Here’s some good juju.
I’ve been after the classic Hancocks, Hendersons and Shorters on Blue Note for a long time and have managed to secure some of them. Just completed my top three Hancock must haves and have some of my favorite Hendersons. My top three Shorters have been extra difficult to source and I have had one of them, ”Speak No Evil”, for quite a while. Now the other two have been sourced in one fell swoop. One will have to wait to be posted for a while, but the one on display is in my hands. ”Juju” is a fantastic album, the six compositions are outstanding, all penned by Shorter. The themes are so memorable and Shorters soloing is splendid. It’s deep post-bop we’re talking about here, performed by a band worth it’s weight in gold. Shorter, McCoy Tyner, Reggie Workman and Elvin Jones delivers a raw display of quartet magic, keeping an intense fire burning mixed with lyrical ideas which work like balm for the soul. The albums as a whole feels extremely cohesive.
Favorite cuts from this all-the-way-through stellar album has to be ”Mahjong”, ”Juju” and ”Yes or No”.
Now I’ll wait for the last Shorter piece that I sorely need.