About 2 1/2 years ago, I read the biography of my favorite musician, Wayne Shorter, and was captivated by his musical and artistic journey. Though eccentric and understated, Shorter was a musical genius whose impact on American popular music was enormous. Also, his life story coming from Newark, New Jersey and reaching the highest levels of musical achievement despite personal tragedies was inspirational to read.

My earlier review examined Mercer’s biography; however, this review will emphasize the memorable truths Wayne shared in his own inimitable style.

“Your adventure is often not advertised. Results happen to show what is transforming inside you.”

That truism stemmed from Wayne’s departure from the groundbreaking jazz-fusion band, The Weather Report, in the mid-1980s, as he embarked on his second stint as a soloist. Also, he was going through a spiritual transformation and practicing Buddhism seriously as well. Regardless of one’s beliefs, those words accurately describe the adventure of life.

“I realized that being ‘spiritual’ in a heavy way doesn’t make you profound. What made me profound was sitting and feeding Iska, or spending time with Miyako, my other daughter. Everything started to become an adventure from moment to moment.”

Spot on. Shorter was getting to the essence of what it means to be spiritual. Living life. Doing the simple things. Enjoying family time. Profundity isn’t solely found in spiritual or religious practices; it emerges from deeply engaging with life’s experiences.

“Music is like a piece of clay. You get inside it, make a cubbyhole, and then punch your way out.”

Shorter was providing his perspective on what music meant to him. That quote came while recording his 1974 album, Native Dancer, where he sought to capture the essence of Brazil, weaving the exotic sounds of its music into the improvisational landscape of jazz, a journey reflected in the album’s eclectic sound. The album featured famed Brazilian singer Milton Nascimento and his unique falsetto voice, unlike anything I’ve heard in music. This album cross borders and opened a new pathway for Shorter becoming a ‘citizen of the world.’

“What you’re doing onstage, if you’re in this higher condition and you’re performing, something transcends the music and reaches to the inside of someone else. And it’s deeper and longer than a hit song. It’s infinite. It triggers a well of wisdom. It could also be the theater or a good book—someone gets it, they leave, and they do their thing.”

Shorter explaining the purpose of art and how it can touch someone and cause them to create their own art. That’s the power of art—its ability to connect generations, a gift transmitted through time, shaping and inspiring each new generation.

I intended this post as a personal reflection on my rereading of Footprints, capturing its impact on me. Through a life marked by both incredible triumphs and heartbreaking tragedies, Wayne Shorter found strength in a foundation that transcended his immense impact on American music. A one of kind human being and someone who left an everlasting legacy as an artist of the world.