Absence

"In many ways, Absence mirrors Shorter's defiantly eclectic career as he moved from swinging hard bop to avant-garde jazz, electric fusion, and his latter-career resurgence with his acoustic quartet. Absence is a mutative and nuanced album, but one which rewards both casual listening and extended deep dives".

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"It's tempting to say that Absence is a successful crossover project, but that would make it sound like the music is bringing disparate components together. Instead, Absence feels natural through and through. The Turtle Island Quartet's inclusion would never be mistaken for a sore thumb, and all of the tracks flow easily from one to the other despite being the result of five different composers. If we remove the word "crossover", that leaves it a successful project, which sounds generic. Perhaps the best way to approach it is to think of it as an ever-flowing spring where the water remains refresh no matter how many times you return".

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"The project conveys the emotional power of Shorter's work, but there's an unfortunate airlessness that prevents the music from soaring like its honoree".