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Wayne Shorter Research Paper

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Wayne Shorter was born on August 25, 1933 in Newark New Jersey. His father Joseph, welded for the Singer Sewing Machine Company and his mother Louise sewed for a furrier. At age 15 Wayne Shorter had a life change which involved music. Wayne and a few friends snuck into a Lester Young concert they heard Jazz music from Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker. At age 16 Wayne then wanted to play the clarinet he said he played the Clarinet because “it looked like a little spaceship”. Wayne saw great performances and heard great music from Count Basie and Duke Ellington.After two years of studying the saxophone at age 17 Wayne started playing bebop with a local YMCA band for $1.50 a night. He later replaces the clarinet with the tenor saxophone. In high …show more content…

Wayne’s mother also passed away of old aged the following year. In 1991 Wayne went backstage of his old boss and his good friend Miles Davis concert. It was Miles last performances he died a month later. Miles told Wayne he needed to be exposed. Wayne released the album High Life it was his first solo recording album in seven years. Wayne composed all the compositions and co-produced it. High Life won a grammy in 1997 for being the best Contemporary Jazz Album. Years later in 1996 Wayne suffered another tragic loss as his wife Ana Maria along with his niece Dalila where coming to join Wayne in Italy they died on TWA flight 800. The planes exploded shortly after it took off. Wayne was torn but he kept his focus on his career. He then put out a hit song 1+1 an inmate duet recorded with Herbie Hancock. Wayne teamed up with Pianist Herbie Hancock he was a longtime friend of Wayne.Wayne and Herbie went touring as a duet and also Wayne won NEA Jazz master award in 1998. Years later met his third wife Carolina Dos Santos whom he’s still married to till this day. By 2001 Wayne began touringas the leader of a talented young lineup. Wayne is was well exposed widely celebrated as a saxophonist,

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