As a member of the legendary Miles Davis quintet and the group Weather Report, Shorter is usually associated with the most innovative contemporary jazz music. Footprints Live! is an album of many novelties. Remarkably, the CD is Shorter's first fully acoustic straightahead jazz album since 1967, his first disc as a leader since High Life (1994) and his first ever live jazz album as a band leader.
It is also a record of the first time he toured as a leader with his own acoustic band, a supergroup with Danilo PĂ©rez on piano, John Patitucci on bass, and Brian Blade on drums. Together with these young jazz tigers, Shorter breathes new life into compositions such as Go, JuJu, and Footprints, the latter of which has become a firm standard. There is also a strong rendition of Valse Triste, a song based on a theme by Sibelius. Shorter also chose songs from the Miles period such as Sanctuary by Bitches Brew and Masqualero by Sorceror and material from more recent years such as Atlantis and Aung San Suu Kyi. The music is raw and explosive in the hands of these outstanding players, not least by Shorter himself, whose muscular, recognizable sound on tenor and soprano stands out. A beautiful record and a welcome addition to Shorter's discography. (RM) whose muscular, recognizable sound on tenor and soprano stands out. A beautiful record and a welcome addition to Shorter's discography. (RM) whose muscular, recognizable sound on tenor and soprano stands out. A beautiful record and a welcome addition to Shorter's discography. (RM)more