"502 Blues (Drinkin' and Drivin')" from Wayne Shorter's 1966 album Adam's Apple features a waltz-time treatment of Jimmy Rowles's composition, with Shorter contributing two separate tenor saxophone solos that bookend Herbie Hancock's piano statement. Shorter's opening three-chorus solo at 122 BPM navigates the 32-bar AA' form in A minor with the reflective, storytelling quality that distinguished his playing from more assertive contemporaries. Hancock's two-chorus piano solo brings his own harmonic sophistication to the waltz feel. Shorter then returns for a one-chorus closing statement at 127 BPM, creating a satisfying symmetrical structure. The waltz feel adds a lilting, slightly off-kilter quality that suits the song's wry title, referencing California's vehicle code for driving under the influence. The AA' form, with its subtle variation in the second half, provides just enough harmonic contrast to maintain interest without the dramatic shifts of more complex structures. Shorter's decision to split his solo around Hancock's contribution demonstrates his architectural thinking about performance structure, creating a narrative arc that goes beyond the typical head-solos-head format.
