WAYNE SHORTER — Speak No Evil (review)

WAYNE SHORTER — Speak No Evil album cover Album · 1966 · Post Bop Buy this album from MMA partners
4/5 ·
dreadpirateroberts
Swinging hard bop with a gentle surprise.

Within one of the all time greatest album sleeves, Shorter has collected a top-notch group of musicians (Hubbard, Hancock, Carter and Elvin Jones on the kit) for a strong but not always distinctive set of hard bop.

As ever, there is a generous sharing of soloing space across the record, exemplified in the upbeat opener 'Witch Hunt.' From there the album takes a sharp turn, with the more measured 'Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum' (a highlight for me) and 'Dance Cadaverous' with its menacing piano lurking beneath the sometimes gentle horns. The piece has some restrained playing from the entire group, and Hancock especially shines.

The album picks up the pace again with 'Speak No Evil' and shows Shorter mixing up his phrasing with some inspired soloing. It's probably the hardest track on the album, as 'Infant Eyes' is more of a sparse and tenderly played ballad (another highlight) and 'Wild Flower' occupies the middle ground between 'Witch Hunt' and 'Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum.'

It's a nice place to start with Shorter, or with hard bop in general, as the musicians on this one are all superb and the tracks are solid originals. Overall however, I can't go as high as five stars, because the album doesn't really stay with me the way some of my other favourites do. But thanks to the lovely surprise of 'Infant Eyes' or the menacing and understated 'Dance Cadaverous' I've no problem rating 'Speak No Evil' at four stars. As it says up top, 'an excellent addition to any jazz music collection.'
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