Wayne Shorter and the Art of Now Berklee faculty share their favorite Shorter tracks as a tribute to the legendary saxophonist and composer, who passed away earlier this month.
By
Bryan Parys
March 17, 2023
The Wayne Shorter Quartet, which formed in 2000, was the late saxophone legends longest running permanent band. From left: Brian Blade (drums), Danilo P rez (piano), Wayne Shorter (saxophone), John Patitucci (bass).
Image by Erica Gannett
Debates about the evolution of jazz-what jazz is now, compared to what it was, back then-are endless. These discussions can sometimes make it sound as if the era of Miles Davis is as far away in history as Mozart-even though Davis was still winning Grammys into the 1990s. Any kind of then-versus-now argument breaks down when we turn to the work of saxophonist Wayne Shorter '99H.
Shorter, who passed away earlier this month at age 89, was always now, even back then. He was a member of Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, Miles Davis's second great quintet, and Weather Report, groups that are still required listening in the history of jazz. But even that list leaves out his 11-album run of solo recordings for Blue Note Records (recorded from 1964 to 1970) and only takes you through the first half of his career. His first permanent quartet as a leader didn't even form until 2000, and it became the longest-running band of his career, and for that matter, one of the longest in jazz.
Terri Lyne Carrington (left) with Wayne Shorter in August 2022.
Image by Kelly Davidson
These facts don't even scratch the surface in terms of his collaborators, which ranged from Horace Silver to Joni Mitchell to architect Frank Gehry, who designed the sets for Iphigenia, an operatic composition that debuted in 2021.
But the music-that's where the facts fade and the history gets made. A tireless innovator, Shorter simply never stopped growing. Danilo P rez, artistic director of the Berklee Global Jazz Institute and pianist for the Wayne Shorter Quartet, says, Wayne Shorter is a genius and a world treasure. Several generations of artists have absorbed his musical language, giving birth to a new sound color.
Getting to the heart of Shorter's timelessness, P rez went on to say, His improvisational and compositional approach has no attachments to beginnings or endings; it resembles change, search, and research. He dedicated his art to creating music that celebrates life, and the awareness of the power of individuality within collectivity embodies his legacy.
And while that legacy can't be summed up in a few songs, P rez, along with fellow Berklee colleagues and Shorter collaborators Terri Lyne Carrington and John Patitucci, took the time to select a few of their favorite tracks from the saxophonist's canon, which you can listen to below.
Track Notes
Infant Eyes, Speak No Evil, Wayne Shorter. Selected by Danilo P rez.
Pegasus, EMANON, the Wayne Shorter Quartet with Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. Selected by John Patitucci.
Elegant People, Black Market, Weather Report. Selected by Terri Lyne Carrington.
She Moves Through the Fair, Alegr a, the Wayne Shorter Quartet. Selected by John Patitucci.
Encontros e Despedidas (Live), Live at the Detroit Jazz Festival, Wayne Shorter with Terri Lyne Carrington, esperanza spalding, Leo Genevese. Selected by Terri Lyne Carrington.
Prometheus Unbound, EMANON, the Wayne Shorter Quartet with Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. Selected by Danilo P rez.
Plaza Real, Procession, Weather Report. Selected by Terri Lyne Carrington.
Adventures Aboard the Golden Mean, Beyond the Sound Barrier, the Wayne Shorter Quartet. Selected by Danilo P rez.
Angola, Alegr a, the Wayne Shorter Quartet. Selected by John Patitucci.
Endangered Species (Live), Live at the Detroit Jazz Festival, Wayne Shorter with Terri Lyne Carrington, esperanza spalding, Leo Genevese. Selected by Terri Lyne Carrington.
Related Categories
News
Playlists
Most Popular
The Berklee Indian Ensemble
Image by Holy Smoke Photography
Berklee Indian Ensemble Presents BIE Live: The Shuruaat Tour The 15-city U.S. tour will kick off on March 10 at the Berklee Performance Center.
Latest
Loretta J. Ross
Image by Dave Green
A Remedy for Cancel Culture MacArthur Fellow Loretta J. Ross spoke about toxic internet culture and the virtues of calling in instead of calling out at a recent campus lecture.
Groton Hill Music Centers main concert hall combines elegant and thoughtful architecture with leading-edge acoustic design-surrounded by 110 acres of rustic landscape on a former apple orchard in Groton, Massachusetts.
Robert Benson Photography
Embrace Spring with Boston Conservatory Orchestra at Groton Hill Music Center On April 8, the orchestra celebrates the changing seasons at an exciting new concert venue.
Bernice Chan B.M. '22 will speak on a panel at Career Jam on March 31.
Bernice Chan on How Berklee Helped Jumpstart Her Career as a Publicist A panelist at Career Jam 2023, the recent alum discusses landing her current position and how shes adjusted to life after graduation.
Read All
Subscribe The latest sounds, stories, and ideas, sent to your inbox weekly.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
04/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/06/2026
Bitmovin, a leading provider of video streaming infrastructure, and Akamai, the cybersecurity and cloud computing company that powers and protects business onli...
04/06/2026
American Underground (AU), the Startup Hub of the South and a community of mor...
04/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/06/2026
NVIDIA and Microsoft Reinvent Windows PCs for the Age of Personal AI
Brie Clayton June 3, 2026
0 Comments
RTX Spark - a 1-Petaflop Superchip, the Full...
04/06/2026
Inside the Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man Grade
Brie Clayton June 3, 2026
0 Comments
Simone Grattarola discusses shaping the look in DaVinci Resolve...
04/06/2026
Cine Gear Expo Announces 2026 Awards of Excellence Recipients
Brie Clayton June 3, 2026
0 Comments
Ed Lachman ASC, Caleb Deschanel ASC, and M. David M...
04/06/2026
St. Vincents Live with Orchestra Tour to Feature Berklee Alum Ruby Plume Berklee alumni St. Vincent and Ruby Plume will appear on the same bill across seven d...
04/06/2026
Back to All News
All the Truth in My Lies Coming to Netflix on August 28
Entertainment
04 June 2026
GlobalSpain
Link copied to clipboard
Download the imag...
04/06/2026
Back to All News
Larry Tanz, VP of Content, EMEA, Delivers a Keynote Speech at ...
04/06/2026
Back to All News
Turn Your Living Room into a Stadium With the New FIFA World ...
04/06/2026
Keeping conversations real on LinkedIn Published on Jun 4, 2026 Categories: Product News
LinkedIn Corporate Communications
Share
LinkedIn
Facebook ...
04/06/2026
BackStory follows four Irish young people as they travel back to their parents' homelands
Modern Irish identity is enriched by cultures and influences from...
04/06/2026
June's forecast with GeForce NOW: 100% chance of gaming.
GeForce NOW is lining up new adventures for the month, from big-name blockbusters to quirky indies...
03/06/2026
SES and Viva, Mexico's ultra low-cost airline, have launched multi-orbit satellite inflight connectivity on Viva's Airbus aircraft. A total of 60 A320s ...
03/06/2026
The College Football Playoff, ESPN, and TNT Sports have announced kick times and...
03/06/2026
RED Digital Cinema will exhibit at Cine Gear Expo 2026 (Booth 33, June 5-6, Universal Studios Lot), hosting three panels and hands-on product demonstrations.
P...
03/06/2026
Roku has announced the Soccer Zone, a dedicated hub for FIFA World Cup 2026 content available across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Argent...
03/06/2026
Liverpool FC and Wasabi Technologies have announced a multi-year extension of their partnership, with Wasabi continuing as the club's official cloud storage...
03/06/2026
Grass Valley has announced that Australian News Channel (ANC), operator of Sky News Australia, has deployed Grass Valley AMPP as part of the relocation of its n...
03/06/2026
The Riedel Group has announced the appointment of Gudrun Scharler as CEO of Riedel Networks. She succeeds Michael Martens, who has led Riedel Networks since 201...
03/06/2026
Clear-Com has announced the deployment of its intercom solutions at Itaka Arena ...
03/06/2026
Scott Coker has announced six senior executive appointments for his new global MMA promotion, which launched earlier this year with $60 million in financing. Ad...
03/06/2026
Telemundo, the exclusive Spanish-language home of the FIFA World Cup 2026, has announced its digital and social media programming for the tournament, running Ju...
03/06/2026
The Bundesliga has announced the launch of Captain, an AI assistant built into t...
03/06/2026
Anthony James Partners (AJP) is serving as technology consultant for a moderniza...
03/06/2026
Audio-Technica has announced the recipients of its annual sales rep firm awards for the 2025-26 fiscal year. The awards were presented by Jim Schanz, Executive ...
03/06/2026
iodyne will exhibit at Cine Gear Expo 2026 alongside RED Digital Cinema and Adob...
03/06/2026
The broadcaster will deploy 39 cameras for game coverage, six cameras for studio...
03/06/2026
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is providing a great opportunity for not only Fox Sports...
03/06/2026
Sony Electronics is introducing the SRG-AS10, a 4K 60p compatible PTZ Auto Framing camera that uses Sony's proprietary AI to automatically recognize and tra...
03/06/2026
Game Creek Video's Flagship A, B, C, and D unit will wind up its first year ...
03/06/2026
According to Caretta Research, the sports-rights market may be hitting the brake...
03/06/2026
Retrieval still courtesy of Tribeca.
By Jessica Herndon
This year, the Tribeca...
03/06/2026
Step sequencer-style panning tool revealed
Alongside their flagship self-titled sound-design platform, Sound Particles offer an array of creative effects an...
03/06/2026
Now features full H90 algorithm library
Eventide have announced the upcoming launch of the H9 Harmonizer Gen 2, a new and improved version of their hugely p...
03/06/2026
Significant discount available until 1 October 2026
Aim Audio have just announced a promotion that sees a significant discount applied to their Essence micr...
03/06/2026
Clarification: SBS's position on definitions of antisemitism
3 June, 2026
Media releases
Statement by Mandi Wicks, SBS Director of News and Current Aff...
03/06/2026
Rohde & Schwarz to supply CERTIUM advanced communications system to Memmingen Ai...
Wayne Shorter and the Art of Now Berklee faculty share their favorite Shorter tracks as a tribute to the legendary saxophonist and composer, who passed away earlier this month.
