Wayne Shorter, Legendary Jazz Composer and Saxophonist, Dead at 89

Tom Beetz, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Jazz icon Wayne Shorter, a renowned saxophonist and composer with a career spanning more than 50 years, has died at age 89.

A publicist at Blue Note Records, Cem Kurosman, confirmed his passing on Thursday in Los Angeles.

Shorter, a 12-time Grammy Award winner, was born on August 25, 1933, in Newark, New Jersey. He gained recognition as a composer and saxophonist while performing with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers after studying music at New York University in the mid-1950s. 

Wayne Shorter; On the meaning, of the Word, *JAZZ*
"Lets jump into the Unknown🎶...
i dare you"🎉
🙏🏾 pic.twitter.com/HFWZHSWTn7

— Anita Baker (@IAMANITABAKER) March 2, 2023

In the mid-1960s, he joined the Miles Davis Quintet, playing alongside renowned musicians such as pianist Herbie Hancock, bassist Ron Carter and drummer Tony Williams.

Wayne Shorter
Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers
Miles Davis's Second Great Quintet
Weather Report
Genius

August 25, 1933- March 2, 2023

RIPpic.twitter.com/LUCGGJG6EH

— John Nichols (@NicholsUprising) March 2, 2023

Throughout his storied career, Shorter's music evolved from hard bop to experimental jazz and rock-influenced jazz. His innovative sound inspired countless musicians and continues to influence jazz today. 

RIP jazz giant Wayne Shorter.

Miles Davis once advised him not to wear his heart on his sleeve: “Don’t give too much away.”

Instead he put it all in his music.

Here is Shorter talking about playing on Steely Dan’s epic “Aja.” pic.twitter.com/P5d3lUsGX4

— Expanding Dan, a Steely Dan newsletter (@ExpandingDan) March 2, 2023

Shorter even contributed saxophone solos to two soft rock hits, Steely Dan's "Aja" and Don Henley's "The End of the Innocence," which reached the US Top 10. He also played on the Rolling Stones' 1997 album "Bridges to Babylon."

Shorter received numerous accolades for his contributions to the music world, including the National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters Fellowship, the Kennedy Center Honors and the Jazz Foundation of America Lifetime Achievement Award.

He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Davis' Second Great Quintet in 2006.

It has been a deeply sad morning to learn that my brother and fellow explorer of the Inner and Outer Universe @Wayne_Shorter has left town. The Maestro was a visionary, a great composer, and a friend with whom I shared a love for the Eternal Now.
Barche Lamsel pic.twitter.com/cjxB6OSnJR

— Charles Lloyd (@CharlesLloydSax) March 2, 2023

The news of Shorter's death has elicited an outpouring of grief and tributes from musicians and fans alike, who celebrated his immense talent and lasting impact on jazz music.

Fellow saxophone great and composer Charles Lloyd best summed up the general mood while expressing his condolences on Twitter.

"It has been a deeply sad morning to learn that my brother and fellow explorer of the Inner and Outer Universe @Wayne_Shorte has left town," Lloyd wrote. "The Maestro was a visionary, a great composer, and a friend with whom I shared a love for the Eternal Now."

Tim Story's 'The Blackening' Delivers Chilling Twist on Juneteenth Horror

Director Tim Story is putting a horrific twist on Juneteenth celebrations with his new film "The Blackening," set to hit theaters on June 16, 2022.

The horror title, directed by Story who is known for his work on "Ride Along," "Think Like A Man" and "Barbershop," centers around a group of Black friends who reunite for a Juneteenth weekend getaway, only to find themselves trapped in a remote cabin with a twisted killer.

According to an official synopsis, "The Blackening" poses the sardonic question: If the entire cast of a horror movie is Black, who dies first?

The film stars Grace Byers, Jermaine Fowler, Melvin Gregg, X Mayo, Dewayne Perkins, Antoinette Robertson, Sinqua Walls, Jay Pharoah and Yvonne Orji.

A press release notes that the film promises to subvert genre tropes and will leave audiences on the edge of their seats. The idea for the film came from a 2018 3Peat comedy sketch about the horror movie trope of Black characters being the first to die.

"I was a producer on it at first, and they delivered this script that was funny as… I won't cuss, but it was incredibly funny," Story told Shadow And Act. "Seeing the short and then seeing what they did with the script, I knew it would be something."

Story added, "I'm at the point to where if I read a script that makes me laugh out loud and I have the chance to get behind the camera and shoot it. I'm going to do it."

The film was written by Tracy Oliver, known for her work on "Girls Trip" and "Harlem," and Dewayne Perkins, who has written for "The Amber Ruffin Show" and "Brooklyn Nine-Nine."

Check out the newly released trailer for "The Blackening" below:

Hip-Hop Icons Wu-Tang Clan and Nas Unite for Worldwide Tour

Courtesy Live Nation 

The saga continues.

Hip-hop legends Wu-Tang Clan and Nas are teaming up once again for a sequel to their "NY State of Mind Tour" from last year.

On Monday, Wu-Tang shared the news on the group's official Instagram.

"The Saga Continues Worldwide! The #NewYorkStateofMindTour is back — coming to a stage near you," the group wrote alongside artwork featuring the upcoming dates.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Wu Tang Clan (@wutangclan)

The 32-date sequel will kick off in Auckland, New Zealand on May 9 and make its way to Australia, Europe, and the UK before reaching North America on September 20 in Nashville.

Both Wu-Tang Clan and Nas began their careers with genre-defining albums in the 1990s. Wu-Tang Clan's "Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)" dropped in November 1993, while Nas' "Illmatic" hit the airwaves six months later.

The tour follows Wu-Tang Clan's historic debut album being added to the Library of Congress' National Registry in 2022. Nas' most recent album, "King's Disease III," was also released in the same year.

This time the tour, which ironically skipped New York, will include a stop in Brooklyn along with cities including Toronto, Chicago, DC, and Seattle before concluding on October 22 in Highland, California.

Tickets for the North American and European dates will be available for purchase on March 3 at 9 a.m. local time through Ticketmaster, while a Live Nation pre-sale will begin on March 2 (use code CHORUS). Alternatively, tickets can be purchased through Stubhub. The general on-sale for Australia and New Zealand tickets will begin on March 6 at noon local time through Vivagogo.

View the complete schedule for the "NY State of Mind Tour" below:

NY State of Mind Tour Schedule

Date	City	Venue
May 9	Auckland, NZ	Spark Arena
May 12	Brisbane, AU	Brisbane Entertainment Centre
May 13	Sydney, AU	Qudos Bank Arena
May 14	Melbourne, AU	Rod Laver Arena
June 2	Stockholm, SE	Avicii Arena
June 3	Copenhagen, DK	Royal Arena
June 5	Berlin, DE	Parkbuhne Wuhlheide
June 6	Amsterdam, NL	Ziggo Dome
June 7	Paris, FR	Accor Arena
June 9	Dublin, IE	3Arena
June 12	Glasgow, UK	OVO Hydro
June 13	London, UK	The O2
Sept 20	Nashville, TN	Bridgestone Arena
Sept 22	Hollywood, FL	Hard Rock Live
Sept 23	Jacksonville, FL	Daily’s Place
Sept 24	Tampa, FL	Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Sept 26	Washington, DC	Capital One Arena
Sept 27	Brooklyn, NY	Barclays Center