LOS ANGELES—Jazz saxophonist Wayne Shorter has died in Los Angeles at the age of 89.
Shorter died Thursday surrounded by his family, said Alisse Kingsley, a representative for the multi-Grammy 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—departing the earth as we know it in search of an abundance of new challenges and creative possibilities,” a statement released by Kingsley said. It 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 be a foundational member of two jazz groups: Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers and the Miles Davis Quintet….