他对当代爵士乐的贡献良多，包括萨克斯风演奏与作曲等，因此当人们提起了他，总是不知道该如何定位，甚至引起了莫名其妙的争辩。Wayne Shorter是科班出身的音乐人，受过完整的教育，当年鼓手Art Blakey就是看上这一点请他担任The Jazz Messengers的音乐总监；而Miles Davis则是看上了他演奏时的浓厚实验性而请他参加他的"经典二代五重奏"。

by Richard S. Ginell

Though some will argue about whether Wayne Shorters primary impact on jazz has been as a composer or as a saxophonist, hardly anyone will dispute his overall importance as one of jazzs leading figures over a long span of time. Though indebted to a great extent to John Coltrane, with whom he practiced in the mid-50s while still an undergraduate, Shorter eventually developed his own more succinct manner on tenor sax, retaining the tough tone quality and intensity and, in later years, adding an element of funk. On soprano, Shorter is almost another player entirely, his lovely tone shining like a light beam, his sensibilities attuned more to lyrical thoughts, his choice of notes becoming more spare as his career unfolded. Shorters influence as a player, stemming mainly from his achievements in the 1960s and 70s, has been tremendous upon the neo-bop brigade who emerged in the early 80s, most notably Branford Marsalis. As a composer, he is best known for carefully conceived, complex, long-limbed, endlessly winding tunes, many of which have become jazz standards yet have spawned few imitators.

Shorter started on the clarinet at 16 but switched to tenor sax before entering New York University in 1952. After graduating with a BME in 1956, he played with Horace Silver for a short time until he was drafted into the Army for two years. Once out of the service, he joined Maynard Fergusons band, meeting Fergusons pianist Joe Zawinul in the process. The following year (1959), Shorter joined Art Blakeys Jazz Messengers, where he remained until 1963, eventually becoming the bands music director. During the Blakey period, Shorter also made his debut on records as a leader, cutting several albums for Chicagos Vee-Jay label. After a few prior attempts to hire him away from Blakey, Miles Davis finally convinced Shorter to join his Quintet in September 1964, thus completing