Dave Askren & Jeff Benedict | PARAPHERNALIA: Music of Wayne Shorter

Some people are obsessed with Wayne Shorter’s music. Many of his compositions, which are known for their complex harmonies and memorable melodies, have become jazz standards. When two musicians of the caliber of guitarist DAVE ASKREN and sax player JEFF BENEDICT team up to record an album of Wayne Shorter music, the result is eminently gratifying. On PARAPHERNALIA, Askren and Benedict present a program of Shorter’s music from his work mostly from the 1960s, culled from his solo albums and his recordings with Miles Davis and Weather Report. According to Askren, “We didn’t want to just do covers of Wayne’s tunes. We didn’t try to sound like him, because you can’t do better than the original music. You can just do your own thing and make music your own way.” 

PARAPHERNALIA is Askren’s and Benedict’s third recording as co-leaders. It follows their 2009 release It’s All About the Groove and their 2017 release Come Together, of which All About Jazz has said, “They offer the listener a unique experience of groove-based compositions…that actually offers a complex carbonation of effervescent tunes, that will excite and engage the listening experience, even for the most discerning jazz aficionado.”  

Wayne Shorter has composed some of the most memorable music in the last 60 years. After 25 years of playing together and arranging for each other, Askren and Benedict are totally in sync musically. PARAPHERNALIA is not just an homage to a great composer; it is a conversation between seasoned musicians who take the music to new and exciting places.