Wayne Shorter (August 25, 1933 – March 2, 2023) was an American jazz saxoph… Read Full Bio ↴Wayne Shorter (August 25, 1933 – March 2, 2023) was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. Shorter came to prominence in the late 1950s as a member of, and eventually primary composer for, Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers. In the 1960s, he joined Miles Davis's Second Great Quintet, and then co-founded the jazz fusion band Weather Report. He has recorded over 20 albums as a bandleader.
Shorter was born in Newark, New Jersey, and attended Newark Arts High School. He was encouraged by his father to take up the saxophone as a teenager (his brother Alan became a trumpeter). After graduating from New York University in 1956 Shorter spent two years in the US Army, during which time he played briefly with Horace Silver, and after his discharge from the army with Maynard Ferguson.
In 1959 Shorter joined Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers. He stayed with Blakey for five years, and eventually became musical director for the group. In 1964, Miles Davis persuaded Shorter to leave Blakey and join the Miles Davis Quintet alongside Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter and Tony Williams. Davis had been searching for a saxophonist to replace John Coltrane for some time, and the new quintet is considered by many to have been Davis's strongest working group. Shorter composed extensively for Davis ("Prince of Darkness", "ESP", "Footprints", "Sanctuary", and many others; on some albums he provided half of the compositions).
Herbie Hancock had this to say of Shorter's tenure in the group: "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." Davis said: "Wayne is a real composer. He writes scores, write the parts for everybody just as he wants them to sound. He also brought in a kind of curiosity about working with musical rules. If they didn't work, then he broke them, but with musical sense; he understood that freedom in music was the ability to know the rules in order to bend them to your own satisfaction and taste."
Simultaneously with his time in the Miles Davis quintet, Shorter recorded several albums for Blue Note Records, featuring almost exclusively his own compositions. He also recorded occasionally as a sideman (again, mainly for Blue Note) with Donald Byrd, McCoy Tyner, Grachan Moncur III, Freddie Hubbard, Lee Morgan, and band mates Hancock and Williams. Until 1968 he played tenor saxophone exclusively; by the early 1970s, however, he chiefly played soprano saxophone.
Shorter remained in Davis's band after the breakup of the quintet in 1968, playing on early jazz fusion recordings including In a Silent Way and Bitches Brew (both 1969). His last live dates and studio recordings with Davis were in 1970.
In 1970, along with keyboardist Joe Zawinul (also a veteran of the Miles Davis group), Shorter formed Weather Report. Other original members were bassist Miroslav Vitous, percussionist Airto Moreira, and drummer Alphonse Mouzon. Shorter and Zawinul co-led the group until late 1985 with a variety of other musicians, and separately wrote most of Weather Report's material. Shorter also recorded critically acclaimed albums as leader, notably Native Dancer, which featured Brazilian composer and vocalist Milton Nascimento, and Atlantis.
After leaving Weather Report, Shorter continued to record and lead groups in jazz fusion styles, and contributed to several albums by Joni Mitchell. He has also maintained an occasional working relationship with Herbie Hancock, including appearances on several of Hancock's albums, the VSOP band (essentially a revival of the 1960s Miles Davis quintet with Freddie Hubbard substituting for Davis), and a tribute album recorded shortly after Davis's death with Hancock, Carter, Williams and Wallace Roney.
Shorter formed his band in 2000, the first permanent acoustic group under his leadership. The quartet is composed of pianist Danilo Perez, bassist John Patitucci, and drummer Brian Blade. Two albums of live recordings featuring this quartet have been released (Footprints Live (2001) and Beyond the Sound Barrier (2005). The quartet has received great acclaim from fans and critics, and the musicians have come to consider themselves family on and off stage. Shorter's 2003 album Alegria received a 2004 Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Jazz Album; it features the quartet with a host of other musicians, including pianist Brad Mehldau, drummer Terri Lyne Carrington and former Weather Report percussionist Alex Acuña.
"I think that music opens portals and doorways into unknown sectors that it takes courage to leap into. I always think that there's a potential that we all have, and we can emerge, rise up to this potential, when necessary. We have to be fearless, courageous, and draw upon wisdom that we think we don't have." - Wayne Shorter
Shorter was born in Newark, New Jersey, and attended Newark Arts High School. He was encouraged by his father to take up the saxophone as a teenager (his brother Alan became a trumpeter). After graduating from New York University in 1956 Shorter spent two years in the US Army, during which time he played briefly with Horace Silver, and after his discharge from the army with Maynard Ferguson.
In 1959 Shorter joined Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers. He stayed with Blakey for five years, and eventually became musical director for the group. In 1964, Miles Davis persuaded Shorter to leave Blakey and join the Miles Davis Quintet alongside Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter and Tony Williams. Davis had been searching for a saxophonist to replace John Coltrane for some time, and the new quintet is considered by many to have been Davis's strongest working group. Shorter composed extensively for Davis ("Prince of Darkness", "ESP", "Footprints", "Sanctuary", and many others; on some albums he provided half of the compositions).
Herbie Hancock had this to say of Shorter's tenure in the group: "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." Davis said: "Wayne is a real composer. He writes scores, write the parts for everybody just as he wants them to sound. He also brought in a kind of curiosity about working with musical rules. If they didn't work, then he broke them, but with musical sense; he understood that freedom in music was the ability to know the rules in order to bend them to your own satisfaction and taste."
Simultaneously with his time in the Miles Davis quintet, Shorter recorded several albums for Blue Note Records, featuring almost exclusively his own compositions. He also recorded occasionally as a sideman (again, mainly for Blue Note) with Donald Byrd, McCoy Tyner, Grachan Moncur III, Freddie Hubbard, Lee Morgan, and band mates Hancock and Williams. Until 1968 he played tenor saxophone exclusively; by the early 1970s, however, he chiefly played soprano saxophone.
Shorter remained in Davis's band after the breakup of the quintet in 1968, playing on early jazz fusion recordings including In a Silent Way and Bitches Brew (both 1969). His last live dates and studio recordings with Davis were in 1970.
In 1970, along with keyboardist Joe Zawinul (also a veteran of the Miles Davis group), Shorter formed Weather Report. Other original members were bassist Miroslav Vitous, percussionist Airto Moreira, and drummer Alphonse Mouzon. Shorter and Zawinul co-led the group until late 1985 with a variety of other musicians, and separately wrote most of Weather Report's material. Shorter also recorded critically acclaimed albums as leader, notably Native Dancer, which featured Brazilian composer and vocalist Milton Nascimento, and Atlantis.
After leaving Weather Report, Shorter continued to record and lead groups in jazz fusion styles, and contributed to several albums by Joni Mitchell. He has also maintained an occasional working relationship with Herbie Hancock, including appearances on several of Hancock's albums, the VSOP band (essentially a revival of the 1960s Miles Davis quintet with Freddie Hubbard substituting for Davis), and a tribute album recorded shortly after Davis's death with Hancock, Carter, Williams and Wallace Roney.
Shorter formed his band in 2000, the first permanent acoustic group under his leadership. The quartet is composed of pianist Danilo Perez, bassist John Patitucci, and drummer Brian Blade. Two albums of live recordings featuring this quartet have been released (Footprints Live (2001) and Beyond the Sound Barrier (2005). The quartet has received great acclaim from fans and critics, and the musicians have come to consider themselves family on and off stage. Shorter's 2003 album Alegria received a 2004 Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Jazz Album; it features the quartet with a host of other musicians, including pianist Brad Mehldau, drummer Terri Lyne Carrington and former Weather Report percussionist Alex Acuña.
"I think that music opens portals and doorways into unknown sectors that it takes courage to leap into. I always think that there's a potential that we all have, and we can emerge, rise up to this potential, when necessary. We have to be fearless, courageous, and draw upon wisdom that we think we don't have." - Wayne Shorter
Witch Hunt
Wayne Shorter Lyrics
We have lyrics for 'Witch Hunt' by these artists:
Accusator There's a clearing in the forest It's the place of the…
Agarwaen In the 14th century in little village lived a widow…
All Hail All hail the saints who claim they're no sinners Casting you…
Andrew Stein We're gonna make the devil, we're gonna make they pay Just…
Arena Pouring fuel across the fire Let the flesh evaporate I can…
azari はい次 始めましょう 誘いたかった 遊び方 飽きずに 塗れましょう 青い肌 貴方の味方 甘い 甘い 光 高い 高い 空…
Beyond The Hollow Now I walk Into the flames Misunderstood Left in disgrace …
Bibi When my instinct hit me bad Crying like some pussy cat…
Brian Derba Witch trials and pure denial Smoke in the mirror was never…
Chandler Leighton Are you scared of me? Am I too threatening? 'Cause every…
CocoRosie We burn books, we hunt witch We censor the science We tell…
Cows It's a witch hunt outside I wish I was one…
D.O.A. if you're scraping by on spuds or rice on the…
Delaire The Liar That sharp mouth moved fast as it spat out glass, that same…
Department of Darkness Joe was the top guy on a Man Show A comic…
Donald Byrd Going on a witch hunt Ain′t got much time Gotta make a…
Drama Moth I wanna see you crawl I wanna make you scream Like it's…
Dropdead Modern day witch hunt As the religious right bears its teeth…
El-Creepo! When we die, where do we go? Many have theories, but…
Fear Cult Burn witch, burn witch, burn burn burn It's in the Puritan'…
Flaming Wrekage Crucified on the surface of the sun This endless burden weig…
Hugh Syme The night is black, without a moon The air is thick…
Hugh Syme/Rush The night is black, without a moon The air is thick…
IN THE TRENCH Murder self expression You're taking out freedoms away Til w…
Inkubus Sukkubus Through bleary eyes I see the touch light Beyond the panes…
J Joe was the top guy on a Man Show A comic…
Jack Off Jill dead girls dance they burn and twirl witch cunt witch hunt…
Jack_Off_Jill Dead girl's dance they burn and twirl Witch hunt witch cunt…
Kittie A reign of terror on us The persecution begins Hold tight th…
Machine Head The night is black Without a moon The air is thick and…
MDFMK Bolts of lightning, out of the blue Without forewarning, the…
Misfits Wipe out the weak and dying I've got no use for…
Nicumo Spare the hanging rope You can never really know The Witch m…
Nyctopia This place is so dark, I want to get out Walls claw…
Onslaught The sound of horses riding by the riders fists raised…
Paradigma The night is black, without a moon The air is thick,…
Petra Everybody look there's a new bandwagon in town Hop on…
Piledriver We're hungry wolves stealing the night witchkilling keeps us…
PYROLYSIS Shudder in my blackest eyes And lend an ear to crooked…
Rain City Drive Second chances matter When you had your first So I try to…
Renesans Dust - the only thing that remains Blood - the levy…
Rush The night is black, without a moon The air is thick…
Schäffer the Darklord feat. Miss Eaves CreateLadyJ & LEX the Lexicon Artist Joe was the top guy on a Man Show A comic…
Scolds USING SYMPATHY AS CURRENCY, LONELY WIDOW. ONE DAY REMAINS WI…
Slapshot Say your prayers Because the blood is on your hands Destro…
snakeoil When burning ashes fly Silent fire The meaning of life No t…
Spf1000 Creepy little flame, I love you. Your thoughts are starting…
Strange Breed What do you stand for, what do you believe? Who do…
Stratovarius The witch is worried Which is bitch? Take both of them…
The Azimuth You've made another enemy Spare me the witch hunt Nobody's i…
The Church People 'round here say you're a witch They're intrigued in s…
The Department of Darkness Joe was the top guy on a Man Show A comic…
The Distortionist Gather all the folks We're going on a hunt On this very…
The Fresh Dixie Project There's a witch onto the east, dear Look for the hill…
The Gloom In the Corner You fucking cunt Homewrecking for fun I'll spit on your grav…
The Honor System Sought salvation in a TV set Unemployed full of regret All y…
The Mob Stubbing out progress where seeds are sown Killing off anyt…
The walk-off Dead girl's dance they burn and twirl Witch hunt witch cunt…
Trastorned Since medieval times…! Witches were the heresy, living hidde…
Unsilent Altar is full, the thirst of circenses is Satisfied, and ai…
YoungUltra Don't be pussy bitch I got hella hoe I'm on hella drugs puss…
We have lyrics for these tracks by Wayne Shorter:
Aja Up on the hill People never stare They just don't care Chine…
All Or Nothing At All All or nothing at all Half a love, never appealed to…
Ana Maria Vai coração doente Veja que tem na frente Olhos que querem…
Footprints (music - Wayne Shorter) (lyrics - Kitty Margolis) Thousands…
Go Through the dust bowl Through the debt Grandma was a suffr…
June Night Just give me a June night The moonlight and you in…
Ponta de Areia Ponta de areia, ponto final Da Bahia à Minas, estrada…
Ponte de Aria Ponta de areia, ponto final Da Bahia à Minas, estrada…
Serenata Tonight while all the world is still Fly sweet song over…
Yes Or No Tell me what you think Where do you belong Tell me where…
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
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