The piece "Orbits" is a complete and quasi-orchestral re-imagining of the song of the same name, originally recorded by the Second Miles Davis Quintet and released on the album Miles Smiles in 1967. "Capricorn 2" revisits another Shorter composition first recorded by Davis in 1967 (though not released until 1976 on the primarily Shorter-composed Water Babies), while "Angola" dates from Shorter's own 1965 album, The Soothsayer.
The
AllMusic review by Richard S. Ginell stated that "this disc seemed to confirm a long-awaited creative Indian summer for Wayne Shorter."[2] Similarly, contemporaneous reviews by Ben Ratliff of The New York Times and CMJ New Music Report's Tad Hendrickson happily noted Shorter's return to form.[4][5]Los Angeles Times critic Don Heckman commended both the album's "startling diversity" and the "imaginative, high-flying freedom [that characterizes] Shorter's playing," adding that Alegria offered "convincing testimony to Shorter's undiminished creativity."[6]
David Garrett, Barry Gold, Gloria Lum, Daniel Rothmuller, Brent Samuel and Cecilia Tsan – cello ensemble (4)
Production
Robert Sadin – producer, mixing
Richard Seidel – executive producer
Clark Germain – special production assistance, recording, additional mix engineer
David Darlington – special production assistance, mixing
Todd Whitelock – additional mix engineer
Dick Kondas – mix assistant
Steve Mazur – mix assistant
Mike Peters – mix assistant
Shane Koss – audio technical consultant
PK Pandey – audio technical consultant
Mark Wilder – mastering
Seth Foster – mastering assistant
Marsha Black – production coordinator
Camille Tominaro – production coordinator
Theodora Kuslan – release coordinator
Kelly Pratt – release coordinator
Hollis King – art direction
Sachico Asano – design
Kate Garner – photography
Studios
Recorded at Cello Studios (Hollywood, California);
Avatar Studios, Clinton Recording Studios, Sear Sound and Burning Kite Studio (New York City, New York).
Mixed at Sear Sound, Sorcerer Sound and
Sony Music Studios (New York City, New York).