previous encounters with McCoy and Elvin on previous Blue Note sessions as well. In short - this quartet really works well together.

Of the sidemen, Elvin Jones is the most outstanding of the session. His 3-on-4 style is provocative and his cymbal work ingenious. Elvin is a ocean of sound - waves crashing onshore in a stiff breeze. McCoy works very well with Wayne's chord changes - both as an accompanist and soloist. Reggie plays solid throughout.

All of the works are Shorter compositions, and are memorable enough to have been "published" in most of the fake books I've seen. There are no duds. No filler. No standards. Just a collection of some of the greatest jazz compositions and musicianship to be found in one place at one time. The sound is not mainstream, nor avant-garde; its Wayne's unique and original musical style at its very best. They can, and do, take it "out" at times, encouraged by Wayne's chord changes, but those same chord changes also anchor the soloists to a subtly-stated ground upon which to return. If you are a jazz purist and you don't own this album, your collection is incomplete.

JuJu - Here's a melody that really sticks in your head. McCoy is solid here, and Wayne reaches out in this lively 3/4 piece.

Deluge - Another beautiful composition, Deluge is a medium tempo piece that really swings. Elvin and Wayne are brilliant, and McCoy is comfortable in his unique style.

House Of Jade - A wonderful ballad, ala John Coltrane. Reggie's interpretation is seductive, and Wayne bears his soul. McCoy is short and sweet. Elvin lays back on this one.

Mahjong - Another Wayne classic, alternating from a straight to a swing feel. McCoy shines in another abbreviated solo. Reggie and Elvin set the stage beautifully for Both McCoy and Wayne. Wayne digs deep once again, and everything works perfectly.

Yes Or No - An up-tempo hard-bop number driven hard by Elvin and Reggie. Wayne is on fire, risking all, but never failing. McCoy follows suit.

Twelve More Bars To Go - A medium swing thing, almost bluesy. Again, Wayne consistently plays the head with unsurpassed feeling, and follows with the tune's only solo, keeping it inside most of the time.

The CD concludes with alternate takes of JuJu and House of Jade, which was a real treat for me after having memorized the solos of the original takes from the LP. These takes are very similar to the first, and just as good.

If you like this stuff, be sure to check out some of Wayne's other Blue Note recordings, including "Speak No Evil", "Night Dreamer", "Adam's Apple" and "Etcetera", in that order.

If we listen to the best Jazz played today, we see that among the many directions suggested in the 1960's, Shorter's way has been the most influential. MOstly through his great work with Miles Davis' second great quintet, but also through his own recordings, Shorter created music that was both inside and outside, had free elements within known forms, and allowed the artists creativity in contexts that still relied on such terms as chords and scales.
In Juju, recorded in 1964, Shorter's sound is dry, heavily influenced by Coltrane. The use Tyner, Jones and Workman adds more weight to the comparison. Shorter reminds me of Coltrane, but his energy is different. With Coltrane you feel that every solo is treated as though it is his last, while Shorter, energetic as he is, saves a little for later.
All tunes are by Shorter, and they are all unique. Tyner and Jones sound as if they really enjoy this one, and push Shorter to give his best. They work really well with workman.
Some may complain that this music is less "listenable" than Somethin' Else (Adderley & Davis) or even "The Sidewinder" (Morgan).
It is true that those masterpieces are hard to compete with, but Juju is a work of daring creative artists in top form, and this kind of work has the tendency to attract the initiated, the "experts" first, while the uninitiated come to it a little later, if they persist.

This is a great album. The compositions are all strong and the musicianship intense and of a very high caliber. I`ve had this CD since 1996 and I still listen to it regularly. Elvin Jones fans will find some of his best playing here. One caveat though, the Van Gelder remaster is a mess : Shorter`s sax has gained so much crispness that he sounds like he muted his sax with a box of KFC and the bass is now wobbly and muddled. Get the 1996 CD.

This is the real deal. Juju is fiery and yet it's nice. It has some of that same passion that the Coltrane Quartet. Half the members and one alumni contribute much, but that statement wouldn't be true without Wayne Shorter on Tenor.

Check out the title track. Shorter doesn't sound, to me, much like Coltrane. His soloing is more of a sound exploration than Coltrane could be. Coltrane would writhe and twist, while Shorter booms in all sorts of colors of sound. And boy, can he tear. Whew! That track cooks.

The album itself (the rest) is great. Some quirky tunes. Some easy going tunes. Some more explosive ones. Elvin, McCoy and Reggie Workman are constantly there. And Wayne is constantly leading. This (like Grant Green's The Matador) is not to be listened to for the sidemen. It's a great album for the leader, backed with superb support. Get it.

Also, I bought this recent RVG remaster, and frankly, I like the original better. In fact, I returned the RVG remaster (which is more $$). That reissue just took away some of the warmth of the original. But, you be the judge ok?

One of the reasons that make this album so good is its interaction between each of the musicians equally. As the drummer usually keeps time with occasional drum solos, Elvin Jones here, almost practically is giving a drum solo during each of Shorter and Tyner's solos, making him part of the conversation in each songs. The opener, similar to John Coltrane's version of Afro Blue is great. The main theme is repeated a lot, almost making it imbibe in your brain, but the melody is outstanding. The second track, Deluge, is what at first seems to be a slow boring ballad, but turns into a swining blues. The repetition of the melody on this song is also great.
House of Jade is similar to Twelve More Bars To Go in the fact that only the melody is the real highlight in the song. Mahjong is great in that the group swings over a beat that is trying to be afro cuban, but has a chinese feel to it. Yes Or No is a bright up tempo piece, with again, a good meoldy phrase. This album is great. It is another classic Blue NOte Album of Shorter's repotoire and jazz!

The reviewer right before this one said most everything one could possibly say about this album. It's fiery and yet it's nice. It has some of that same passion that the Coltrane Quartet. Half the members and one alumni contribute much, but that statement wouldn't be true without Wayne Shorter on Tenor.

Check out the title track. Shorter doesn't sound, to me, much like Coltrane. His soloing is more of a sound exploration than Coltrane could be. Coltrane would writhe and twist, while Shorter booms in all sorts of colors of sound. And boy, can he tear. Whew! That track cooks.

The album itself (the rest) is great. Some quirky tunes. Some easy going tunes. Some more explosive ones. Elvin, McCoy and Reggie Workman are constantly there. And Wayne is constantly leading. This (like Grant Green's The Matador) is not to be listened to for the sidemen. It's a great album for the leader, backed with superb support. Get it.

Also, I bought the recent RVG remaster, and frankly, I like the original better. In fact, I returned the RVG remaster. That reissue just took away some of the warmth of the original. But, you be the judge ok?

This really is a great Shorter record, but sometimes I play this record for people and they just don't get the title track. It must be the augmented chords...if you want to check this out I might suggest saving the title track for last. Yes or No is a classic. Deluge and Mahjongg are beautiful. I'd put this second or third in the Shorter catalog (1 and 2 being Speak No Evil and Night Dreamer).

Shorter gained much notoriety during his five-year stint with Miles Davis' great quintet of 1963-1968, then moved on to the seminal fusion band Weather Report. Lost in the shuffle, unfortunately, was a terrific series of recordings he released as a leader for Blue Note. "Juju" may be the best of this lot.

Those who followed the Davis quintet closely know that much of its power derived not only from Shorter's soloing and sensitive interaction with Herbie Hancock, Tony Williams and Ron Carter, but also from the saxophonist's compositional contributions. "Juju" showcases Shorter's writing ability. His writing ranged from gritty blues to ethereal ballads; the writing on much of this CD has an ethereal quality that is extremely appealing. My personal favorite is the mysterious "Deluge," which features irresistible comping by McCoy Tyner or piano.

This top-notch release is buoyed by Shorter's fiery soloing and by a terrific supporting cast that includes the great Elvin Jones on drums.

Fans of Shorter's Blue Note work should also check out "Schizophrenia," "Adam's Apple," and the wonderful "Super Nova," which includes an appearance by the late, great free jazz guitarist Sonny Sharrock.

This album pairs Wayne with Coltrane's early sixties rhythm section and it is uniformly excellent. Wayne's soloing is intelligent, interesting and superbly logical. Jones, Tyner and Workman are excellent, as always. Tyner is in especially good form and plays a number of fine solos. It is quite different than their playing with Trane. A lot less intense and lot more joyful.

The new re-master is pretty good but Wayne's sax sounds a little buzzy on some of the tracks. If you like Wayne then you should definitely get this.