“In her exceptional book... Michelle Mercer captures the musical and spiritual essence of one of jazz’s living legends.”
— Billboard
“[I]t’s impossible to imagine a book that would give any better understanding of this enigmatic man.”
— Los Angeles Times
“Mercer's book is pleasurable and empathetic, essential for anyone who wants to get closer to this inscrutable genius.”
— The New Republic
“[A]n elegant, questing biography into the mindset of the great jazz sax man.”
— Kirkus Review
“Michelle Mercer untangles Shorter’s web of metaphysics, historic films and music making, and reties them all together for an engrossing narrative.”
— Downbeat
“Footprints is a fascinating, often intimate account of his creative journey.”
— San Francisco Chronicle
“A compelling and fascinating story, told with grace and candor.”
— Sunday Seattle Times and Seattle Post-Intelligencer
“Intelligent and revealing... [Footprints] shows how quite ordinary cultural material can be the source of ext raordinary art.”
— Financial Times
“Mercer... puts Shorter in his rightful place at the forefront of jazz in the past half century. She tells his story clearly and with an obvious understanding and love of jazz as an art form.”
— Library Journal
“Beaut ifully written, lucidly structured, and rather miraculous.”
— Santa Barbara Independent
“Mercer traces the low notes and high notes of Shorter's life with a storyteller's ear. That broadens Footprints' audience to those who know that a good story can be told about anything or anyone. Those who have never read a book about jazz will find that, along with this engaging biography, they've accidentally learned about an American art form, too.”
— Kansas City Star
“[a] well-told, thoroughly researched, and ultimately inspiring story of a jazz giant.”
— Jazziz
