Legendary Jazz Saxophonist Wayne Shorter Dies At Age 89
The influential musician played with Miles Davis and co-founded Weather Report.
By Andy Kahn Mar 2, 2023 • 9:36 am PST
Legendary jazz saxophonist Wayne Shorter has died at age 89. According to the Washington Post, his publicist Alisse Kingsley confirmed Shorter died on March 2 at a Los Angeles hospital. A cause of death was not given.
Posts on Shorter’s official social media accounts detailed his final moments:
“Today at 4am, Wayne Shorter peacefully continued on his immense journey into the unknown. He was surrounded by loving family. In his words, ‘It’s time to go get a new body and come back to continue the mission.’ Nam Myoho Renge Kyo.”
Shorter was born on August 25, 1933 in Newark, New Jersey. After starting on clarinet at age 16, Shorter took up the saxophone prior to enrolling at New York University in 1952. Shorter served a stint as a member of the U.S. Army after a short time performing with the Horace Silver Quintet and Maynard Ferguson Big Band,
A breakthrough came in 1959 when he was recruited for Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers and he stayed with the popular group through 1963. During this period, Shorter released his first albums as a band leader.
In September 1964, innovative jazz trumpeter Miles Davis sought Shorter’s services, and the saxophonist became part of the second configuration of the renowned Miles Davis Quintet alongside pianist Herbie Hancock, drummer Tony Williams and bassist Ron Carter.
Shorter remained with Davis until 1970, and wrote some of the band’s signature songs such as “E.S.P.,” “Prince of Darkness,” “Nefertiti,” and “Footprints.” That year Shorter co-founded the fusion outfit Weather Report, whose membership included Joe Zawinul, Jaco Pastorius, Alphonso Johnson, Alphonse Mouzon and many others. Shorter’s time with Weather Report ended in 1986 and was followed by a series of sporadically released solo albums over the subsequent decade.
Among Shorter’s frequent collaborators was Joni Mitchell. Shorter contributed to 10 of Mitchell’s albums between 1977 and 2002. Shorter also contributed to the title track of Steely Dan’s 1977 album, Aja. Additional collaborators Shorter worked with over his illustrious career included Herbie Hancock, Freddie Hubbard, Lee Morgan, Carlos Santana, The Rolling Stones, Donald Byrd, Norah Jones, McCoy Tyner and dozens of others.
In 2000, Shorter co-founded his first acoustic group, a quartet with drummer Brian Blade, bassist John Patitucci, and pianist Danilo Perez. The group’s final album was the 2016 Blue Note Records release, Emanon. Shorter retired from touring in 2018 due to health issues.
Shorter won 12 Grammy Awards and was given the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014. He was given the prestigious Polaris Prize in 2017 and in 2018, Shorter received the Kennedy Center Honors Award from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
