Wayne Shorter (1933-2023) was an American jazz saxophonist and composer from Newark, New Jersey, who came up with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, anchored Miles Davis's Second Great Quintet, and co-founded Weather Report. Speak No Evil (1966) is the Blue Note essential — start there. Find Wayne Shorter vinyl, CDs, and reissues at Wax Trax Records.
Wayne Shorter (1933-2023) was an American jazz saxophonist and composer born in Newark, New Jersey. He made his name with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, then became a defining member of Miles Davis's Second Great Quintet in the 1960s. He co-founded Weather Report, one of the most important jazz fusion groups, and led acclaimed groups under his own name throughout his life. Widely regarded as one of the greatest jazz composers and saxophonists, he won numerous Grammy Awards before his death in 2023.
Shorter played both tenor and soprano saxophone and was celebrated for his harmonically adventurous, enigmatic compositions and his distinctive, economical improvising. His work spanned hard bop, post-bop, modal jazz, and fusion, and his compositions became standards. His influence on jazz writing and saxophone playing is profound and extensively documented.
Shorter's Blue Note catalog is among the most collected in jazz, with original pressings of Speak No Evil and JuJu highly prized and audiophile reissue series (such as Tone Poet and Classic Vinyl) keeping his work in demand. His Weather Report recordings are also of strong collector interest.
Listeners new to Wayne Shorter often start with Speak No Evil (1966). For related listening, see and .
