High Life
Studio album by
Wayne Shorter
ReleasedOctober 17, 1995
GenreJazz Fusion, World Music
Length53:10
LabelVerve
ProducerMarcus Miller
Wayne Shorter chronology
A Tribute to Miles
(1994) 		High Life
(1995) 		1+1
(1997)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Tom HullC+[2]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings[3]

High Life is an album by jazz saxophonist Wayne Shorter that was released on Verve Records in 1995. This album won the Grammy Award in 1996 for Best Contemporary Jazz Performance.[4] Some of the musicians include keyboardist Rachel Z, guitarist David Gilmore, bassist Marcus Miller, percussionists Lenny Castro and Airto and drummer Will Calhoun of Living Colour.

Overview

The album was the first album Wayne Shorter had recorded as a leader for seven years. It was also his recording debut for Verve Records. High Life was something of a departure from the jazz-fusion albums that Shorter had recorded in the late 1980s after leaving Weather Report. The compositions were generally seen[citation needed] to be more complex than his previous efforts and the use of synthesized instruments was seen[citation needed] to be more subtle.

Shorter wrote, composed, and arranged all of the compositions featured on it. A thirty-piece orchestral ensemble was used in addition to the electronic instruments. The album was produced by Marcus Miller, who also played electric bass and conducted the orchestra. Keyboardist Rachel Z contributed to the orchestration and the sound design of the album as well as played piano and synths. Besides soprano and tenor saxophone it is the first and only (recorded) occasion Shorter played alto and baritone saxophones.

The album was (mainly) recorded and mixed in Bill Schnee's studio in North Hollywood, and released on October 17, 1995. High Life won the Best Contemporary Jazz Performance in 1996.[4]

Track listing

  1. "Children of the Night" – 7:23
  2. "At the Fair" – 7:29
  3. "Maya" – 5:12
  4. "On the Milky Way Express" – 5:35
  5. "Pandora Awakened" – 6:20
  6. "Virgo Rising" – 6:46
  7. "High Life" – 6:28
  8. "Midnight in Carlotta's Hair" – 5:54
  9. "Black Swan (In Memory of Susan Portlynn Romeo)" – 2:04

All compositions by Wayne Shorter

Personnel

Orchestra

Production

Studios

References

  1. ^ Yanow, Scott (2011). "Wayne Shorter - High Life (1995) album review, credits & releases". allmusic.com. AllMusic. Retrieved 2 August 2011.
  2. ^ "Tom Hull: Grade List: Wayne Shorter". Tom Hull. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
  3. ^ Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th ed.). Penguin. p. 1297. ISBN 978-0-141-03401-0.
  4. ^ a b "1996 Grammy Winners". Recording Academy. Retrieved 21 December 2021.

External links

Wayne Shorter
Authority control databases
Categories