Wayne Shorter's "Footprints" is one of the most widely performed compositions in the modern jazz repertoire, and Arcoiris Sandoval's interpretation on her 2018 album First Voyage brings a fresh perspective to this enduring classic. Originally recorded by Shorter on his 1966 album Adam's Apple and later made iconic by Miles Davis on Miles Smiles, the tune features a 24-bar form with a straight-eighth feel that was groundbreaking for its time. Sandoval performs the piece in E minor at around 221 beats per minute, maintaining the tune's characteristic modal atmosphere while bringing her own harmonic and rhythmic ideas to the improvisation. Her piano solo is expansive, taking advantage of the open harmonic structure to explore a wide dynamic and textural range. The straight-eighth feel creates a different rhythmic foundation than traditional swing, allowing Sandoval to draw on rock, Latin, and contemporary influences alongside her jazz vocabulary. By including this composition alongside her originals, Sandoval positions her music within the lineage of post-bop innovation while demonstrating that these canonical works still have much to offer when approached with imagination and respect.
