Wayne Shorter

Wayne Shorter
The world of music is the most unpredictable and twisted one. This is the place where many people venture in to make their name but only few found success. Even those who make it at first place find it difficult to meet the expectations of their fans and critics and there are many who simply disappears after an album or two.

But the case of Wayne Shorter is something different. He has for about fifty years now and he is making more name and more fame with every passing day. Today, he is hailed as one of the great legends of Jazz simply because of the great contribution he has made in the world of Jazz music.

There are numerous reasons behind the stupendous success of Wayne Shorter. He is a powerhouse of talent that has been donning the hat of best tenor and soprano saxophonist for many years now. He is one of the finest composers that Jazz has ever known and one of the most entertaining performers the stage can witness.

He is a winner all the way when it comes to his music sales, fan base and critical acclaim. And hey, the man has also many Grammies and other prestigious honors to his name as well confirming his supremacy in the world of music. Let us take you through the journey of this man from no one to be one of the most admiring artists of all times.

Wayne Shorter was born on August 25, 1933 in Newark, New Jersey. He attended Music and Arts high school in Newark and later graduated from New York University. He served the US Army till 1958 where he used to play some music as well like a three-night gig in Philadelphia with Horace Silver's quintet.

Once left the army, Shorter came back in New York and played with Maynard Ferguson for a short time. It was here that he met pianist Joe Zawinul, with whom he would later found Weather Report that got him the right king of fame in the musical circles.

At the end of 1950s, Shorter joined a Jazz band named Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers and played with them till early 1960s. The year 1964 saw Wayne making a giant career move as he was invited by Miles Davis to go on the road with his band to form the Miles Davis Qunitet. Along with him were Herbie Hancock and Tony Williams and Wayne remained with them for the next six years.

They recorded over a dozen albums and created a sound that changed the face of music during in that decade. Great compositions like Nefertiti, E.S.P., Pinocchio, Sanctuary, Fall and Footprints all are the manifestations of the talent, this great man possesses.

Wayne Shorter also lead Blue Note Records before this and recorded as a solo artist in cutting nine classic albums for Blue Note. After his Miles Davis act, Shorter formed Weather Report with Joe Zawinul and Miroslav Vitous that also got success among his fans. With this venture, shorter helped to redefine the new hybrid of music that borrowed from a variety of forms, from jazz and rock to classical and electronic.

His untiring efforts for Weather Report got the band a Grammy Award for their double-live LP 8:30. Shorter was wonderfully skilled in all this genres, but what really caught the eye of his fans was his rocking Jazz rendition that was nothing less than fantastic.

Wayne Shorter made a big splash with his music in 1970s. In 1974, he recorded a landmark solo album entitled Native Dancer. This Columbia Records release was a massive success and world-wide popularity. If Native Dancer was good, then his next album Atlantis was simply the best as it earned him a Grammy nomination. Released in 1985, the album made him to stand proud as one of the world's premier composers and performers of progressive music.

A decade later, a splendid work by shorter, namely 1 1 make his fans to feel the magic of his powerful music all over again. This was an intimate duet recording with pianist and former Miles Davis quintet band mate Herbie Hancock and was released in 1997. After its stupendous success, the two kept touring all over the world.

The new century saw new landmarks in Shorters career and in 2001, he began touring as the leader of a talented young lineup featuring pianist Danilo Perez, bassist John Patitucci and drummer Brian Blade.

They released Footprints Live! in 2002 but what is regarded as the most wonderful act of Shorter in these times is his 2003 ambitious project Alegria that him another Grammy Award.

With Grammies in his kitty, a spot in the Jazz Hall of Fame and termed by One of the most significant composers and individual saxophonists in jazz by New York Times, Wayne Shorter is still going as strong as he was thirty years ago.

So if want to feel the music of this legendary artist, then you have to catch him live as there is nothing like listening to this man at his latest concert. So go for Wayne Shorter and feel the magic!