"Twelve More Bars to Go" is Wayne Shorter's wry take on the blues, the only track on the 1964 album JuJu built on a conventional 12-bar form. The title's playful suggestion of endlessness is borne out by Shorter's epic eight-chorus tenor saxophone solo at 113 BPM in B-flat, a masterful extended statement that demonstrates his ability to sustain invention over a long span within jazz's most fundamental structure. As the album's sole soloist on this track, Shorter carries the entire improvisational weight, moving through the blues changes with an approach that honors the tradition while pushing beyond its conventions. His phrasing alternates between singing, voice-like statements and more abstract, angular explorations, reflecting the dual influence of Sonny Rollins's thematic development and John Coltrane's harmonic adventurism. The moderate tempo allows Shorter to explore the full range of blues expression, from earthy simplicity to sophisticated harmonic substitution. The rhythm section of Tyner, Workman, and Jones provides responsive, interactive accompaniment that responds to every nuance of Shorter's developing narrative. The track serves as a reminder that even the most forward-thinking jazz composers remain rooted in the blues.
