Thursday, 2 March 2023

R.I.P. Wayne Shorter (25 August 1933 - 2 Mar 2023)


It has been reported in The Guardian and other sources that jazz saxophonist Wayne Shorter has died today aged 89.
Shorter began his career in the 50s with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers before joining Miles Davis for six years between 1964-70 and then forming Weather Report in 1971-86 and has won 13 Grammy awards from 23 nominations.

Shorter learnt to play the clarinet as a teenager and after graduating from New York University with a degree in music in 1956 spent two years in the Army where he played with Horace Silver for a short time. When discharged he played with Maynard Ferguson. 

By 1959 he had joined Art Blakey's Soul Messengers leaving to join Miles Davis's Second Quintet in 1964 consisting of Shorter (sax), Davis (trumpet), Herbie Hancock (piano), Ron Carter (bass) and Tony Williams (drums). The quintet broke up in 1968 with Carter and Williams leaving but Shorter stayed on for two more albums. Whilst with the band he recorded on "E.S.P." (1965), "Miles Smiles" (1967), "Sorcerer" (1967), "Nefertiti" (1968), "Miles in the Sky" (1968), "Filles de Kilimanjaro" (1968), "In a Silent Way" (1969) and "Bitches Brew" (1970).

He also recorded may solo albums for Blue Note whilst with Davis. He left in 1970 to form Weather Report with Joe Zawinul (keys), Miroslav Vitouš (bass), Alphonse Mouzon (drums/vocals), Don Alias and Barbara Burton (percussion) who released virtually an album a year between 1971 and 1986 when they disbanded.

He has appeared on ten Joni Mitchell albums and also collaborated with Santana and Steely Dan.

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1 comment:

  1. Another great figure of Jazz who disappears. In introduction listen to his first album "Introducing Wayne Shorter" to appreciate. Artist inseparable from the great era of Blue Note and its association with Miles Davis.

    Yves

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