Atlantis is the sixteenth album by Wayne Shorter. It was released on the Columbia label in 1985 and was Shorter’s first solo album since 1974. The recording is notable in Shorter’s body of work both for its relative lack of improvisation and for the high level of its compositions and group arrangements. Brazilian and Funk rhythms are featured on several tracks, as is a mixture of electric and acoustic instrumentation.
The composition “Shere Khan, the Tiger” was previously recorded by a group including Shorter and Carlos Santana on the latter’s 1980 album The Swing of Delight. Several of the compositions on this album would continue to feature in Shorter’s repertoire well into 2012, most notably the title piece. The cover art for the album is a pastel portrait of Shorter by actor Billy Dee Williams. Compositionally, “Atlantis” is noteworthy due to the inclusion of unusual intervallic melodies and a sense of economy and space generated through the use of parallel dominant 9th suspended chords coupled with contrapuntal bass lines. This approach is exemplified by the composition “On the Eve of Departure” which programmatically resembles “When worlds Collide”, the George Pal Sci-Fi classic.
Tracks 1 Endangered Species (Wayne Shorter; Joseph Vitarelli) 04:45 2 The Three Marias (Wayne Shorter) 05:47 3 The Last Silk Hat (Wayne Shorter) 05:23 4 When You Dream (Wayne Shorter; Edgy Lee) 04:28 5 Who Goes There (Wayne Shorter) 05:28 6 Atlantis (Wayne Shorter) 04:34 7 Shere Khan The Tiger (Wayne Shorter) 02:15 8 Criancas (Wayne Shorter) 03:40 9 On The Eve Of Departure (Wayne Shorter) 05:54
Musicians
Bass - Larry Klein Drums - Alex Acuna Piano - Michiko Hill Piano - Yaron Gershovsky Flute - Jim Walker Sax - Wayne Shorter Background Vocals - Dee Dee Bellson Background Vocals - Diana Acuna Background Vocals - Edgy Lee Background Vocals - Kathy Lucien Background Vocals - Nani Brunel Background Vocals - Sanaa Lathan Background Vocals - Troye Davenport
Other Musicians
1 Endangered Species Drums - Ralph Humphrey Keyboards - Joseph Vitarelli Synthesizer - Joseph Vitarelli Synclavier - Michael Hoenig Percussion - Lenny Castro
Liner Notes
Producer – Wayne Shorter Producer – Joseph Vitarelli (Track 1) Producer (Executive) – George Butler Engineer – Rick Hart (Track 1) Engineer – Howard Siegel (Tracks 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9) Engineer (Assistant) – Jim McMahon (Tracks 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9) Mastered By – Bernie Grundman Painting – Billy Dee Williams Mastered At Bernie Grundman Mastering Mixed At Crystal Sound Mixed At Producers 1&2 Mixed At Meta Music Recorded At Crystal Sound Recorded At Producers 1&2 Recorded At Meta Music Phonographic Copyright CBS Inc Copyright CBS Inc
