Anybody who came to the National Concert Hall last night expecting to hear Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter run through a catalogue of hits must have been disappointed: this was never going to be a reprise of the pianist and soprano saxophonist's work together in the Miles Davis Quintet or in V.S.O.P. But those who did stay (there were a significant number of walk-outs from an undercapacity crowd) were rewarded with an evening of intricate and enchanting music.
After a jocular intro from Hancock, Shorter set the fluid tone for the evening by refusing to use the words "tunes" or "songs", preferring instead to call them "work", or even "hors d'oeuvre". Drawing mainly on their recent CD - 1+1 - the duo's music accomplished the difficult task of straddling free jazz and a more structured melodic approach.
Sonrisa had the painterly feel of broad brushstrokes, characterised by strong harmonic statements, through which each weaved dazzling solos - Shorter's haunting soprano laying lush lines over Hancock's deft keyboard. Aung San Suu Kyi, dedicated to the Burmese rebel leader, had perhaps the clearest melodic line, which again brought out a maelstrom of a solo from Shorter, while Memory of En- chantment was a beautiful ballad-like piece which featured some spectacular glissando runs from Hancock, echoing the horn player. This contrapuntal interplay continued on Footprints, one of Shorter's better-known compositions, where the pounding piano was, for the first time, more to the fore than the sax. Hancock kept nudging Shorter in a gospel-oriented direction during Manhattan Lorelei, the set's most playful piece, which allowed the pianist his most adventurous solo.
But the highlight of the evening was Hancock's Maiden Voyage, given a remarkably impressionistic treatment in which the pair expanded and developed the barely-recognisable melody with inventive chord and key changes. As if we needed proof, this encore served to show how these two masters continue to push forward the boundaries of jazz.