Wayne Shorter (August 25, 1933 – March 2, 2023) was an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

saxophonist, composer and bandleader. Shorter came to mainstream prominence in 1959 upon joining

Art Blakey Arthur Blakey (October 11, 1919 – October 16, 1990) was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. He was also known as Abdullah Ibn Buhaina after he converted to Islam for a short time in the late 1940s. Blakey made a name for himself in the 1 ...

's Jazz Messengers, for whom he eventually became the primary composer. In 1964 he joined

Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th century music, 20th-century music. Davis ado ...

' Second Great Quintet, and then co-founded the

jazz fusion Jazz fusion (also known as jazz rock, jazz-rock fusion, or simply fusion) is a popular music genre that developed in the late 1960s when musicians combined jazz harmony and improvisation with rock music, funk, and rhythm and blues. Electric gui ...

band Weather Report in 1970. He recorded more than 20 albums as a bandleader. Many Shorter compositions have become

jazz standard Jazz standards are musical compositions that are an important part of the musical repertoire of jazz musicians, in that they are widely known, performed, and recorded by jazz musicians, and widely known by listeners. There is no definitive List ...

s. His music earned worldwide recognition, critical praise, universal commendation, and 12

Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...

. He was acclaimed for his mastery of the

soprano saxophone The soprano saxophone is a small, high-pitched member of the saxophone family of woodwind instruments invented in the 1840s by Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax. Built in B♭ an octave above the tenor saxophone (or rarely, slightly small ...

since switching his focus from the

tenor A tenor is a type of male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. Composers typically write music for this voice in the range from the second B below m ...

in the late 1960s, and began an extended reign in 1970 as ''

DownBeat ''DownBeat'' (styled in all caps) is an American music magazine devoted to "jazz, blues and beyond", the last word indicating its expansion beyond the jazz realm that it covered exclusively in previous years. The publication was established in 1 ...

''s annual poll-winner on that instrument, winning the critics' poll for 10 consecutive years and the readers' for 18. ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' music critic Ben Ratliff described Shorter in 2008 as "probably jazz's greatest living small-group composer and a contender for greatest living improviser". In 2017, he was awarded the Polar Music Prize.

Early life and education

Wayne Shorter was born in

Newark, New Jersey Newark ( , ) is the List of municipalities in New Jersey, most populous City (New Jersey), city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, the county seat of Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County, and a principal city of the New York metropolitan area. ...

, the son of Louise and Joseph Shorter. He graduated from

Newark Arts High School Newark Arts High School is a four-year magnet public high school, serving students in Ninth through twelfth grades in Newark, in Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, operating as part of the Newark Public Schools. The school is lo ...

in 1952. He loved comic books and science fiction as well as music while growing up. Shorter was encouraged by his parents to take clarinet lessons at age 16 and then switched to

tenor saxophone The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor and the alto are the two most commonly used saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B (whi ...

prior to enrolling at

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private university, private research university in New York City, New York, United States. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded in 1832 by Albert Gallatin as a Nondenominational ...

in 1952. His older brother

Alan Alan may refer to: People *Alan (surname), an English and Kurdish surname * Alan (given name), an English given name ** List of people with given name Alan ''Following are people commonly referred to solely by "Alan" or by a homonymous name.'' * ...

played

alto saxophone The alto saxophone is a member of the saxophone family of woodwind instruments. Saxophones were invented by Belgians, Belgian instrument designer Adolphe Sax in the 1840s and patented in 1846. The alto saxophone is pitched in the key of E♭ ( ...

before switching to the

trumpet The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz musical ensemble, ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest Register (music), register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitche ...

in college. While in high school, Wayne also performed with the Nat Phipps Band in Newark. After graduating from NYU with a degree in

music education Music education is a field of practice in which educators are trained for careers as primary education, elementary or secondary education, secondary music teachers, school or music conservatory ensemble directors. Music education is also a rese ...

in 1956, Shorter spent two years in the U.S. Army, during which time he played briefly with Horace Silver. After his discharge, he played with Maynard Ferguson. In his youth, Shorter had acquired the nickname "Mr. Gone", which later became an album title for Weather Report.

Career

His early influences include

Sonny Rollins Walter Theodore "Sonny" Rollins (born September 7, 1930) is an American retired jazz tenor saxophonist who is widely recognized as one of the most important and influential jazz musicians. In a seven-decade career, Rollins recorded over sixt ...

John Coltrane John William Coltrane (September 23, 1926 – July 17, 1967) was an American jazz saxophonist, bandleader and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the Jazz#Post-war jazz, history of jazz and 20th-century musi ...

and

Coleman Hawkins Coleman Randolph Hawkins (November 21, 1904 – May 19, 1969), nicknamed "Hawk" and sometimes "Bean", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist.Yanow, Scot"Coleman Hawkins: Artist Biography" AllMusic. Retrieved December 27, 2013. One of the first ...

. In 1959, Shorter joined

's Jazz Messengers where he stayed for four years, eventually becoming musical director and composing pieces for the band. Together they toured the US, Japan, and Europe, recording several albums. During this time, Shorter "established himself as one of the most gifted of the young saxophonists" and received international acknowledgment.

With Miles Davis (1964–70)

Herbie Hancock Herbert Jeffrey Hancock (born April 12, 1940) is an American jazz musician, bandleader, and composer. He started his career with trumpeter Donald Byrd's group. Hancock soon joined the Miles Davis Quintet, where he helped to redefine the role of ...

said of Shorter's tenure in

's Second Great Quintet: "The master writer to me, in that group, was Wayne Shorter. He still is a master. Wayne was one of the few people who brought music to Miles that didn't get changed." Davis said, "Wayne is a real composer. He writes scores, writes the parts for everybody, just as he wants them to sound. ... Wayne also brought in a kind of curiosity about working with musical rules. If they didn't work, then he broke them, but with musical sense; he understood that freedom in music was the ability to know the rules, in order to bend them to your own satisfaction and taste." Ian Carr, musician and Rough Guide author, said that with Davis, Shorter found his own voice as a player and composer. "Blakey's hard-driving, straight-ahead rhythms had brought out the muscularity in Shorter's tenor playing, but the greater freedom of the Davis rhythm-section allowed him to explore new emotional and technical dimensions." Shorter remained in Davis's band after the breakup of the quintet in 1968, playing on early

recordings including '' In a Silent Way'' and ''

Bitches Brew ''Bitches Brew'' is a studio album by the American jazz trumpeter, composer, and bandleader Miles Davis. It was recorded from August 19 to 21, 1969, at Columbia's Studio B in New York City and released on March 30, 1970, by Columbia Records. I ...

'' (both 1969). His last live dates and studio recordings with Davis were in 1970. Until 1968, he played

exclusively. The final album on which he played tenor in the regular sequence of Davis albums was ''

Filles de Kilimanjaro ' ( French: ''Girls of Kilimanjaro'') is a studio album by the American jazz trumpeter Miles Davis. It was recorded in June and September 1968 at Columbia 30th Street Studio in Manhattan, New York City, and released on Columbia Records in Decem ...

''. In 1969, he played the

on the Davis album '' In a Silent Way'' and on his own '' Super Nova'' (recorded with then-current Davis sidemen

Chick Corea Armando Anthony "Chick" Corea (June 12, 1941 – February 9, 2021) was an American jazz pianist, composer, bandleader and occasional percussionist. His compositions "Spain (instrumental), Spain", "500 Miles High", "La Fiesta", "Armando's Rhumba" ...

and John McLaughlin). When performing live with Davis, and on recordings from summer 1969 to early spring 1970, he played both soprano and tenor saxophones: by the early 1970s, however, he chiefly played soprano.

Solo Blue Note recordings

Simultaneous with his time in the Davis quintet, Shorter recorded several albums for

Blue Note Records Blue Note Records is an American jazz record label now owned by Universal Music Group and operated under Capitol Music Group. Established in 1939 by History of the Jews in Germany, German-Jewish emigrants Alfred Lion and Max Margulis, it deriv ...

, featuring, almost exclusively, his own compositions, with a variety of line-ups, quartets and larger groups, including Blue Note favorites such as trumpeter

Freddie Hubbard Frederick Dewayne Hubbard (April 7, 1938 – December 29, 2008) was an American jazz trumpeter. He played bebop, hard bop, and post-bop styles from the early 1960s onwards. His unmistakable and influential tone contributed to new perspectives fo ...

. His first Blue Note album (of 11 in total recorded from 1964 to 1970) was '' Night Dreamer'', recorded at Rudy Van Gelder's studio in 1964 with

Lee Morgan Edward Lee Morgan (July 10, 1938 – February 19, 1972) was an American jazz trumpeter and composer. One of the key hard bop musicians of the 1960s and a cornerstone of the Blue Note Records, Blue Note label, Morgan came to prominence in his la ...

(trumpet),

McCoy Tyner Alfred McCoy Tyner (December 11, 1938March 6, 2020) was an American jazz piano, jazz pianist and composer known for his work with the John Coltrane Quartet from 1960 to 1965, and his long solo career afterwards. He was an NEA Jazz Masters, NEA J ...

(piano),

Reggie Workman Reginald "Reggie" Workman (born June 26, 1937) is an American avant-garde jazz and hard bop double bassist, recognized for his work with both John Coltrane and Art Blakey, in addition to Alice Coltrane, Mal Waldron, Max Roach, Archie Shepp, Tri ...

(bass) and

Elvin Jones Elvin Ray Jones (September 9, 1927 – May 18, 2004) was an American jazz drummer of the post-bop era. Most famously a member of John Coltrane's quartet, with whom he recorded from late 1960 to late 1965, Jones appeared on such albums as ''My Fa ...

(drums). Two more albums were recorded in 1964, '' JuJu'' and '' Speak No Evil''. Of the three Blue Note albums Shorter recorded in 1965, '' The All Seeing Eye'' (rec. 1965, rel. 1966) was a workout with a larger group, while ''

Adam's Apple The Adam's apple is the protrusion in the neck formed by the angle of the thyroid cartilage surrounding the larynx, typically visible in men, less frequently in women. The prominence of the Adam's apple increases in some men as a secondary mal ...

'' (rec. 1966, rel. 1967) was back to carefully constructed melodies by Shorter leading a quartet. Then a sextet again in the following year for ''

Schizophrenia Schizophrenia () is a mental disorder characterized variously by hallucinations (typically, Auditory hallucination#Schizophrenia, hearing voices), delusions, thought disorder, disorganized thinking and behavior, and Reduced affect display, f ...

'' (rec. 1967, rel. 1969) with Herbie Hancock, bassist

Ron Carter Ronald Levin Carter (born May 4, 1937) is an American jazz double bassist. His appearances on 2,221 recording sessions make him the most-recorded jazz bassist in history. He has won three Grammy Awards, and is also a Cello, cellist who has reco ...

, trombonist

Curtis Fuller Curtis DuBois Fuller (December 15, 1932May 8, 2021) was an American jazz trombonist. He was a member of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers and contributed to many classic jazz recordings. Early life Fuller was born in Detroit on December 15, 193 ...

, alto saxophonist/flautist James Spaulding and strong rhythms by drummer

Joe Chambers Joe Chambers (born June 25, 1942) is an American jazz drummer, pianist, vibraphonist and composer. In the 1960s and 1970s, Chambers gigged with many high-profile artists such as Eric Dolphy, Charles Mingus, Wayne Shorter, and Chick Corea an ...

. Shorter also recorded occasionally as a

sideman A sideman is a professional musician who is hired to perform live with a solo artist, or with a group in which they are not a regular band member. The term is usually used to describe musicians that play with jazz or rock artists, whether solo o ...

(again mainly for Blue Note) with trumpeter

Donald Byrd Donaldson Toussaint L'Ouverture Byrd II (December 9, 1932 – February 4, 2013) was an American jazz and rhythm & blues trumpeter, composer and vocalist. A sideman for many other jazz musicians of his generation, Byrd was one of the few h ...

, McCoy Tyner, trombonist Grachan Moncur III, Freddie Hubbard, Lee Morgan, as well as bandmates Herbie Hancock and drummer Tony Williams.

Weather Report (1971–1986)

Following the release of '' Odyssey of Iska'' in 1970, Shorter formed the fusion group Weather Report with Davis veteran keyboardist Joe Zawinul and bassist Miroslav Vitouš. The other original members were percussionist

Airto Moreira Airto Guimorvan Moreira (born August 5, 1941) is a Brazilian jazz drummer, composer and percussionist. He is married to jazz singer Flora Purim, and their daughter Diana Moreira is also a singer. Coming to prominence in the late 1960s as a membe ...

, and drummer Alphonse Mouzon. After Vitouš's departure in 1973, Shorter and Zawinul co-led the group until the band's break-up in late 1985. A variety of musicians would make up Weather Report over the years (most notably the revolutionary bassist

Jaco Pastorius John Francis Anthony Pastorius III, also known as Jaco Pastorius (; December 1, 1951 – September 21, 1987), was an American jazz bassist, composer, and producer. Widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential bassists of all time, ...

and drummers Peter Erskine and Omar Hakim) helping the band produce many high quality recordings in diverse styles, with funk,

bebop Bebop or bop is a style of jazz developed in the early to mid-1940s in the United States. The style features compositions characterized by a fast tempo (usually exceeding 200 bpm), complex chord progressions with rapid chord changes and numerou ...

Latin jazz Latin jazz is a genre of jazz with Latin American rhythms. The two main categories are Afro-Cuban jazz, rhythmically based on Cuban popular dance music, with a rhythm section employing ostinato patterns or a clave (rhythm), clave, and Afro-Brazil ...

, ethnic music, and

futurism Futurism ( ) was an Art movement, artistic and social movement that originated in Italy, and to a lesser extent in other countries, in the early 20th century. It emphasized dynamism, speed, technology, youth, violence, and objects such as the ...

being the most prevalent denominators.

Solo and side projects

Shorter also recorded critically acclaimed albums as a bandleader, notably 1974's '' Native Dancer'', which featured Hancock and Brazilian composer and vocalist Milton Nascimento. Wayne Shorter Berkeley 1980

In the late 1970s and the early 1980s, he toured in the V.S.O.P. quintet. This group was a revival of the 1960s Davis quintet, except that Freddie Hubbard filled the trumpet chair. Shorter appeared with the same former Davis bandmates on the

Carlos Santana Carlos Humberto Santana Barragán (; born July 20, 1947) is an American guitarist, best known as a founding member of the Rock music, rock band Santana (band), Santana. Born and raised in Mexico where he developed his musical background, he r ...

double LP '' The Swing of Delight'' (1980), for which he also composed a number of pieces. From 1977 through 2002, he appeared on 10

Joni Mitchell Roberta Joan Mitchell (née Anderson; born November 7, 1943) is a Canadian and American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and painter. As one of the most influential singer-songwriters to emerge from the 1960s folk music circuit, Mitch ...

studio albums, gaining him a wider audience. He played an extended solo on the title track of

Steely Dan Steely Dan is an American rock band formed in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, in 1971 by Walter Becker (guitars, bass, backing vocals) and Donald Fagen (keyboards, lead vocals). Originally having a traditional band lineup, Becker and Fagen cho ...

's 1977 album '' Aja''.

Later career

After leaving Weather Report in 1986, Shorter continued to record and lead groups in

styles, including touring in 1988 with guitarist

, who appeared on '' This is This!'' (1986), the last Weather Report disc. There is a concert video recorded at the

Lugano Lugano ( , , ; ) is a city and municipality within the Lugano District in the canton of Ticino, Switzerland. It is the largest city in both Ticino and the Italian-speaking region of southern Switzerland. Lugano has a population () of , and an u ...

Jazz Festival in 1987, with Jim Beard (keyboards), Carl James (bass), Terri Lyne Carrington (drums), and Marilyn Mazur (percussion). In 1989, he contributed to a hit on the rock charts, playing the soprano saxophone solo on Don Henley's song " The End of the Innocence" and also produced the album ''Pilar'' by the Portuguese singer-songwriter Pilar Homem de Melo. He also maintained an occasional working relationship with Herbie Hancock, including a tribute album recorded shortly after Miles Davis's death with Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, Tony Williams and Wallace Roney. He continued to appear on Mitchell's records in the 1990s and can be heard on the soundtrack of the

Harrison Ford Harrison Ford (born July 13, 1942) is an American actor. Regarded as a cinematic cultural icon, he has starred in Harrison Ford filmography, many notable films over seven decades, and is one of List of highest-grossing actors, the highest-gr ...

film '' The Fugitive'' (1993). In 1995, Shorter released the album '' High Life'', his first solo recording for seven years. It was also his debut as a leader for

Verve Records Verve Records is an active American record label owned by Universal Music Group (UMG). Founded in 1956 by Norman Granz, the label is home to the world's largest jazz catalogue, which includes recordings by artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Ca ...

. Shorter composed all the compositions on the album and co-produced it with the bassist

Marcus Miller William Henry Marcus Miller Jr. (born June 14, 1959) is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer. He has worked with trumpeter Miles Davis, pianist Herbie Hancock, singer Luther Vandross, and saxophonists Wayne Shorter and David Sa ...

with pianist, synthesist, and sound designer Rachel Z. ''High Life'' received the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Album in 1996. Shorter worked with Herbie Hancock once again in 1997, on the much acclaimed and heralded album '' 1+1''. The song "Aung San Suu Kyi" (named for the Burmese pro-democracy

activist Activism consists of efforts to promote, impede, direct or intervene in social, political, economic or environmental reform with the desire to make changes in society toward a perceived common good. Forms of activism range from mandate build ...

) won both Hancock and Shorter a Grammy Award. In 2009, he was announced as one of the headline acts at the Gnaoua World Music Festival in Essaouira, Morocco. His 2013 live album '' Without a Net'' (rec. 2010) is his first with Blue Note Records since '' Odyssey of Iska'' (rec. 1970, rel. 1971).

Quartet

In 2000, Shorter formed the first permanent acoustic group under his name, a quartet with pianist Danilo Perez, bassist John Patitucci, and drummer Brian Blade, playing his own compositions, many of them reworkings of tunes going back to the 1960s. Four albums of live recordings have been released: '' Footprints Live!'' (rec. live 2001, rel. 2002); '' Beyond the Sound Barrier'' (rec. live 2002–2004, rel. 2005); '' Without a Net'' (rec. live 2010, rel. 2013); and '' Emanon'' (2018), with the latter, in addition to live material, including Shorter's quartet in a studio session with the 34-piece Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. The quartet has received great acclaim from fans and critics, especially for the strength of Shorter's tenor saxophone playing. The biography ''Footprints: The Life and Work of Wayne Shorter'' by journalist Michelle Mercer examines the working life of the musicians as well as Shorter's thoughts and Buddhist beliefs. ''Beyond the Sound Barrier'' received the 2006 Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Album. Shorter's 2003 album '' Alegría'' (his first studio album for 10 years, since ''High Life'') received the 2004 Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Album; it features the quartet with a host of other musicians, including pianist

Brad Mehldau Bradford Alexander Mehldau (; born August 23, 1970) is an American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger. Mehldau studied music at The New School, touring and recording while still a student. He was a member of saxophonist Joshua Redman's quar ...

, drummer Terri Lyne Carrington and former Weather Report percussionist

Alex Acuña Alejandro Neciosup Acuña (born December 12, 1944), known professionally as Alex Acuña, is a Peruvian–American jazz drummer and percussionist. He has also worked as an educator at University of California, Los Angeles, and Berklee College of ...

. Shorter's compositions, some new, some reworked from his Miles Davis period, feature the complex Latin rhythms that he specialized in during his Weather Report days.

''Wayne Shorter: Zero Gravity''

In 2015, producer/director Dorsay Alavi began filming a documentary about the life of Wayne Shorter called ''Wayne Shorter: Zero Gravity''. A number of high-profile musicians, including

Esperanza Spalding Esperanza Emily Spalding (born October 18, 1984), sometimes professionally known with the stylized name of esperanza spalding, is an American bassist, singer, songwriter, and composer. Her accolades include five Grammy Awards, a Boston Music Aw ...

, and Terri Lyne Carrington, performed at a donor event to raise funds for the documentary; two of the largest donations came from the

Herb Alpert Herb Alpert (born March 31, 1935) is an American trumpeter, pianist, singer, songwriter, record producer, arranger, conductor, painter, sculptor and theatre producer, who led the band Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass (sometimes called "Herb Alpe ...

Foundation and

. In 2018, a four-hour preliminary cut was completed. Subsequently,

Brad Pitt William Bradley Pitt (born December 18, 1963) is an American actor and film producer. In a Brad Pitt filmography, film career spanning more than thirty years, Pitt has received list of awards and nominations received by Brad Pitt, numerous a ...

joined the project with his production company. After some delay, partly due to the Covid crisis, from August 2023, the documentary is available as a three-hour miniseries on

Amazon Prime Video Amazon Prime Video, known simply as Prime Video, is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming television service owned by Amazon. The service primarily distributes films and television series produced or co-produced by ...

Mega Nova

In 2016, it was announced that Shorter, Carlos Santana, and Herbie Hancock would begin touring under the name Mega Nova. Also included within the supergroup was bassist

and drummer Cindy Blackman Santana. Their first show together was on August 24, 2016, at the Hollywood Bowl.

''Iphigenia''

In 2018, Shorter retired from his near 70-year performing career due to health issues. He continued working as a composer, creating a "new operatic work" titled '' Iphigenia'', a loose adaptation of the ancient Greek myth; with

writing the libretto and architect

Frank Gehry Frank Owen Gehry ( ; ; born February 28, 1929) is a Canadian-American architect and designer. A number of his buildings, including his private residence in Santa Monica, California, have become attractions. Gehry rose to prominence in th ...

designing the sets, which premiered on November 12, 2021, at the Cutler Majestic Theatre.

Personal life

Shorter met Teruko (Irene) Nakagami in 1961. They married and had a daughter, Miyako. Some of his compositions are copyrighted as "Miyako Music" and Shorter dedicated the pieces "Miyako" and "Infant Eyes" to his daughter. The couple separated in 1964. Shorter met Ana Maria Patricio in 1966 and they married in 1970. In 1986, their daughter Iska died of a grand mal seizure at age 14. Ana Maria and the couple's niece, Dalila, were killed on July 17, 1996, in the crash of TWA Flight 800, while travelling to visit Shorter in Italy. Dalila was the daughter of Ana Maria Shorter's sister and her husband, jazz vocalist Jon Lucien. Composer and producer Rick Shorter (1934–2017) was Shorter's cousin. In 1999, Shorter married Carolina Dos Santos, a close friend of Ana Maria. Shorter practiced

Nichiren Buddhism Nichiren Buddhism (), also known as ''Hokkeshū'' (, meaning ''Lotus Sect''), is a branch of Mahayana Buddhism based on the teachings of the 13th-century Japanese Buddhist priest Nichiren (1222–1282) and is one of the Kamakura period school ...

for more than 50 years as a longtime member of the Buddhist association Soka Gakkai International. Singer and actress

Tina Turner Tina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock; November 26, 1939 – May 24, 2023) was a singer, songwriter, actress, and author. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Rock 'n' Roll", her vocal prowess, raspy voice, and electrifyin ...

credits Shorter with saving her life. In Turner's 2020 spiritual memoir '' Happiness Becomes You'', she states that Shorter and Ana Maria gave her critical refuge at their home for six months after Turner left her abusive husband,

Ike Turner Izear Luster "Ike" Turner Jr. (November 5, 1931 – December 12, 2007) was an American musician, bandleader, songwriter, record producer, and talent scout. An early pioneer of 1950s rock and roll, he is best known for his work in the 1960s and ...

, in 1976. Shorter died in Los Angeles, California, on March 2, 2023, aged 89.

Honors and recognition

In 1999, Shorter received an Honorary Doctorate of Music from the

Berklee College of Music Berklee College of Music () is a Private university, private music college in Boston, Boston, Massachusetts. It is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known for the study of jazz and modern Music of the United ...

. On September 17, 2013, Shorter received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz (formerly

Thelonious Monk Thelonious Sphere Monk ( October 10, 1917 – February 17, 1982) was an American Jazz piano, jazz pianist and composer. He had a unique improvisational style and made numerous contributions to the Jazz standard, standard jazz repertoire, includ ...

Institute of Jazz). On December 18, 2014, the Recording Academy announced that Shorter had been awarded the

Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award The Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award is a special Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achiev ...

in honor of his "prolific contributions to our culture and history". In 2016, Shorter was awarded a

Guggenheim Fellowship Guggenheim Fellowships are Grant (money), grants that have been awarded annually since by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, endowed by the late Simon Guggenheim, Simon and Olga Hirsh Guggenheim. These awards are bestowed upon indiv ...

in music composition, the only jazz artist to receive the honor that year. In 2017, Shorter was announced as the joint winner of the Polar Music Prize. The award committee stated: "Without the musical explorations of Wayne Shorter, modern music would not have drilled so deep." In 2018, Shorter received the

Kennedy Center Honors The Kennedy Center Honors are annual honors given to those in the performing arts for their lifetime of contributions to Culture of the United States, American culture. They have been presented annually since 1978, culminating each December in ...

Award from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for his lifetime of contributions to the arts. On April 29, 2022, Shorter's hometown of Newark renamed a street in his honor. Park Place was renamed "Wayne Shorter Way". On April 22, 2023, the BBC Radio Three magazine program ''J to Z'' broadcast a 90-minute tribute to Shorter, hosted by Julian Joseph. In August 2023, Herbie Hancock hosted a tribute concert at Hollywood Bowl, featuring a large number of performers including Carlos Santana and Joni Mitchell.

Awards

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Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...

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Procession A procession is an organized body of people walking in a formal or ceremonial manner. History Processions have in all peoples and at all times been a natural form of public celebration, as forming an orderly and impressive ceremony. Religious ...

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and Billy Higgins from '' The Other Side of Round Midnight Featuring

Dexter Gordon Dexter Gordon (February 27, 1923 – April 25, 1990) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist, composer, and bandleader. He was among the most influential early bebop musicians. Gordon's height was , so he was also known as "Long Tall Dexter" an ...

'', , , - , rowspan="2" , 1994, , '' A Tribute to Miles'', , Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Individual or Group , , Grammy Award, , , , , , , - , "Pinocchio ", , Best Jazz Instrumental Solo , , Grammy Award, , , , from '' A Tribute to Miles'' , , , - , rowspan="4", 1996, , Wayne Shorter, , Lifetime achievement , , Miles Davis Award , , , , The Miles Davis Award is given by the

Montreal International Jazz Festival The Festival international de Jazz de Montréal is an annual jazz festival held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Montreal Jazz Fest holds the 2004 Guinness World Record as the world's largest jazz festival. Every year it features roughly 3,000 ar ...

to "honor a great international jazz musician for the entire body of his or her work and influence in regenerating the jazz idiom." , , , - , '' High Life'', , Best Contemporary Jazz Album , , Grammy Award , , , , , , , - , "Children Of The Night", , Best Instrumental Arrangement , , Grammy Award , , , , from '' High Life'', , , - , "Midnight In Carlotta's Hair", , Best Instrumental Composition , , Grammy Award , , , , from '' High Life'' , , , - , 1997, , "Aung San Suu Kyi", , Best Instrumental Composition , , Grammy Award, , , , from Herbie Hancock's'' 1+1'' , , , - , 1998, , Wayne Shorter, , Lifetime achievement , , NEA Jazz Masters Fellowship, , , , NEA Jazz Masters Fellowships are awarded by

National Endowment for the Arts The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the feder ...

to "musicians who have reached an exceptionally high standard of achievement in this very specialized art form." Each fellowship includes a monetary award., , , - , 1999, , "In Walked Wayne", , Best Jazz Instrumental Solo , , Grammy Award , , , , from J.J. Johnson's ''Heroes'' , , , - , rowspan="2", 2002, , ''Footprints Live!'', , Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group , , Grammy Award, , , , , , , - , Wayne Shorter, , Significant contributions to the evolution of jazz , , Beacons in Jazz Award, , , , bestowed by The New School's Jazz & Contemporary Music Program , , , - , rowspan="2", 2003, , "Sacajawea", , Best Instrumental Composition , , Grammy Award, , , , from '' Alegría'' , , , - , , '' Alegría'', , Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Individual or Group , , Grammy Award , , , , , , , - , 2005, , '' Beyond the Sound Barrier'', , Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Individual or Group , , Grammy Award, , , , , , , - , rowspan="3", 2006, , Wayne Shorter , , Soprano Saxophone Player of the Year , , Downbeat Critics' Poll, , , , , , , - , rowspan="2", Wayne Shorter Quartet , , Jazz Group of the Year , , Downbeat Critics' Poll, , , , , , , - , Small Ensemble Group of the Year , , Jazz Journalists Association Jazz Award, , , , , , , - , , 2008 , , Wayne Shorter, , Soprano Saxophone Player of the Year , , ''DownBeat'' Critics Poll, , , , , , , - , rowspan="5", 2013, , '' Without A Net'', , Jazz Album of the Year , , ''DownBeat'' Critics Poll, , , , with Wayne Shorter Quartet, , , - , rowspan="2", Wayne Shorter, , Artist of the Year , , ''DownBeat'' Critics Poll, , , , , , , - , Soprano Saxophone Player of the Year , , ''DownBeat'' Critics Poll, , , , , , , - , rowspan="2", Wayne Shorter Quartet, , rowspan="2", Jazz Group , , ''DownBeat'' Critics Poll, , , , , , , - , ''DownBeat'' Readers Poll, , , , , , , - , rowspan="3", 2014, , "Orbits", , Best Jazz Instrumental Solo , , Grammy Award, , , , from '' Without a Net'' , , , - , Wayne Shorter, , Achiever , , Golden Plate Award, , , , bestowed by

American Academy of Achievement The American Academy of Achievement, colloquially known as the Academy of Achievement, is a nonprofit educational organization that recognizes some of the highest-achieving people in diverse fields and gives them the opportunity to meet one ano ...

; presented by Awards Council member Willie L. Brown Jr. , , , - , Wayne Shorter Quartet, , Jazz Group , , ''DownBeat'' Critics Poll, , , , , , , - , , 2015 , , Wayne Shorter, , Soprano Saxophone Player of the Year , , ''DownBeat'' Critics Poll, , , , , , , - , rowspan="2", 2016, , rowspan="2", Wayne Shorter, , rowspan="2" , Soprano Saxophone Player of the Year , , ''DownBeat'' Critics Poll, , , , , , , - , ''DownBeat'' Readers Poll, , , , , , , - , rowspan="3", 2017, , rowspan="3", Wayne Shorter, , Soprano Saxophone Player of the Year , , ''DownBeat'' Critics Poll, , , , , , , - , Exceptional achievement , , Polar Music Prize, , , , , , , - , Musical Arts , ,

Rolf Schock Prizes The Rolf Schock Prizes were established and endowed by bequest of philosopher and artist Rolf Schock (1933–1986). The prizes were first awarded in Stockholm, Sweden, in 1993 and, since 2005, are awarded every three years. It is sometimes consider ...

, , , , , , , - , rowspan="4", 2019 , , rowspan="2", Wayne Shorter, , Jazz Artist , , rowspan="3", ''DownBeat'' Readers Poll, , , , , , , - , Soprano Saxophone Player of the Year , , , , , , , - , rowspan="2", '' Emanon'', , Jazz Album , , , , , , , - , Best Jazz Instrumental Album , , Grammy Award, , , , , , , - , 2021, , Wayne Shorter , , On-going innovation and impact in the field of jazz , , Doris Duke Performing Artist Award, , , , sponsored by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, , , - , rowspan="2", 2023 , , "Endangered Species" , , Best Improvised Jazz Solo , , rowspan="2", Grammy Award , , , , with Leo Genovese , , rowspan="2", , - , '' Live at the Detroit Jazz Festival'' , , Best Jazz Instrumental Album , , , , with Terri Lyne Carrington, Leo Genovese, and

Discography

*'' Introducing Wayne Shorter'' (aka ''Blues a la Carte'', Vee-Jay, 1959) *'' Second Genesis'' (Vee-Jay, rec. 1960, rel. 1974) *'' Wayning Moments'' (Vee-Jay, 1962) *'' Night Dreamer'' ( Blue Note, 1964) *'' JuJu'' (Blue Note, 1965) *'' Speak No Evil'' (Blue Note, rec. 1964, rel. 1966) *'' The Soothsayer'' (Blue Note, rec. 1965, rel. 1979) *''

Et Cetera ''Et cetera'' (, ), abbreviated to ''etc.'', ''et cet.'', ''&c.'' or ''&c'', is a Latin expression that is used in English to mean "and all the rest". "&" is a ligature of "et." Translated literally from Latin, can mean , while can mean ; th ...

'' (Blue Note, rec. 1965, rel. 1980) *'' The All Seeing Eye'' (Blue Note, rec. 1965, rel. 1966) *''

'' (Blue Note, rec. 1966, rel. 1967) *''

'' (Blue Note, rec. 1967, rel. 1969) *'' Super Nova'' (Blue Note, 1969) *'' Moto Grosso Feio'' (Blue Note, rec. 1970, rel. 1974) *'' Odyssey of Iska'' (Blue Note, rec. 1970, rel. 1971) *'' Native Dancer'' ( Columbia, rec. 1974, rel. 1975) with Milton Nascimento *'' Atlantis'' (Columbia, 1985) *'' Phantom Navigator'' (Columbia, rec. 1986, rel. 1987) *'' Joy Ryder'' (Columbia, 1988) *'' High Life'' ( Verve, 1995) *'' 1+1'' (Verve, 1997) with

*'' Footprints Live!'' (Verve, 2002) *'' Alegría'' (Verve, 2003) *'' Beyond the Sound Barrier'' (Verve, rec. live 2002–2004, rel. 2005) as Wayne Shorter Quartet *'' Carlos Santana and Wayne Shorter – Live at the Montreux Jazz Festival 1988'' (

Image Entertainment RLJ Entertainment (formerly Image Entertainment) is an American film production company and home video distributor, distributing film and television productions in North America, with approximately 3,200 exclusive DVD titles and approximately 34 ...

, 2007) with

*'' Without a Net'' (Blue Note, rec. live 2010, rel. 2013) as Wayne Shorter Quartet *''Celebration Volume 1'' (Blue Note, 2024)

References

External links

* * *
Wayne Shorter discography
at JazzDisco.org
Wayne Shorter biography, discography, album credits & user reviews
at ProgArchives.com *
Wayne Shorter albums to be listened
on

Spotify Spotify (; ) is a List of companies of Sweden, Swedish Music streaming service, audio streaming and media service provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. , it is one of the largest providers of music streaming services ...

Wayne Shorter albums to be listened
on YouTube
"An Interview with Wayne Shorter"
by Bob Blumenthal at jazz.com
Wayne Shorter Quartet with NEC Philharmonia, Boston
at AllAboutJazz.com
Wayne Shorter's artist file on Montreal Jazz Festival's website

DTM interview

Interview with Wayne Shorter
on ''The Music Show'', ABC Radio (Australia), June 2016. {{DEFAULTSORT:Shorter, Wayne 1933 births 2023 deaths 20th-century American saxophonists 21st-century American saxophonists African-American jazz composers African-American saxophonists African-American United States Army personnel African-American Buddhists African-American composers African-American male musicians 20th-century African-American musicians 20th-century American Buddhists American Buddhists American jazz composers American jazz soprano saxophonists American jazz tenor saxophonists American male jazz composers American male saxophonists Blue Note Records artists Converts to Sōka Gakkai Crossover jazz saxophonists Grammy Award winners Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winners Hard bop saxophonists Jazz fusion saxophonists Kennedy Center honorees Members of Sōka Gakkai Miles Davis Quintet members Modal jazz saxophonists Jazz musicians from Newark, New Jersey Newark Arts High School alumni Post-bop saxophonists Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development alumni The Jazz Messengers members V.S.O.P. (group) members Vee-Jay Records artists Weather Report members Newark jazz DownBeat Jazz Hall of Fame members NEA Jazz Masters