Wayne Shorter was a highly influential American jazz saxophonist and composer. He rose to fame as a member of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, where his composing talents flourished. His career highlights include playing with Miles Davis' renowned quintet and co-founding the innovative jazz fusion group Weather Report. Throughout his illustrious career, Shorter released over 20 albums as a bandleader, solidifying his place as a jazz legend.
August 25, 1933: Birth of Wayne Shorter
Wayne Shorter was born in Newark, New Jersey on August 25, 1933.
1952: Shorter Graduates High School and Attends NYU
Wayne Shorter, a graduate of Newark Arts High School in 1952, enrolled at New York University the same year.
1956: Shorter Completes NYU and Serves in the Army
After graduating from New York University with a music education degree in 1956, Wayne Shorter served in the U.S. Army for two years.
1959: Shorter's Tenure with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers
In 1959, Wayne Shorter joined Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, contributing for four years as a musician, composer, and eventually musical director. The group toured extensively and recorded several albums.
1959: Wayne Shorter Joins Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers
Wayne Shorter rose to fame in 1959 when he joined Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, becoming their primary composer.
1961: Marriage to Teruko Nakagami
Wayne Shorter married Teruko (Irene) Nakagami in 1961.
1964: Shorter Joins Miles Davis' Quintet
In 1964, Wayne Shorter joined Miles Davis' Second Great Quintet.
1964: Separation from Teruko Nakagami
Wayne Shorter and Teruko Nakagami separated in 1964.
1964: Shorter's Debut Album with Blue Note Records
Wayne Shorter recorded his first Blue Note album, "Night Dreamer", in 1964, marking the beginning of his collaborations with the label.
1965: Shorter's Exploration of Larger Ensembles
In 1965, Wayne Shorter recorded "The All Seeing Eye" with a larger group, demonstrating his versatility in ensemble settings.
1966: Meeting Ana Maria Patricio
Wayne Shorter met Ana Maria Patricio in 1966.
1966: Release of "The All Seeing Eye"
Wayne Shorter's album "The All Seeing Eye", recorded in 1965, was released in 1966.
1967: Release of "Adam's Apple"
Wayne Shorter's album "Adam's Apple", recorded in 1966, was released in 1967.
1968: Shorter's Continued Collaboration with Davis
Wayne Shorter continued to play with Miles Davis after the quintet's breakup in 1968, contributing to early jazz fusion recordings.
1968: Shorter's Transition to Soprano Saxophone
While primarily a tenor saxophonist, Wayne Shorter's last Davis album featuring the tenor in the regular lineup was "Filles de Kilimanjaro" in 1968.
1969: Shorter's Embrace of the Soprano Saxophone
Wayne Shorter started playing the soprano saxophone on Miles Davis' album "In a Silent Way" and his own "Super Nova" in 1969.
1969: Shorter's Jazz Fusion Recordings with Davis
Wayne Shorter participated in recording sessions with Miles Davis, resulting in jazz fusion albums like "In a Silent Way" and "Bitches Brew", both released in 1969.
1969: Release of "Schizophrenia"
Recorded in 1967, Wayne Shorter's album "Schizophrenia" was released in 1969.
1970: Shorter's Primary Instrument Becomes Soprano Saxophone
Although playing both soprano and tenor saxophones in live performances and recordings with Davis from 1969 to 1970, Wayne Shorter primarily played the soprano saxophone by the early 1970s.
1970: Shorter's Prolific Period with Blue Note
Between 1964 and 1970, Wayne Shorter recorded eleven albums for Blue Note Records, showcasing his compositions and collaborations.
1970: Formation and Early Years of Weather Report
Following the release of "Odyssey of Iska", Wayne Shorter formed Weather Report with Joe Zawinul, Miroslav Vitous, Airto Moreira, and Alphonse Mouzon in 1970.
1970: Marriage to Ana Maria Patricio
Wayne Shorter and Ana Maria Patricio married in 1970.
1970: Formation of Weather Report
Wayne Shorter co-founded the jazz fusion band Weather Report in 1970.
1970: Shorter's Reign on Soprano Saxophone Begins
Wayne Shorter shifted his focus from tenor to soprano saxophone in the late 1960s, and by 1970, he began his extended dominance as DownBeat's poll-winner on that instrument.
1970: Shorter's Final Performances and Recordings with Davis
Wayne Shorter's last performances and studio recordings with Miles Davis took place in 1970.
1973: Vitous' Departure and Co-Leadership of Weather Report
After Miroslav Vitous left in 1973, Wayne Shorter and Joe Zawinul co-led Weather Report.
1974: Release of "Native Dancer"
Wayne Shorter released "Native Dancer", a critically acclaimed album featuring Herbie Hancock and Milton Nascimento, in 1974.
1977: Collaboration with Steely Dan
Wayne Shorter played an extended solo on the title track of Steely Dan's album "Aja" in 1977.
1980: Shorter's Contributions to "The Swing of Delight"
Wayne Shorter toured with the V.S.O.P. quintet in the late 1970s and early 1980s and appeared on Carlos Santana's double LP "The Swing of Delight" in 1980, for which he also composed several pieces.
1985: Disbandment of Weather Report
Weather Report disbanded in late 1985.
1986: Departure from Weather Report and Continued Exploration
Wayne Shorter left Weather Report in 1986 but continued to record and lead groups in jazz fusion styles.
1986: Death of Daughter, Iska
Wayne Shorter's daughter, Iska, died from a grand mal seizure at age 14 in 1986.
1987: Performance at Lugano Jazz Festival
A concert video of Wayne Shorter's performance with Jim Beard, Carl James, Terri Lyne Carrington, and Marilyn Mazur at the Lugano Jazz Festival was recorded in 1987.
1988: Touring with Carlos Santana
Wayne Shorter toured with guitarist Carlos Santana in 1988.
1989: Collaboration with Don Henley and Production Work
Wayne Shorter played the saxophone solo on Don Henley's hit song "The End of the Innocence" and produced Pilar Homem de Melo's album "Pilar" in 1989.
1993: Contribution to "The Fugitive" Soundtrack
Wayne Shorter appeared on the soundtrack of the Harrison Ford film "The Fugitive" in 1993.
1995: Release of "High Life"
Wayne Shorter released "High Life", his first solo album in seven years and his debut with Verve Records, in 1995.
July 17, 1996: Death of Wife and Niece
Wayne Shorter's wife, Ana Maria, and niece, Dalila, were killed in the TWA Flight 800 crash on July 17, 1996.
1996: Grammy Award for "High Life"
"High Life" won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Album in 1996.
1997: Collaboration on "1+1" and Grammy Win
In 1997, Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock collaborated on the album "1+1". The song "Aung San Suu Kyi" from the album won a Grammy Award.
1999: Marriage to Carolina Dos Santos
Wayne Shorter married Carolina Dos Santos, a close friend of his late wife, in 1999.
1999: Honorary Doctorate from Berklee College of Music
Wayne Shorter received an Honorary Doctorate of Music from the Berklee College of Music in 1999.
2000: Formation of the Wayne Shorter Quartet
Wayne Shorter formed his first permanent acoustic quartet in 2000, featuring pianist Danilo Perez, bassist John Patitucci, and drummer Brian Blade.
2002: Shorter's Long Collaboration with Joni Mitchell
Wayne Shorter collaborated with Joni Mitchell on ten studio albums between 1977 and 2002.
2003: Release of "Alegría"
Wayne Shorter released "Alegría", his first studio album in 10 years, featuring his quartet and other musicians like Brad Mehldau and Terri Lyne Carrington.
2004: Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Album
Wayne Shorter's album "Alegría" won the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Album in 2004.
2006: Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Album
Wayne Shorter's album "Beyond the Sound Barrier" won the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Album in 2006.
2008: Shorter Hailed as Jazz Great by Ben Ratliff
In 2008, New York Times critic Ben Ratliff called Wayne Shorter "probably jazz's greatest living small-group composer and a contender for greatest living improviser".
September 17, 2013: Lifetime Achievement Award from the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz
Wayne Shorter received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz on September 17, 2013.
December 18, 2014: Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award
The Recording Academy announced Wayne Shorter as the recipient of the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award for his significant contributions to music on December 18, 2014.
2015: Filming Begins on "Wayne Shorter: Zero Gravity"
Dorsay Alavi began filming the documentary "Wayne Shorter: Zero Gravity" in 2015.
August 24, 2016: Mega Nova's First Performance
The supergroup Mega Nova, consisting of Wayne Shorter, Carlos Santana, Herbie Hancock, Marcus Miller, and Cindy Blackman Santana, performed their first show together at the Hollywood Bowl on August 24, 2016.
2016: Guggenheim Fellowship
Wayne Shorter was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in music composition in 2016, the only jazz artist to receive this honor that year.
2017: Shorter Awarded Polar Music Prize
Wayne Shorter received the Polar Music Prize in 2017.
2017: Polar Music Prize
Wayne Shorter was named a co-winner of the Polar Music Prize in 2017 for his impactful contributions to modern music.
2018: Retirement from Performing
Due to health issues, Wayne Shorter retired from his performing career in 2018.
2018: Kennedy Center Honors Award
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts honored Wayne Shorter with the Kennedy Center Honors Award in 2018 for his lifetime achievements in the arts.
November 12, 2021: Premiere of "Iphigenia"
Wayne Shorter's opera "Iphigenia", with a libretto by Esperanza Spalding and set design by Frank Gehry, premiered at the Cutler Majestic Theatre on November 12, 2021.
April 29, 2022: Street Renaming in Newark, NJ
Wayne Shorter's hometown, Newark, NJ, renamed Park Place to "Wayne Shorter Way" in his honor on April 29, 2022.
March 2, 2023: Death of Wayne Shorter
Wayne Shorter passed away on March 2, 2023.
April 22, 2023: BBC Radio Three Tribute
BBC Radio Three's "J to Z" program aired a 90-minute tribute to Wayne Shorter, hosted by Julian Joseph, on April 22, 2023.
August 2023: Tribute Concert at Hollywood Bowl
Herbie Hancock hosted a tribute concert for Wayne Shorter at the Hollywood Bowl in August 2023, featuring performances by Carlos Santana, Joni Mitchell, and many others.
August 2023: Release of "Wayne Shorter: Zero Gravity"
The documentary "Wayne Shorter: Zero Gravity", a three-hour miniseries, was released on Amazon Prime Video in August 2023.