Shorter's Synth-Laced Columbia Detour
A Columbia-era Shorter record where keyboards and grooves take the lead over his famous quirkiness.
The personnel on Joy Ryder point to a session built around keyboards and rhythm rather than the open-ended small-group conversations Shorter had made his name on. Wayne Shorter plays saxophone, doubling on soprano and tenor, but the album is anchored by synthesizers and electric bass, with Herbie Hancock and Geri Allen on synth, Patrice Rushen on keyboard, Nathan East and Darryl Jones on electric bass, and Terri Lyne Carrington on drums. Frank Colón adds percussion. That lineup tells you a lot about the sound before you hear a note: this is a band working in the polished, late-80s studio idiom.
The main thing to know is that this record was not well received at the time. AllMusic reviewer Scott Yanow called Shorter's Columbia albums of the 1980s disappointments, arguing that the compositions lacked the originality of his 1960s work and that his improvisations tended to wander. That criticism is worth taking seriously, though not every listener will hear it the same way. The grooves are tight, Carrington keeps things moving, and Shorter's tone is intact, even if the material is less angular than the Blue Note years.
For a listener, Joy Ryder is not where to start with Shorter. Begin with Speak No Evil (1964) or Adam's Apple (1966) to hear what he was capable of. Come to this one afterward, as a document of a specific period when he was working in a more commercial direction, and as an acquired taste for committed fans who want the full picture of his career.
Who's playing
Nathan Eastelectric bass guitar
Darryl Joneselectric bass guitar
Wayne Shortersaxophone
Geri Allensynthesizer
Herbie Hancocksynthesizer
Terri Lyne Carringtondrums
Frank Colónpercussion
Patrice Rushenkeyboard
Where next?
More by Wayne Shorter
All 24 albums →
The musicians on this record
Their own records, close in time
