WAYNE SHORTER — Juju (review)

WAYNE SHORTER — Juju album cover Album · 1965 · Hard Bop Buy this album from MMA partners
3.5/5 ·
Sean Trane
An early Shorter solo album, and I believe the second one (of a long series) on the Blue Note label, Juju is also one of my fave, not least because of the outstanding contribution of Tyner and his usual-suspect Trane accomplice Elvin on the drums and Workman on bass. Ok, don’t think I’m jumping on my Trane train yet, because Shorter is the star, and his compositions are one of the best he’s ever done, and his stellar playing shines throughout the album’s six tracks, but inevitably the Trane shadow is lurking all over Juju.

What a pleasure it is to hear the Coltrane crew without Trane in the opening title, even if it’s almost impossible not to think of the master himself, mainly because of the instantly recognizable Tyner piano and a slight raga feel. Deluge is quieter pedestrian tempo that doesn’t match its predecessor in terms of adventure. The even slower House of Jade is somehow a bit of a bore, despite an excellent but slightly predictable end. On the flipside’s Mahjong, Elvin opens alone, but is soon joined by Tyner’s tense piano line and Shorter’s wailing sax to give the whole thing a slightly exotic-raga touch and turns out to be the album’s best moment. The following up-beat Yes Or No present a slight bop feel, but voids falling in the usual trap. The bluesy-bop closer 12 More Bars is not exactly a foot-stomper, but fits correctly the album’s overall tone.

The remaster reissue feature alternate takes (both shorter ;o))) of the title track and the Jade track, but it’s not like they are a major selling point. Compared with many of his subsequent releases such as Speak No Evil or Schizophrenia, this is a far more adventurous album, even if Wayne will work again with Tyner in Soothsayer, but not to the same affect. As for Juju, it’s a little sad that the tracks following the lead-of song on each side of the album don’t really pick up where they left off. Good early album, getting my personal nod, probably because of the Trane-gang connection.

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Jazz Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

JMA TOP 5 Jazz ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
A Love Supreme Post Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
Kind of Blue Cool Jazz
MILES DAVIS
Buy this album from our partners
The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady Progressive Big Band
CHARLES MINGUS
Buy this album from our partners
Blue Train Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
My Favorite Things Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners

New Jazz Artists

New Jazz Releases

Plexus Plexus Acid Jazz
WEB WEB
Buy this album from MMA partners
Return to the Joyous Lake World Fusion
FAREED HAQUE
Buy this album from MMA partners
Mother Harp Eclectic Fusion
MATT ULERY
Buy this album from MMA partners
Superblue : Guilty Pleasures, Vol. 2 RnB
KURT ELLING
Buy this album from MMA partners
Memories Dreams Reflections Hard Bop
NICOLE GLOVER
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Jazz Online Videos

Jed Levy Trio
JED LEVY
js· -45 second ago
Web Web - Apotheosis
WEB WEB
js· 119 minutes ago
Skywhale - Eternal Optimist The Rat (from the forthcoming reissue of The World At Mind's End)
SKYWHALE
PQR· 4 hours ago
Lessons In Flying
MATT ULERY
js· 8 hours ago
Turn To Stone
KURT ELLING
js· 9 hours ago
More videos

New JMA Jazz Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Jazz News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed