The All Seeing Eye
Studio album by
Wayne Shorter
ReleasedOctober 1966[1]
RecordedOctober 15, 1965
StudioVan Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs
GenrePost-bop, avant-garde jazz
Length44:19
LabelBlue Note
BST 84219
ProducerAlfred Lion
Wayne Shorter chronology
Speak No Evil
(1966)		 The All Seeing Eye
(1966)		 Adam's Apple
(1967)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Penguin Guide to Jazz[3]
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide[4]
Sputnikmusic4.1/5[5]
Tom HullB+[6]

The All Seeing Eye is the ninth jazz album by saxophonist Wayne Shorter, recorded on October 15, 1965, and released on the Blue Note label as BLP 4219 and BST 84219 in 1966.[7] The album features performances by Shorter with trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, trombonist Grachan Moncur III, alto saxophonist James Spaulding, pianist Herbie Hancock, bassist Ron Carter and drummer Joe Chambers. Shorter's brother, Alan composed and plays fluegelhorn on the final track, “Mephistopheles”. The AllMusic review by Scott Yanow states: "it is clear from the start that the music on this CD reissue is not basic bop and blues... the dramatic selections, and their brand of controlled freedom has plenty of subtle surprises. This is stimulating music that still sounds fresh over three decades later".[8]

Album conception

In the album's original liner notes, Shorter explains that the album was conceived as an attempt to depict the meaning of life, existence and the nature of God and the universe. In the long interview with Nat Hentoff, the saxophonist mentions the meanings of each piece, which will be hereby shortly summarized: "The All Seeing Eye" depicts the ubiquitous eye of God; "the solos, moreover, depict the machinery involved in the process of creation". "Genesis" obviously refers to the creation of all things; if the first part mostly consists in free tempo phrases, it "goes into 4/4 straight time to indicate that everything is beginning to settle down". Shorter further explains that he tried to give "Genesis" an open-endedness feeling "because, once begun, the creative process keeps going". "Chaos" reflects "wars, disagreements and the difficulty men have in understanding each other", whilst "Face of the Deep", a ballad in a minor key – the more cohesive piece of the album -, mirrors God bethinking on His creation. Shorter meant the composition as hopeful. The closing piece, "Mephistopheles", is a composition by Wayne's older brother Alan, and it emphasizes the ominous presence of evil; Wayne notes: "At the end, that loud, high climax can be taken as a scream. If you consort with the Devil, and are fooled by his unpredictability, that scream is a measure of the price you pay [...] and you are consigned to an eternity of torture, fire and brimstone".

Track listing

All compositions by Wayne Shorter, except where indicated.

  1. "The All Seeing Eye" – 10:32
  2. "Genesis" – 11:44
  3. "Chaos" – 6:56
  4. "Face of the Deep" – 5:29
  5. "Mephistopheles" (Alan Shorter) – 9:40

Personnel

Charts

Chart performance for The All Seeing Eye
Chart (2021) Peak
position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[9] 194
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[10] 68
Scottish Albums (OCC)[11] 98

References

  1. ↑ "Billboard". 2 April 1966.
  2. ↑ Allmusic Review
  3. ↑ "Penguin Guide to Jazz: 4-Star Records in 8th Edition". Tom Hull. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  4. ↑ Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. p. 180. ISBN 0-394-72643-X.
  5. ↑ "Wayne Shorter: The All Seeing Eye". Sputnikmusic. sputnikmusic.com. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
  6. ↑ "Tom Hull: Grade List: Wayne Shorter". Tom Hull. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
  7. ↑ "Wayne Shorter – The All Seeing Eye". Discogs. discogs.com. Retrieved 9 January 2017.
  8. ↑ Yanow, S. AllMusic Review accessed 2 August 2009.
  9. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Wayne Shorter – The All Seeing Eye" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 3, 2021.
  10. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Wayne Shorter – The All Seeing Eye" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
  11. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 9, 2021.
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