THE ANGELS — LOS ANGELES (AP) — Wayne Shorter, an influential jazz innovator whose lyrical, complex jazz compositions and pioneering saxophone playing resonated throughout more than half a century of American music, has died. hello what 89

Shorter died Thursday surrounded by his family in Los Angeles, said Alisse Kingsley, a representative for the multiple Grammy Award winner. No cause of death was given.

“Visionary composer, saxophonist, visual artist, devout Buddhist, devoted husband, father, and grandfather Wayne Shorter has embarked on a new journey as part of his extraordinary life: leaving the earth as we know it in search of a host of new creative challenges and opportunities. possibilities,” Kingsley said in a statement. He called him a gentle spirit who was “always inquisitive and constantly exploring.”

Shorter, a tenor saxophonist, made his debut in 1959 and would go on to become a founding member of two of jazz’s most influential groups: Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers and the Miles Davis Quintet. Over the next eight decades, Shorter’s extensive collaborations would include co-founding ’70s fusion band Weather Report, some 10 album appearances with Joni Mitchell, and further exploration with Carlos Santana and Steely Dan.

Many of Shorter’s elliptical, textured compositions, including “Speak No Evil,” “Black Nile,” “Footprints,” and “Nefertiti,” became modern jazz standards and broadened the harmonic horizons of jazz in some of its eras of music. faster evolution.

Herbie Hancock once said of Shorter in the Miles Davis Second Great Quintet: “For me, the master writer of that group was Wayne Shorter. He is still a teacher. Wayne was one of the few people who brought music to Miles that didn’t change.”

Hancock praised Shorter for his musical background and for leaving a special mark on his life.

“Wayne Shorter, my best friend, left us with courage in his heart, love and compassion for all, and a spirit of seeking the eternal future,” Hancock said in a statement. “I was ready for his rebirth. Like every human being, he is irreplaceable and was able to reach the pinnacle of excellence as a saxophonist, composer, orchestrator, and most recently, composer of the masterful opera ‘…Iphigenia.’ I miss being around him and his special Wayne-isms, but I always carry his spirit within my heart.”

As the bandleader, Shorter has released more than 25 albums and won 12 Grammy Awards. In 2015 he received a Grammy for his lifetime achievement. Last month he won a Grammy in the category of best improvised jazz solo for “Endangered Species” with Leo Genovese.

Shorter’s work has been performed by a number of popular symphonies, including those of Chicago, Detroit, and Lyon, along with the Orpheus chamber orchestras and the Polish Radio National Symphony.

In his career, Shorter had more than 200 compositions and was a 2018 Kennedy Center Honoree.

“Master Wayne Shorter was our hero, guru and beautiful friend,” said Don Was, president of Blue Note Records, the label where he recorded several albums. “His music of his had a spirit that came from somewhere far beyond and made this world a much better place. Likewise, his warmth and wisdom enriched the lives of all who knew him. Thank you, the work he left behind will stay with us forever. Our hearts go out to Carolina and everyone who loved him.”