For the past many weeks I have been working in earnest on Wayne Shorter’s classic tune Footprints. I have been listening to, watching, playing along with, and learning from every version I could find. After analyzing and sketching out the chords in a variety of ways, last night I went to bed feeling like at last I had a set worth putting color to (this approach to diagraming 12-bar blues uses a spectrum of 12 colors to represent the 12 notes in the western musical scale…the form begins at the 12 o’clock position). This morning I was shocked by the news that Mr. Shorter had passed away in the night. After extended immersion in this piece, it feels strange and somehow serendipitous to complete this sketch today. Sending it out now to Mr. Shorter and everyone who loved and was inspired by him. 

 

Thank you, Mr. Shorter. 

 

From Wayne Shorter’s website:

 

“I think that music opens portals and doorways to unknown sectors that it takes courage to leap into. I always think that there’s a potential that we all have, and we can emerge, rise up to this potential, when necessary. We have to be fearless, courageous, and draw upon wisdom we don’t think we have.”