On Thursday in Los Angeles, Wayne Shorter, an enigmatic and intrepid saxophonist, passed away at the age of 89.
His death was confirmed by his publicist, Alisse Kingsley. Shorter was widely regarded as one of the most intensely admired composers who helped shape the color and contour of modern jazz. He had a distinct, sly, and confiding style on the tenor saxophone, easily recognizable by his low-gloss tone and elliptical sense of phrase.
He also left an indelible mark on the soprano saxophone, with a bright and inquisitive sound that was always executed with pinpoint intonation and clarity of attack. Shorter’s career spanned over half a century, and he played a crucial role in jazz’s complex evolution during that time.
He made a name for himself in the 1960s as a tenor saxophonist and in-house composer for the Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers and the Miles Davis Quintet, two of the most renowned small groups in jazz history.
