![]() Shorter had returned at long last to Newark, his old stomping grounds, for a four-day festival in his honor via NJPAC's TD Jazz Series the quartet played the second half of a concert that began with Shorter in improvised duologue with the keyboardist Herbie Hancock. Circumstances may have played a role in that remarkable outcome. ![]() ![]() I've seen the group - a magically cohesive unit with Danilo PĂ©rez on piano, John Patitucci on bass and Brian Blade on drums - eight or nine times over the years, and I've never witnessed a more transcendent or turbocharged performance than this one. Wayne Shorter, the illustrious saxophonist and composer, has led his current quartet for the better part of two decades. Wayne Shorter at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center Getty Images Wayne Shorter performs in 2014 It's this sweet and sour combo that makes Guppy one of those immediately mood-altering albums that's guaranteed to enliven even your most bummer-filled days. "Am I the best? Or just the first person to say yes?" she sings - one of the year's best knife-twisting kiss-offs - with equal parts wide-eyed, adolescent wonder, introspective regret and pissed-off sneer. That's especially true of the throttling break-up anthem "Glitter," in which Hendricks unfurls rapid-fire one-liners that take aim at anyone who's mistreated her while owning up to her self-absorbed behavior. But there's more to its charm than meets the eye: Embedded in Spencer Fox's powerful hooks and Eva Hendricks' bubbly voice is a wounded vulnerability and blunt honesty that imbues these songs with heartfelt meaning. A debut with sunny melodies and blistering guitar riffs that would make Weezer proud, Guppy is a taut, 10-song thrill ride. So when I need a musical reprieve and a head-clearing pick-me-up, few artists are as satisfying as Charly Bliss. ![]() Like many people I know, this year's deluge of real world news has conjured an ever-present anxiety simmering just below the skin. ![]()
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