There aren’t many players alive today that surpass the collective works and prowess of saxophonist Wayne Shorter. A brilliant writer, arranger and performer, he is one of the jazz legends that will be remembered as long as jazz music is celebrated. Whether you know his work from the Miles Quintet years, Weather Report, his many solo albums or even Steely Dan’s AJA album, the saxophone of Wayne shorter cuts through the mix with the smooth sound and easy phrasing he is known for. There just isn’t enough to say about how great of a jazz musician Wayne Shorter was. I’ll try and hit the highlights as I see them…

I fell in love with Wayne Shorter’s playing from the Miles years. There are so many great Quintet albums–all filled will some of the greatest jazz players ever (imo). I had no idea that many of the compositions that I was listening to were actually Wayne’s; rumor has it that Miles had a habit of “stealing” other’s compositions as his own. The sax content on those works was always so thoughtful and the phrasing so effortless. As a player it is so difficult to reach the ability to be this fluid and creative, especially when cruising through the various difficulties of Wayne’s charts. From a writing perspective it just blows my mind. The harmonic content in Wayne’s work is remarkable; it is enigmatic and wonderful in the twists and turns it weaves as each measure progresses. ESP is probably my favorite album from this time period.

Although he is well known from the Miles albums, Wayne also recorded quite a few solo albums concurrent with his tenure in the legendary Quintet. These are equally great albums, perhaps even better as they are all generally Wayne Shorter compositions. Some of the more well known include: Speak No Evil, Adam’s Apple and Schizophrenia. These albums featured some of the Miles quintet members (Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter) and some other notable jazz greats like Freddie Hubbard, McCoy Tyner and Joe Chambers. If you’re looking for the “classic” Wayne Shorter sound, tune into the album Speak No Evil. Of the many incredible songs, pay special attention to Infant Eyes–this is one of his most beautiful compositions.

Not too long after he left Miles he joined Weather Report. Weather Report is one of those groups that often goes under the radar, even with jazz fans. Funny and fitting that Wayne would join a group with a writer as prolific and “out there” as Joe Zawinul. Many fans know Weather Report because of legendary bassist Jaco Pastorius; however, Weather Report was a who’s who of great bass players and incredible drummers as well. There are basically three main iterations and they are all amazing. Wayne was there the whole time. Thinking about it now, I don’t believe any other sax player would have been right for Weather Report except for Wayne Shorter. The smooth and effortless sax style is readily apparent through the years and compliments the other players and compositions so well, especially some of the oddities that Zawinul produced. Personally, I’m a big fan of the albums Mr. Gone and Sportin’ Life.

It is likely that most fans have heard and appreciated the saxophone of Wayne Shorter even though they didn’t even know it! That killer, sexy saxophone solo in Steely Dan’s AJA? 100% Wayne. And what an amazing solo?! It’s a funny story too. I guess when he arrived at the studio that day, both Donald and Walter were chomping at the bit to walk him through the arrangement and show him around to make him feel more comfortable. Like a true pro, Wayne said, “just run it” (which they did) and if I remember correctly, that solo is like the first or second take. It’s hard to believe, being such a great solo, but then again we are talking about Wayne Shorter here. Wayne is featured throughout the album. If you don’t own any Steely Dan, this is a great album to have in the collection regardless.

The last time I saw Wayne was at New Orleans Jazzfest in 2013. Even though the show was more subdued and mellow, it was classic Wayne all the way. Great tone, great phrasing and that effortless style were all present and accounted for. It really tuned me in–from that point on I stared to feature the various compositions of Wayne Shorter with my group. Both fun and challenging, the tunes themselves really helped me grow as a player. I still perform quite a bit of his works today, whether on stage or in the quiet of my own home. Each situation is equally fulfilling and rewarding. In fact, we just performed Iris (one of my favorite Wayne compositions) the other night as a tribute to one of the greatest to ever play the sax.

I know everyone has their time–and Wayne lived quite a few years–but it’s hard to see him go. He really is one of the special ones and he will be sorely missed by all those his music has touched. Perhaps some of the angels will learn a few Shorter joints, eh? We’ll miss you Wayne, RIP!