Since the lockdowns of 2020-21, there has been a rise in the number of solo albums ‘inspired by the opportunity for self-reflection’; albums where the master recording had been circulated among musicians to drop-in their half pennyworth; albums where record companies have delved into their archives for previously unreleased material and re-releases of existing material.

Exploring the World of Wayne, from the West Coast Posi-Tone label, comes into the latter category, delving into their catalogue for performances of compositions written by Wayne Shorter from their current roster of talent.

The result is a thoughtful compilation of Shorter's less well-known compositions – ‘Chief Crazy Horse,’ ‘Edda’, ‘Rio’ – and better known – ‘ESP’, ‘Infant Eyes’, ‘Water Babies’ – which are presented in medium tempos. Nothing earth-shattering here, just good music played well, with David Ashkenazy, Orrin Evans, and Wayne Escoffrey’s contributions meriting attention.