Thanks, Jla, sounds like I have some catching up to do. I appreciate the recommendations.
Joebone -- I wasn't implying that Patitucci carried the show, he was simply the member of the band that I was the least familiar with and I was curious to learn more about him. On this particular night, Blade was the most captivating to watch -- speed, control, emotion, and exuberance all wrapped up together.
Then again, there's a fair amount of stylistic tension from what I can see. Blade and Patitucci tended to play in a more "hot," attention-getting style, while Shorter and Perez were more on the cool side. I personally enjoyed the contrast, because I could spend some left-brain time trying to appreciate Shorter's compositions and the complexities of Perez's playing and then just switch over to letting the right brain enjoy the fun of trying to keep up with what Blade and Patitucci were doing. I don't mean to imply that they're not deserving of analytical listening also -- they are, and vice versa for appreciating Perez and Shorter. That's just how I found myself listening this particular night. I like complex things and I liked how they pulled all of this together and made something from it.
And I will admit that I'm still new enough to jazz that the quirks and egos of the performers have not yet started to grate on me. That may change, but hopefully not too much. Right now it's still fun and still drawing me in deeper.
