His influence on jazz lasted more than half a century. Wayne Shorter, American saxophonist considered one of the greatest jazz composers in the United States, died Thursday March 2 in Los Angeles at the age of 89. His agent Alisse Kingsley confirmed this to Agence France-Presse in a written message, but without revealing the cause of death of this musician born in 1933 in Newark, near New York.

He had played with the greatest, including Miles Davis, and excelled on both soprano and tenor saxophone, notably with his band Weather Report. Wayne Shorter was one of the last living legends of jazz, a musical genre he had embraced in the 1950s, after a youth as a clarinetist.

With his brother Alan Shorter (1932-1988), they played bebop and called themselves “Mr Weird” (“Mr Weird”) and “Doc Strange” (“Doctor Strange”), wearing dark glasses in the darkness of clubs. jazz.

Wayne Shorter in a few dates

August 25, 1933 Born in Newark, New Jersey.

1959 Joins the Jazz Messengers.

1964 Joins the Miles Davis quintet.

1971 Founds Weather Report with Joe Zawinul.

2002-2003 « Footprints Live! » et « Joy » (Verve).

2023 Died in Los Angeles at the age of 89