Wayne Shorter - Early Albums & Rare Grooves (2019)

This 4CD boxset highlights the early, albeit crucial, years of Wayne Shorter s solo career, both as bandleader and as contributor. A true pioneer in jazz, this collection serves as both the ideal starting place for those new to the great man s work, and as a delightful reminder of its depth and colour, for those already familiar. Among the most celebrated and respected saxophonists of the post-bop age, Wayne Shorter s influence on the entire jazz spectrum remains as potent and relevant today as ever it did. Having come to prominence with Art Blakey s Jazz Messengers in the late 1950s, and played in Miles Davis second great quintet from the mid-60s, Shorter is remembered best as one of the founding members of the legendary Weather Report. However, the albums on which he served as leader, released between 1959 and 1964, best represent the output of this iconic musician, bandleader and composer.