Wayne Shorter, the man who carried much of jazz history on his shoulders, has died at 89

‘Before being a good musician, be a good human being’, the saxophonist told ‘Estadão’, in 2016

This Thursday, March 2, a man who carried much of the history of jazz on his shoulders passed away. Shorter Wayne he was 89 years old and was hospitalized in Los Angeles. Active for over sixty years, he has been in bands such as Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, the second great quintet of Miles Davis and the transformer weather report. Each of them explores jazz through different eras and paths. Shorter’s cause of death has not been disclosed, but the news of his departure has moved musicians around the world. Milton Nascimentowho recorded the album with Shorter native dancerreleased in 1975, she wrote the following on her Instagram account: “Today is one of the hardest days of my life. Day to say goodbye to part of all that I am. Wayne Shorter was, and always will be, more than a musical partner Since we met, we’ve never been apart.”

According to the newspaper The New York Times, the information about the death of the saxophonist and composer was confirmed by the musician’s publicist, Alisse Kingsley. In all, Shorter has received eleven Grammy statuettes, among many other major awards. In 2016 he spoke with the Stadium before arriving in the country for a concert with pianist Herbie Hancock. He had just written a profound “letter to young musicians,” with advice he would give to anyone starting to play an instrument. Here is one of Shorter’s statements to the newspaper on young Brazilians: “Many young people seem to have a limited vision of life, they don’t know the past, they don’t know history. history, you will repeat it without knowing it. I once saw a program where young Brazilians did not know who Antonio Carlos Jobim was. It would be like asking here in the United States who Humphrey Bogart is. I hear them say something like “what is a typewriter?”.

He also wrote that, before being a good musician, one must be a good human being. Why? “If you know nothing about humanity, your music will always represent something superficial. It will only be used to make money and entertain people. And my question is, what are the things in life for? Many people think they are human beings simply because they were born. No, not yet! I would say that human beings are the result of an internal process that makes life an adventure, eternally. That’s what I think of when I play. The world today seems to be worse than it used to be it was in the 60s or 70s. There are more ideological radicalisms, social dilemmas, hatreds. How to draw inspiration?” Just to remind, the interview is from 2016, and he was already talking about radicalization. “You know, Herbie Hancock and I teach a few times at UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles), and one question students often ask us is, ‘What do you think about when you write or play?’ And I say, well, maybe you should think about how you would like the world to be in the future and try to write your own music inspired by that idea.”

Source: Terra

Earl

Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.