As a rule, the JALC has dedicated itself to jazz stars that have already passed away, so it’s refreshing to have Wynton Marsalis give tribute to a living legend, saxist Wayne Shorter. In fact, Shorter een plays tenor and soprano on most of the pieces, making the occasion all the brighter. Marsalis must have been in jazz heaven teaming with the fellow Jazz Messenger alumnus on the glorious big band take of “Yes or No” as well as the muted noir “Diana”. Shorter’s soprano is wonderfully askance on the exotic latin “The Three Marias” and the intricate “Endangered Species’> The hard driving “Mama ‘G’” gets soloing honors to a bunch of the artist, while the dream y “Contemplation” is a rich aria for Shorter’s breathy and elliptical tenor. It’s rare and a pleasure to hear Shorter playing in a format not usually associated with the giant, and it works wonderfully well. What took so long?