After more than fifty years of American music, Wayne Shorter’s lyrical, sophisticated jazz compositions and groundbreaking saxophone performance will be sorely missed. He was 89.
Alisse Kingsley, a spokesperson for the multi-Grammy winner, stated that Shorter passed away peacefully on Thursday in Los Angeles, California, accompanied by his family. There was no mention of a fatal event.
“Visionary composer, saxophonist, visual artist, devout Buddhist, devoted husband, father and grandfather Wayne Shorter has embarked on a new journey as part of his extraordinary life — departing the earth as we know it in search of an abundance of new challenges and creative possibilities,” a statement released by Kingsley said. A kind soul who was “always interested and constantly investigating,” the article said of him. Shorter, a tenor saxophonist, debuted in 1959 and went on to become a cornerstone member of two of jazz’s most influential ensembles, Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers and the Miles Davis Quintet. Throughout the following eight decades, Shorter worked with a broad variety of artists, from Joni Mitchell to Carlos Santana to Steely Dan. He also co-founded the fusion band Weather Report in the 1970s.
Source: Minto
Shorter’s complex and elliptical works, like as “Speak No Evil,” “Black Nile,” “Footprints,” and “Nefertiti,” became modern jazz standards and broadened the harmonic frontiers of jazz throughout its most rapid periods of development.
According to Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter was “the greatest writer to me, in that ensemble” when playing with Miles Davis and the Second Great Quintet. Even now, he stands out as a true genius. Wayne introduced music to Miles that he didn’t alter, making him a rarity. Hancock spoke about Shorter’s musical prowess and the unique impression he had on his life.
For the rest of eternity, my closest friend Wayne Shorter left us with courage in his heart, love and compassion for everybody, and a yearning spirit,” Hancock added. For his second beginning, he was prepared. He has reached the top of his craft as a saxophonist, composer, orchestrator, and, most recently, composer of the superb opera…Iphigenia’, making him, like all humans, irreplaceable. His unique Wayne-isms are sorely missed, but his memory will live on in my heart forever. Shorter won 12 Grammys as bandleader and published more than 25 recordings. He received a Grammy for his career’s worth of achievements in 2015. His and Leo Genovese’s “Endangered Species” album received a Grammy for best improvisational jazz solo last month.
Many renowned orchestras, such as the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, the Lyon Philharmonic, the National Polish Radio Symphonic Orchestra, and the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, have all played works by composer and musician Samuel Barber Shorter.
More than 200 of his pieces have been performed, and in 2018 he was awarded a Kennedy Center Honor.
Blue Note Records president Don Was remarked, “Maestro Wayne Shorter was our idol, guru, and wonderful friend.” Shorter recorded for Blue Note many times.
His music had an otherworldly quality that improved our reality in a profound way. Everyone he came in contact with benefited from his kindness and his insight. Thank goodness, his legacy lives on in the form of his work. Our deepest condolences go out to Carolina and his family and friends.
