With some musicians, it is obvious from the start that they are going to make a major impact on jazz. Wayne Shorter had only been with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers for a short time when Miles Davis made him an offer to join his group, although he would not join until 1964. By then he had been with Blakey for four years and developed his own unique musical language and logic, both as a tenor-saxophonist and as a composer.

Shortly before joining Miles Davis, Shorter recorded his first Blue Note album, Night Dreamer, in a quintet also featuring Lee Morgan, McCoy Tyner and Elvin Jones. Listening to this brilliant set makes it obvious why Davis wanted Shorter. A very distinctive soloist, Shorter contributes five highly original pieces (including "Virgo" and "Black Nile") plus a version of "Oriental Folk Song." His playing does not fit into any particular style and his writing does not hint at any of his predecessors. Night Dreamer shows that by 1964, Wayne Shorter was a jazz master.

Like all Music Matters Jazz releases, this audiophile vinyl reissue is mastered from the original analog tape and pressed on 180g virgin vinyl at RTI in Camarillo, CA. The highest quality gatefold cover features original session photography on the inside.

See more Wayne Shorter records here.