AMG Review of Night Dreamer [RVG Edition]

Scott Yanow & Thom Jurek
All Music Guide

Tenor saxophonist Wayne Shorter's Blue Note debut found him well prepared to enter the big time. With an impressive quintet that included trumpeter Lee Morgan, pianist McCoy Tyner, bassist Reggie Workman, and drummer Elvin Jones, Shorter performed a well-rounded program consisting of five of his originals (this CD reissue adds an alternate take of "Virgo") plus an adaptation of an "Oriental Folk Song." Whether it be the brooding title cut, the Coltrane-ish ballad "Virgo," or the long modal jams on "Black Nile" and "Charcoal Blues," this is a memorable set of high-quality and timeless music. In 2005 Night Dreamer became a title in the Rudy Van Gelder series of reissues. Van Gelder completely remastered the set from its original studio tapes and the sonic quality is remarkably different from earlier CD editions. There is no other added material.