Wayne Shorter first established himself as a central figure in the development of jazz as a member of Miles Davis' seminal mid-'60s quintet. He contributed a major portion of the compositions and a technique honed with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers. Shorter also released a series of recordings as leader that still stand as textbook examples of jazz style. After moving with Davis into his electric period, Shorter branched out to form Weather Report with Joe Zawinul, a band that still stands as a high-water mark in fusion. But, somehow, after Weather Report's breakup in the mid-'80s, Shorter fell into the doldrums. It happens.
His latest release, "Footprints Live!" though, finds him right back in the creative forefront of jazz with an excellent new band. Panamanian Danilo Perez has been earning rave reviews for his solos and sense on the keyboard. Bassist John Patituci is an all-around monster, having released his own recordings on every conceivable bass-like instrument. Brian Blade has played drums behind everyone from Bob Dylan to Emmylou Harris to New York City's finest jazz players. But, rather than sounding like an old star's head grafted onto a set of fresh, young bodies, the quartet overflows with ensemble feeling.
Shorter adds several new tunes, including a lovely homage to Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, but spends most of his energy on reimagining mid-'60s gems such as "Footprints" and "JuJu." The classic "Sanctuary" from Davis' "Bitches' Brew" album is refurbished into acoustic form with a serenity and mastery that makes the song virtually new. It's like diving into a favorite old book and finding meanings you never knew were there.