Odyssey of Iska

Last updated
Odyssey of Iska
Odyssey of Iska.JPG
Studio album by
ReleasedJune/July 1971
RecordedAugust 26, 1970
StudioA&R Studios, New York City
Genre Avant-garde jazz
Length39:27
Label Blue Note
BST 84363
Producer Duke Pearson
Wayne Shorter chronology
Super Nova
(1969)
Odyssey of Iska
(1971)
Second Genesis
(1974)

Odyssey of Iska is the fourteenth album by American jazz composer and saxophonist Wayne Shorter, released on Blue Note Records in 1971. Musicians include guitarist Gene Bertoncini, bassists Ron Carter and Cecil McBee and drummer Billy Hart, along with multiple percussionists.

Contents

History and concept

Odyssey of Iska was the outcome of the second recording session with Shorter that was produced by Duke Pearson. (The first session, Moto Grosso Feio on April 3, 1970, was not issued until 1974.) With the exception of Ron Carter there was a completely different line-up, although with a similar instrumentation: Shorter's saxophone as the only horn, guitar instead of keyboards, two double bass players, and various percussion instruments including marimba and vibraphone. The same emphasis on percussion is also found on a recording date led by Joe Zawinul only some two weeks before, on August 10, where Wayne Shorter had a guest appearance on "Double Image" (released on Zawinul ).

Wayne Shorter had just married Ana Maria Patricio, whom he had met four years earlier. The name "Iska" in the album title refers to their daughter. She was born around the time the record was made.

One of the percussionists on Odyssey of Iska, Frank Cuomo, is the father of rock group Weezer's frontman, Rivers Cuomo. The other drummers are Billy Hart and Alphonse Mouzon.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
All About Jazz (quite favourable) [1]
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [2]

The AllMusic review by Scott Yanow states: "On the verge of joining Weather Report (referred to in the liner notes as "Weather Forecast"), it is not surprising that Shorter's originals include titles such as "Wind", "Storm", and "Calm". These moody works were never covered by other jazz players but they work quite well in this context, launching melancholy flights by Shorter." [2]

Track listing

All compositions by Wayne Shorter except where noted.
  1. "Wind" – 8:00
  2. "Storm" – 8:22
  3. "Calm" – 3:25
  4. "Depois do Amor, o Vazio" (After Love, Emptiness) (Bobby Thomas) – 11:40
  5. "Joy" – 9:00

Personnel

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Weather Report</span> American jazz fusion band

Weather Report was an American jazz fusion band active from 1970 to 1986. The band was founded in 1970 by Austrian keyboardist Joe Zawinul, American saxophonist Wayne Shorter, Czech bassist Miroslav Vitouš, American drummer Alphonse Mouzon as well as American percussionists Don Alias and Barbara Burton. The band was initially co-led by co-frontmen Zawinul and Shorter but, subsequently as the 1970s progressed, Zawinul largely became the sole musical leader of the group. Other prominent members at various points in the band's lifespan included Jaco Pastorius, Alphonso Johnson, Victor Bailey, Chester Thompson, Peter Erskine, Airto Moreira, and Alex Acuña. Throughout most of its existence, the band was a quintet consisting of Zawinul, Shorter, a bass guitarist, a drummer, and a percussionist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Houston Person</span> American jazz saxophonist (born 1934)

Houston Person is an American jazz tenor saxophonist and record producer. Although he has performed in the hard bop and swing genres, he is most experienced in and best known for his work in soul jazz. He received the ‘Eubie Blake Jazz Award’ in 1982.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wayne Shorter</span> American jazz saxophonist and composer (1933–2023)

Wayne Shorter was an American jazz saxophonist, composer and bandleader. Shorter came to mainstream prominence in 1959 upon joining Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, for whom he eventually became the primary composer. In 1964 he joined Miles Davis' Second Great Quintet, and then co-founded the jazz fusion band Weather Report in 1970. He recorded more than 20 albums as a bandleader.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miroslav Vitouš</span> Czech jazz bassist

Miroslav Ladislav Vitouš is a Czech jazz bassist.

<i>Speak No Evil</i> 1966 studio album by Wayne Shorter

Speak No Evil is the sixth album by Wayne Shorter. It was released in June 1966 by Blue Note Records. The music combines elements of hard bop and modal jazz, and features Shorter on tenor saxophone, trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, pianist Herbie Hancock, bassist Ron Carter and drummer Elvin Jones. The cover photo is of Shorter's first wife, Teruko (Irene) Nakagami, whom he met in 1961.

<i>Weather Report</i> (1971 album) 1971 studio album by Weather Report

Weather Report is the debut studio album by American jazz fusion band Weather Report, released on May 12, 1971 by Columbia Records. The album was reissued by Sony and digitally remastered by Vic Anesini in November 1991 at Sony Music Studios in New York City.

<i>Second Genesis</i> (album) 1974 studio album by Wayne Shorter

Second Genesis is the second album by jazz saxophonist Wayne Shorter recorded by the Vee-Jay label in 1960 but not released until 1974. It was his second session as leader, performing with his Jazz Messengers boss Art Blakey on drums, pianist Cedar Walton and bassist Bob Cranshaw. Walton joined Blakey's Messengers the following year, following the departure of Bobby Timmons.

<i>VSOP</i> (album) 1977 live album by Herbie Hancock

V.S.O.P. is a 1977 double live album by keyboardist Herbie Hancock, featuring acoustic jazz performances by the V.S.O.P. Quintet, jazz fusion/ jazz-funk performances by the ‘Mwandishi’ band and The Headhunters. The concert was advertised as a "Herbie Hancock Retrospective," and Miles Davis, who was several months into his temporary retirement, was advertised as playing with the V.S.O.P. group. According to concert attendees, on the night of the show a handwritten sign was posted on the lobby door announcing that Davis would not be playing, but that Hubbard would be appearing instead.

<i>Bird on a Wire</i> (Tim Hardin album) 1971 studio album by Tim Hardin

Bird on a Wire is an album by folk artist Tim Hardin, released in 1971. It was Hardin's second release on Columbia Records. It peaked at No. 189 on the Billboard Pop Album charts and was his last album to chart.

<i>Moto Grosso Feio</i> 1974 studio album by Wayne Shorter

Moto Grosso Feio is the thirteenth album by Wayne Shorter, recorded in 1970 but not released on the Blue Note label until 1974. The album features four originals by Shorter and an arrangement of "Vera Cruz" by Milton Nascimento. Some of the musicians include guitarist John McLaughlin, bassist/cellist Ron Carter, bassist Dave Holland, and drummers Jack DeJohnette and Micheline Pelzer.

<i>Sama Layuca</i> 1974 studio album by McCoy Tyner

Sama Layuca is a studio album by American jazz pianist McCoy Tyner, released in 1974 by Milestone Records. It was recorded on March 26, 27, and 28, 1974, featuring oboist/flautist John Stubblefield, alto saxophonist Gary Bartz, tenor saxophonist Azar Lawrence, vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson, bassist Buster Williams, drummer Billy Hart and percussionists Guilherme Franco and Mtume.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Friedman (percussionist)</span> American jazz percussionist

David Friedman is an American jazz percussionist. His primary instruments are vibraphone and marimba.

Bobby Thomas was a Kittitian-American jazz drummer. A member of Junior Mance's trio in 1960, Thomas recorded with the Montgomery Brothers in New York in January 1960.

<i>Zawinul</i> (album) 1971 studio album by Joe Zawinul

Zawinul is the third studio album by jazz composer and pianist Joe Zawinul recorded in 1970 by Zawinul performing music arranged for two electric pianos, flute, trumpet, soprano saxophone, two contrabasses, and percussion. The album reached number 17 in the Billboard Jazz album charts.

<i>Directions</i> (Miles Davis album) 1981 compilation album by Miles Davis

Directions is a compilation album by American jazz musician Miles Davis, released in 1981 by Columbia Records. It collects previously unreleased outtakes that Davis recorded between 1960 and 1970. Directions was the last of a series of compilation albums—mostly consisting of, at that time, previously unreleased music—that Columbia released to bridge Davis' recording hiatus that ended with the Man with the Horn in July 1981.

<i>Free</i> (Airto album) 1972 studio album by Airto Moreira

Free is an album by Brazilian jazz drummer and percussionist Airto Moreira with performances recorded in 1972. The album was released by CTI Records and reached No. 30 on the jazz album chart at Billboard magazine.

<i>Blues in Orbit</i> (Gil Evans album) 1980 studio album by Gil Evans

Blues in Orbit is an album by jazz composer, arranger, conductor and pianist Gil Evans, recorded in 1969 and 1971 by Evans with an orchestra featuring Jimmy Cleveland, Howard Johnson, Billy Harper, and Joe Beck. The album was originally released on the short-lived Ampex label as Gil Evans (1970) but received wider release on the Enja label under this title.

<i>The Almoravid</i> 1974 studio album by Joe Chambers

The Almoravid is the debut album led by drummer Joe Chambers recorded in 1971 and 1973 and released on the Muse label.

<i>Without a Net</i> (Wayne Shorter album) 2013 live album by Wayne Shorter

Without a Net is a live album by American jazz saxophonist Wayne Shorter and his ‘Footprints’ Quartet: pianist Danilo Perez, bassist John Patitucci and drummer Brian Blade. The album was released on 5 February 2013 via Blue Note to critical acclaim.

<i>Night Song</i> (Arthur Blythe album) 1997 studio album by Arthur Blythe

Night Song is an album by the saxophonist Arthur Blythe, released via Clarity Recordings in 1997.

References

  1. Spencer, Robert. Wayne Shorter - Odyssey of Iska (rec. 1970, rel. 1971) album review. All About Jazz . May 1, 1997.
  2. 1 2 Yanow, Scott. "Wayne Shorter - Odyssey of Iska (rec. 1970, rel. 1971) album review, credits & releases". AllMusic . AllMusic . Retrieved April 14, 2009.