Wayne Shorter
About Wayne Shorter
“Wayne Shorter is not only one of jazz’s greatest composers but its angel of esotericism, an enlightened and arcane elder.”
– The New York Times
Considered to be one of the world’s greatest composers and one of the greatest jazz saxophonists of all time, Wayne Shorter is a recipient of 11 Grammy Awards, a Lifetime Achievement Grammy, five honorary doctorate degrees, the Kennedy Center Honor, Polar Music Prize, Lifetime Achievement Award from the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz and many other awards and honors for his contributions to music.
Wayne Shorter’s compositions have become jazz standards, and his music has earned worldwide recognition, critical praise and various commendations. He has also received acclaim for his mastery of the soprano saxophone after switching his focus from the tenor in the late 1960s beginning an extended reign in 1970 as Down Beat’s annual poll-winner on that instrument, winning the critics’ poll for 10 consecutive years and the readers’ for 18. The New York Times described Shorter in 2008 as “probably jazz’s greatest living small-group composer and a contender for greatest living improviser”.
Wayne Shorter, called a genius, a trailblazer, a visionary, was born on August 25, 1933 in Newark, New Jersey. He studied at New York University and served in the U.S. Army. He spent brief periods in the Horace Silver quintet and the Maynard Ferguson big band before his first major association, with Art Blakey’s hard-bop Jazz Messengers. Miles Davis convinced Shorter to join his quintet in September 1964, thus completing the lineup of a group whose biggest impact would leapfrog a generation into the ’80s.
Staying with Miles until 1970, Shorter became the band’s most prolific composer at times, contributing tunes like “E.S.P.,” “Pinocchio,” “Nefertiti,” “Sanctuary,” “Footprints,” “Fall,” and the signature description of Miles, “Prince of Darkness.” Herbie Hancock said: “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.”
Following the release of Odyssey of Iska in 1970, Shorter formed Weather Report. The band produce many high-quality recordings in diverse styles, with funk, bebop, Latin jazz, ethnic music, and futurism being the most prevalent denominators. After leaving Weather Report in 1986, Shorter continued to record and lead groups in jazz fusion styles.
In 2000, he 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. Four albums of live recordings have been released: Footprints Live; Beyond the Sound Barrier; Without a Net; and Emanon, with the latter, in addition to live material, including Shorter’s quartet in a studio session with the 34-piece Orpheus Chamber Orchestra.
Wayne Shorter’s works have been performed by the Chicago Symphony, Detroit Symphony, Lyon Symphony, National Polish Radio Symphonic Orchestra, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Prague Philharmonic and Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. He has received commissions from the National, St. Louis, and Nashville Symphony Orchestras, the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the La Jolla Music Society.
Shorter has realized over 200 compositions and dozens of these works have become modern standards.
Image credit: Robert Ascroft
Worklist
Products
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Vol. 33Composer: Wayne ShorterEditor: Jamey AebersoldMedia Type: Sheet music with 2 CDsSeries: Jamey Aebersold - Ein neuer Weg zur Jazz Improvisation , Vol. 33
Brand: Aebersold
Instrumentation: melody instrumentLanguage: EnglishProduct number: AEB 140332£20.50Supplier out of stock, delivery time unknown -
Up-Tempo SwingComposer: Wayne ShorterArranger: Mark TaylorMedia Type: Sheet musicEdition: Score and partsBrand: Hal Leonard
Instrumentation: big bandLanguage: EnglishProduct number: HLA 7011644£62.50Supplier out of stock, delivery time unknown -
Composer: John Coltrane | David Friesen | Ray Noble | Wayne Shorter | Denny ZeitlinInterpreter: David Friesen | Denny ZeitlinMedia Type: CDBrand: Intuition
Product number: INT 32572£10.99Not in stock, but can be ordered - usually despatched (or ready for collection) within 7 days -
Composer: Bill Evans | David Friesen | Bob Hilliard | Johnny Mandel | David Mann | Johnny Mercer | Cole Porter | Randy Porter | Bud Powell | Sam Rivers | Hart Rogers | Wayne Shorter | Mellin Wood | Earl ZindarsInterpreter: David Friesen | Alan Jones | Randy PorterMedia Type: 2 CDsEdition: 2 CDsBrand: Intuition
Product number: INT 33342£21.99Not in stock, but can be ordered - usually despatched (or ready for collection) within 7 days -
Composer: Wayne ShorterArranger: Mark TaylorMedia Type: Sheet musicEdition: Score and partsBrand: Hal Leonard
Instrumentation: big bandProduct number: HL07013590£48.99Supplier out of stock, delivery time unknown -
SwingComposer: Wayne ShorterArranger: Mike TomaroMedia Type: Sheet musicEdition: Score and partsBrand: Hal Leonard
Instrumentation: big bandLanguage: EnglishProduct number: HLA 7011287£55.50Supplier out of stock, delivery time unknown -
Arranger: Matt HarrisComposer: Wayne ShorterMedia Type: Sheet musicEdition: Score and partsBrand: Kendor Music
Instrumentation: big bandProduct number: KN 52323£100.50Supplier out of stock, delivery time unknown -
Composer: Wayne ShorterArranger: Mike TomaroMedia Type: Sheet musicEdition: Score and partsBrand: Hal Leonard
Instrumentation: big bandLanguage: EnglishProduct number: HLA 7012449£62.50Supplier out of stock, delivery time unknown -
Jazz WaltzComposer: Wayne ShorterArranger: John BerryMedia Type: Sheet music with CDEdition: Score and partsSeries: Hal Leonard Easy Jazz Ensemble
Brand: Hal Leonard
Instrumentation: big bandLanguage: EnglishProduct number: HLA 7011085£48.99Not in stock, but can be ordered - usually despatched (or ready for collection) within 7 days -
Composer: Wayne ShorterArranger: Bob MintzerMedia Type: Sheet musicEdition: Score and partsSeries: Saxology
Brand: advance music
Instrumentation: 5 saxophones (SATTBar) with piano, guitar (ad lib), double bass, percussionProduct number: ADV 7518Special Price £21.59 Regular Price £26.99Not in stock, but can be ordered - usually despatched (or ready for collection) within 7 days -
Composer: Wayne ShorterArranger: Bob MintzerMedia Type: Sheet musicEdition: Score and partsSeries: Saxology
Brand: advance music
Instrumentation: 5 saxophones (AATTBar) with piano, guitar (ad lib), double bass, percussionProduct number: ADV 7517Special Price £21.59 Regular Price £26.99Not in stock, but can be ordered - usually despatched (or ready for collection) within 7 days -
Composer: Wayne Shorter | Joe ZawinulInterpreter: Alex Acuna | Victor Bailey | Nathaniel Townsley | Joe ZawinulOrchestra/ensemble: WDR Big Band CologneMedia Type: 2 CDsEdition: 2 CDsBrand: Intuition
Product number: INT 34502£21.99Not in stock, but can be ordered - usually despatched (or ready for collection) within 7 days -
Composer: Wayne ShorterArranger: Mark TaylorMedia Type: Sheet musicEdition: Score and partsBrand: Hal Leonard
Instrumentation: big bandProduct number: HL 07012874£62.50Not in stock, but can be ordered - usually despatched (or ready for collection) within 7 days -
Med. SwingComposer: Wayne ShorterArranger: Mark TaylorMedia Type: Sheet musicEdition: Score and partsBrand: Hal Leonard
Instrumentation: big bandLanguage: EnglishProduct number: HLA 7011628£62.50Supplier out of stock, delivery time unknown -
Composer: Wayne ShorterArranger: Ramon RickerMedia Type: Sheet musicEdition: Score and partsSeries: Saxology
Brand: advance music
Instrumentation: 5 saxophones (AATTBar), piano, guitar (ad lib), double bass, percussionProduct number: ADV 7510Special Price £21.59 Regular Price £26.99Not in stock, but can be ordered - usually despatched (or ready for collection) within 7 days -
Fast SwingComposer: Wayne ShorterArranger: Mike TomaroMedia Type: Sheet musicEdition: Score and partsBrand: Hal Leonard
Instrumentation: big bandLanguage: EnglishProduct number: HLA 7010941£55.50Not in stock, but can be ordered - usually despatched (or ready for collection) within 7 days