Wayne Shorter
Adam's Apple

No, it has nothing to do with my bat-nickname. After the huge success of Speak No Evil, the great Wayne Shorter, one of the greatest and most revolutionary saxophonists around, returns with a stunning album, "Adam's Apple", exactly one year after the release of his previous success.

The apple of Adam, taken from the tree of knowledge, is the meaning the Bible gives to man's thirst for wisdom, and personally, this album expresses exactly this feeling: it is an album that explores new expressive techniques, expressing a charge, a liveliness, and a uniqueness in its rationality.

The eponymous first track of the album is full of vitality and emits a curiosity and a desire for discovery that makes it almost impossible to explain the emotions expressed by the notes from Shorter's tenor sax in this track. The second track titled 502 Blues (Drinkin' & Drivin') is a reinterpretation of Jimmy Rowles' song. It appears calm and rational, but if you pay attention to Shorter's playing, it's like sitting next to a drunk driver mumbling nonsense. El Gaucho, the next track, is another well-rhythmed and lively piece by Mr. Wayne, perfect for a joyful walk. The fourth track, Footprints, is rather stealthy and calm, very relaxing but also technically complex, truly noteworthy.
Teru is the most relaxing piece of the album. Shorter's sax whispers adorable melodies full of passion, a piece that will make you fall in love with the more sensitive side of this extraordinary artist. With Chief Crazy Horse, you start to sway your shoulders and torso again, but moderately. It's a rather lively piece but very composed, considering we are in the 'chief's' house. The entrances of the four instrumentalists are rather measured, as one can feel in the air, but despite this, they are free and full of emotion. The last piece, The Collector, is a piece by pianist Herbert Jeffrey Hancock and is an absolute bop tune, rich in technical virtuosity by the four group members: Wayne Shorter, Herbert Jeffrey Hancock, Reginald Workman, and Joe Chambers. I interpret placing the piece at the end of the album as a liberating sign towards some oppressions described in the various tracks of the album, closing it in the same way it began.

In my humble opinion, this album surpasses "Speak No Evil" in many respects; an essential album for lovers of the genre but also for anyone wanting to start experiencing some well-done 'jasi' without exaggerations like in the Bop style. One of the best albums I've heard, one of the most emotionally charged albums I've ever listened to. BE-BOP!