Remembering Wayne Shorter (1933-2023)
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Remembering Wayne Shorter (1933-2023)
I pay tribute to a great artist and share the inspiring open letter he wrote with Herbie Hancock in 2016.
We’ve lost one of the great masters of American music.
Wayne Shorter leaves us at age 89. He had a transformative impact on jazz, and in the most challenging circumstances.
Shorter came of age at a time when jazz saxophone had seemingly been pushed to an endpoint. After the innovations of John Coltrane—as well as Sonny Rollins, Ornette Coleman, Albert Ayler, Stan Getz, Warne Marsh, and others—who could envision any further stage in its development?
Yet Shorter somehow escaped this endgame. Despite the constraints surrounding him—both aesthetic and economic—he invented a fresh new conception of improvisation and composition. While so many others imitated or stagnated, Shorter found new paths of exploration and new forms of expression.
I will talk more about his music tomorrow. But today I want to focus on what Wayne Shorter did away from the bandstand.
With that goal in mind, I want to share the text of the “Open Letter to the Next Generation of Artists” that Wayne wrote in 2016. This was co-authored with Herbie Hancock, and you can find it on Hancock’s website.
I believe this is the most significant piece of writing published about jazz—or creative enterprises in general—in recent years.
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This is so important that it deserves to be presented in full. A summary does not do it justice.
The best way we can celebrate Wayne Shorter is by taking these words to heart.
An Open Letter To The Next Generation Of Artists – by Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter
To the Next Generation of Artists,
We find ourselves in turbulent and unpredictable times.
From the horror at the Bataclan to the upheaval in Syria and the senseless bloodshed in San Bernardino, we live in a time of great confusion and pain. As an artist, creator and dreamer of this world, we ask you not to be discouraged by what you see but to use your own lives, and by extension your art, as vehicles for the construction of peace.
While it’s true that the issues facing the world are complex, the answer to peace is simple; it begins with you. You don’t have to be living in a third world country or working for an NGO to make a difference. Each of us has a unique mission. We are all pieces in a giant, fluid puzzle, where the smallest of actions by one puzzle piece profoundly affects each of the others. You matter, your actions matter, your art matters.
We’d like to be clear that while this letter is written with an artistic audience in mind, these thoughts transcend professional boundaries and apply to all people, regardless of profession.
FIRST, AWAKEN TO YOUR HUMANITY
We are not alone. We do not exist alone and we cannot create alone. What this world needs is a humanistic awakening of the desire to raise one’s life condition to a place where our actions are rooted in altruism and compassion. You cannot hide behind a profession or instrument; you have to be human. Focus your energy on becoming the best human you can be. Focus on developing empathy and compassion. Through the process you’ll tap into a wealth of inspiration rooted in the complexity and curiosity of what it means to simply exist on this planet. Music is but a drop in the ocean of life.
EMBRACE AND CONQUER THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED
The world needs new pathways. Don’t allow yourself to be hijacked by common rhetoric, or false beliefs and illusions about how life should be lived. It’s up to you to be the pioneers. Whether through the exploration of new sounds, rhythms, and harmonies or unexpected collaborations, processes and experiences, we encourage you to dispel repetition in all of its negative forms and consequences. Strive to create new actions both musically and with the pathway of your life. Never conform.
WELCOME THE UNKNOWN
The unknown necessitates a moment-to-moment improvisation or creative process that is unparalleled in potential and fulfillment. There is no dress rehearsal for life because life, itself, is the real rehearsal. Every relationship, obstacle, interaction, etc. is a rehearsal for the next adventure in life. Everything is connected. Everything builds. Nothing is ever wasted. This type of thinking requires courage. Be courageous and do not lose your sense of exhilaration and reverence for this wonderful world around you.
UNDERSTAND THE TRUE NATURE OF OBSTACLES
We have this idea of failure, but it’s not real; it’s an illusion. There is no such thing as failure. What you perceive as failure is really a new opportunity, a new hand of cards, or a new canvas to create upon. In life there are unlimited opportunities. The words, “success” and “failure”, themselves, are nothing more than labels. Every moment is an opportunity. You, as a human being, have no limits; therefore infinite possibilities exist in any circumstance.
DON’T BE AFRAID TO INTERACT WITH THOSE WHO ARE DIFFERENT FROM YOU
The world needs more one-on-one interaction among people of diverse origins with a greater emphasis on art, culture and education. Our differences are what we have in common. We can work to create an open and continuous plane where all types of people can exchange ideas, resources, thoughtfulness and kindness. We need to be connecting with one another, learning about one another, and experiencing life with one another. We can never have peace if we cannot understand the pain in each other’s hearts. The more we interact, the more we will come to realize that our humanity transcends all differences.
STRIVE TO CREATE AGENDA-FREE DIALOGUE
Art in any form is a medium for dialogue, which is a powerful tool. It is time for the music world to produce sound stories that ignite dialogue about the mystery of us. When we say the mystery of us, we’re talking about reflecting and challenging the fears, which prevent us from discovering our unlimited access to the courage inherent in us all. Yes, you are enough. Yes, you matter. Yes, you should keep going.
BE WARY OF EGO
Arrogance can develop within artists, either from artists who believe that their status makes them more important, or those whose association with a creative field entitles them to some sort of superiority. Beware of ego; creativity cannot flow when only the ego is served.
WORK TOWARDS A BUSINESS WITHOUT BORDERS
The medical field has an organization called Doctors Without Borders. This lofty effort can serve as a model for transcending the limitations and strategies of old business formulas which are designed to perpetuate old systems in the guise of new ones. We’re speaking directly to a system that’s in place, a system that conditions consumers to purchase only the products that are dictated to be deemed marketable, a system where money is only the means to an end. The music business is a fraction of the business of life. Living with creative integrity can bring forth benefits never imagined.
APPRECIATE THE GENERATION THAT WALKED BEFORE YOU
Your elders can help you. They are a source of wealth in the form of wisdom. They have weathered storms and endured the same heartbreaks; let their struggles be the light that shines the way in the darkness. Don’t waste time repeating their mistakes. Instead, take what they’ve done and catapult you towards building a progressively better world for the progeny to come.
LASTLY, WE HOPE THAT YOU LIVE IN A STATE OF CONSTANT WONDER
As we accumulate years, parts of our imagination tend to dull. Whether from sadness, prolonged struggle, or social conditioning, somewhere along the way people forget how to tap into the inherent magic that exists within our minds. Don’t let that part of your imagination fade away. Look up at the stars and imagine what it would be like to be an astronaut or a pilot. Imagine exploring the pyramids or Machu Picchu. Imagine flying like a bird or crashing through a wall like Superman. Imagine running with dinosaurs or swimming like mer-creatures. All that exists is a product of someone’s imagination; treasure and nurture yours and you’ll always find yourself on the precipice of discovery.
How does any of this lend to the creation of a peaceful society you ask? It begins with a cause. Your causes create the effects that shape your future and the future of all those around you. Be the leaders in the movie of your life. You are the director, producer, and actor. Be bold and tirelessly compassionate as you dance through the voyage that is this lifetime.
– Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock (2016)
Remembering Wayne Shorter (1933-2023)
This letter made me cry. I don't know how I never knew this letter existed. What a powerful manifesto from two titans with hearts and minds as large as the cosmos.
As a jazz bass player, voracious reader, and unpublished writer, your writing, Mr. Gioia, has always been an inspiration.
As a former student of John Patitucci, a member of Wayne Shorter’s last quartet, this loss is soul-crushing.
If I remember correctly, I was at the inaugural concert where this new Shorter Quartet first burst on the scene.
I still dream of that concert, me on the lawn watching mybteacchwr and bass hero along with the titan and master as well Brian Blade and Danilo Perez, making the most joyous sounds together, sounding like a symphony rather than a quartet.
I have such fond memories of stories from John Patitucci about playing with Wayne, about Wayne’s profound way of communicating, and his love for various forms of storytelling.
This is such a heavy loss. I haven't felt this sad about losing an artist since Prince, another hero of mine.
Thank you for hipping me to this letter. It is a clarion for all of humanity. I can't wait to read what you have to say about Wayne in the days to come.
Thank you, Mr. Gioia.
Be well and blessed,
pacomahone
This is a quite an amazing open letter that you've shared. I'm just floored by the decency, the humanity expressed by the co-writers. Thank you.