A Celebration Of The Musical Genius, Wayne Shorter With Maggie's Special Guest, Drummer Alex Acuña

In this episode we celebrate the incredible musical legacy of saxophonist, composer and bandleader Wayne Shorter, born August 25, 1933 in Newark New Jersey and passed away March 2, 2023. My special guest is Alex Acuña, a prolific drummer, percussionist, composer, and bandleader who has amassed more 900 recording credits. (its probably more now) After touring with Perez Prado during the 1960s and playing with Elvis Presley in Las Vegas in the early '70s - 

 In 1974, Acuña and his family moved to Las Vegas. He continued working with Prado's show band, and played for Elvis Presley's Las Vegas residencies in addition to serving in backing bands and orchestras for Olivia Newton John and the Temptations. Drummer/percussionist Don Alias heard him with the latter and suggested he try playing jazz. Alias arranged an audition with Weather Report and Acuña joined that band for their 1975 tour. 

He moved to Los Angeles and played on the band's two most successful studio outings, Black Market and Heavy Weather, and he toured with the group until 1978. During his tenure, Weather Report backed Joni Mitchell on Don Juan's Reckless Daughter. He has been a recording and touring sideman to a dazzling array of artists ranging from Paul McCartney and Joni Mitchell to Andre Crouch and Blondie.The stellar & diverse list of artists Alex has worked with seems never ending, the word prolific is an understatement. 

Wayne Shorter was a saxophonist, bandleader and composer. His compositions became jazz standards and he received worldwide recognition and critical praise.  Wayne Shorter won 12 Grammy Awards. His mastery of the soprano saxophone earned him (beginning in 1970) Down Beat's annual poll-winner on that instrument… winning the critics' poll for 10 consecutive years and the readers' poll for 18 years. 

 The New York Times music critic Ben Ratliff described Shorter in 2008 as "probably jazz's greatest living small-group composer and a contender for greatest living improviser". 
Via Wayne Shorter, We Love You! 

Source: https://drummerworld.com/drummers/Alex_Acuna.html
Source: https://www.allaboutjazz.com/musicians/alex-acuna/

Host Maggie LePique, a radio veteran since the 1980's at NPR in Kansas City Mo. She began her radio career in Los Angeles in the early 1990's and has worked for Pacifica station KPFK Radio in Los Angeles since 1994.