W♥M

R.I.P. Wayne Shorter

(Read more Musicians who died in 2023)

R.I.P. Wayne Shorter

read more Jazz @ WHM Formed to honor the legacy of the “golden era” of Kansas City’s world-renowned jazz history, the band exclusively performs the same exciting music) …

One of the giants of modern jazz, saxophonist and composer Wayne Shorter passed away at the age of 89 in Los Angeles, his publicist confirmed this morning to the New York Times.

Shorter came into the musical consciousness in the late 1950s as a member of, and soon the primary composer for Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers. He would go on to join Miles Davis's Second Great Quintet in the ‘60s, and then would co-found the jazz fusion band Weather Report, as well as had a long solo career, winning 12 Grammy Awards along the way.

Shorter was born in Newark, NJ on August 25, 1933, attending Newark Arts High School and loving music, encouraged by his father to initially take up the clarinet before switching. Shorter graduated from New York University with a music education degree then spent two years in the U.S. Army, then began playing with Maynard Ferguson. In 1959, he joined Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers for the next four years and was eventually musical director, composing pieces for the band.

Shorter would team with Miles Davis following, playing together in the Quintet (with Miles, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, and Tony Williams) until 1970, next helping form Weather Report the following year, and remaining with the fusion band for fifteen years. In 1988, he toured with guitarist Carlos Santana and also played the sax solo on Don Henley's song "The End of the Innocence". 

In 2000, Shorter formed the Wayne Shorter Quartet with pianist Danilo Perez, bassist John Patitucci, and drummer Brian Blade, releasing live albums and touring regularly. Shorter's 2003 album Alegría won the 2004 Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Jazz Album featuring his quartet with other musicians, including pianist Brad Mehldau, drummer Terri Lyne Carrington and percussionist Alex Acuña.

In 2016, Shorter helped form Mega Nova along with Carlos Santana and Herbie Hancock, with bassist Marcus Miller, and drummer Cindy Blackman Santana, but was forced to retire from performing in 2018, due to health issues.

A post confirming his passing was shared via Shorter’s social media:

Today at 4am, Wayne Shorter peacefully continued on his immense journey into the unknown. He was surrounded by loving family. In his words, “It’s time to go get a new body and come back to continue the mission.” Nam Myoho Renge Kyo.

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In other sad Jazz artist departures, the Kansas City scene recently lost two longtime mainstays, Ida McBeth and Ronald McFadden of The McFadden Brothers, both familiar and important names in Kansas City, and far beyond. Click for info/links

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Flashback: Sonya Kitchell at the Varsity Theater, Minneapolis (12 Oct 2008)

Setlist Here I Am Effortless For Every Drop Who Knows After All No Matter What Walk Away Running Burn Brightly Soft Machine Tonight You Belong to Me (Patience and Prudence cover) Robin In The Snow Fire Borderline -- Encore -- Here To There Read More Sonya Kitchell Sonya Kitchell had the world at her feet, moving 100,000 copies of her debut album, Words Came Back, and appearing on national television ("Late Night With David Letterman", "Craig Ferguson", CNN) and radio (NPR's "All Things Considered"). ....

American singer/songwriter Sonya Kitchell started off strong with signing to Velour Records in 2004 and had an international hit album Words Came Back to Me.

After joining Herbie Hancock for a world tour in 2007, we find Kitchell finally releasing and promoting her second album This Storm in 2008 on Decca Records. That’s when we saw Sonya Kitchell stopping by the Varsity Theater in Minneapolis on October 12, 2008.

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Sonya Kitchell played an intimate show at the ever-classy Varsity Theater. Admittedly, it's one of the best-looking venues in Minneapolis, and I just love all the old fashion theater feel to the place. I felt more comfortable at this place, than say that sold-out Cold War Kids show a few days ago.

She has a full backing band, including Brad Barr (who warmed up the crowd with his own set of songs, using an interesting technique of making his acoustic guitar sounds electric). The bassist is producer Malcolm Burn and I think that the drummer is actually Brad's brother, Andrew Barr.

Some of the highlight of the show was when Brad played around on the (working) prop piano during a song and towards the end of the set, there was a couple that joined them on stage (sitting on a couch).

Setlist

The audience seem to really get into "Here To There" with clapping (and also note it's not on the Set List). My favorite performance was the more upbeat "Fire", which sounds fantastic live. She really gets into it shouting 'fire' as she falls back from the mic.

I also really enjoyed the cover of "You Belong To Me". Their version is more playful and sounds like a dialogue between Kitchell and Brad.

Catch her on the rest of her tour - where she's doing at least four Californian dates. Her latest album, This Storm, came out on Decca Records in early September and available at most retail location.

Sonya Kitchell at the Varsity Theater, Minneapolis (12 Oct 2008)

vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ facebook.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Manu Dibango is the latest musician that died from Coronavirus

Read More Coronavirus As you are aware, the world is under a lockdown and practicing social distancing, because of the Coronavirus (COVID-19). In all my years of covering music ....

Guys, this Coronavirus / COVID-19 pandemic is no joke. W♥M will be documenting all the names of musician that the virus had claimed. While many of these names below may not be known to many of you, but they are important to us.

The first global music star, Manu Dibango had died in Paris, after catching coronavirus. The African saxophonist had a huge hit with “Soul Makossa” in 1972. The song was borrowed by Michael Jackson, and resulted in a lawsuit years later.

Over the years, Dibango had collaborated with pianist Herbie Hancock and Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti, among others.

With the world in shutdown, it’s understandable that his funeral is private… like many coronavirus funerals.

Let’s hope the world returns to normal soon.

See more details below.

Musicians who died in 2020

January 2020 (72)

February (67)

Musicians and singers who died because of Coronavirus / COVID-19

[25 Mar 2020] Detto Mariano (Italian musician for I Ribelli), 82, Coronavirus Detto Mariano was hospitalized fifteen days ago for the consequences of the coronavirus ... via repubblica.it

[24 Mar 2020] Manu Dibango (Cameroonian saxophonist), 86, Coronavirus Manu Dibango - best known for his 1972 hit Soul Makossa - is one of the first global stars to die from Covid-19. ... via bbc.com

[22 Mar 2020] Mike Longo (American jazz pianist), 83, Coronavirus Mike Longo, who led a distinguished jazz career as a pianist, composer and educator, notably as longtime musical director for Dizzy Gillespie, died on Sunday at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. ... via wbgo.org

[20 Mar 2020] Enrique del Portal (Spanish operatic tenor), 87, gastroenteritis / coronavirus The tenor and actor Enrique del Portal has died this Friday at his home in Madrid at the age of 87 due to gastroenteritis... caused by the coronavirus. ... via abc.es

[19 Mar 2020] Aurlus Mabélé (Congolese singer and composer), 66, Coronavirus Congolese music star Aurlus Mabele has died. He checked into a hospital in Paris, France, and died later that night. ... via newtimes.co.rw

[16 Mar 2020] Sergio Bassi (Italian folk singer-songwriter), 69, Coronavirus Fans "digitally cry" on social networks when they learned that Italian folk singer/songwriter Sergio Bassi, aka Bassi, has died on Monday due to the Coronavirus ... via ilgiornale.it

[10 Mar 2020] Marcelo Peralta (Argentine saxophonist), 59, Coronavirus Argentine saxophonist Marcelo Peralta died Tuesday in Madrid because of the coronavirus. Last Thursday, just on his birthday, he had been hospitalized for pneumonia and then they detected that he was infected with Covid-19 ... via cienradios.com

vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ facebook.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic