frogman
Just a slight correction Wayne is 85 yrs. young !! Either 85 or 87 it doesn't matter , most people would be glad to be alive let alone still creating and performing at such a high level. The only other tenor sax player at that age who is still alive is Sonny Rollins but I don't think he performs anymore?
I listened to the 1st cut of your post I recognized the tune from his "Juju " album I think . Excellent arrangement. Yes the band members are hanging on his every note.
Of all the tenor players who came up at the same time as Shorter I marvel at how much he changed his style of playing from the bebop he started out playing to the style he developed with his solo work and with Miles group in the mid 60's. His probing , contemplative style with use of space differs from the bebop style he played only several years before. I use as examples these cuts with Art Blakey:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSo2qaAnit0 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Tdel_QACLM I will say there are some aspects of his future style which can be heard in these cuts but it was not fully developed until he performed his own material later .
I will listen to more of your JALC cut later.