Until yesterday, when he passed away at 89, Wayne Shorter had been the most significant living genius in jazz for at least as long as I’ve been listening. His playing and compositions were the unmistakable voice for three legendary and pivotal bands—Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers (1960-64), the Miles Davis Quintet (64-70), and Weather Report (70-86)—which broke from the jazz ghetto and received wide acclaim from the listening public.
