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Speak No Evil
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List Price: $11.98
Special Price: $8.97
Your Savings: $ 3.01 ( 25% )
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Blue Note Records
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Average Customer Rating: 
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Binding: Audio CD
EAN: 0724349900127
Format: Original recording reissued
Label: Blue Note Records
Manufacturer: Blue Note Records
Number Of Discs: 1
Publisher: Blue Note Records
Release Date: 1999-03-23
Studio: Blue Note Records
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Editorial Reviews:
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24 bit digitally remastered Japanese reissue of classic Blue Note album in a miniaturized LP sleeve limited to the initial pressing only, and with the original artwork intact. Contains all six tracks from the original 1964 issue. 1999 release.
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: Great jazz composer + great band = Must buy CD
Comment: I recently bought this recording because as I was looking through my copy of The Real Book: Sixth Edition to find some new songs to learn, I began to notice how many of the songs were written by Wayne Shorter. (It's a lot.) But since I didn't own any Wayne Shorter recordings, and there is so much of his work to choose from, I didn't know where to start. I started with this CD because it is part of the core collection of the The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings: Eighth Edition (Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings). And what do you know, no less than four of the songs from this CD are in the Real Book. Although this recording is starting to get up in age, recorded in 1964, its sound is very fresh. The remastering by Rudy Van Gelder keeps everything clear and concise. There is no noticeable noise or hiss, and all the tracks are equalized cleanly and evenly (Van Gelder's trademark). According to the informative and updated liner notes, Shorter was delving into the, shall we say "spiritual" aspects of the universe while making this recording. That is to say, instead of looking inside himself for mysteries that he could define in music, he looked outside himself for inspiration to make music. And while I would disagree with the annotator and contend that a song like "Witch Hunt" does not evoke the supernatural because it is too "up" with too many soft major chords, it doesn't make the song any less enjoyable. In fact, another of the tracks, "Dance Cadaverous", was meant to evoke the image of bodies used in dissection demonstrations, but this is the one that comes closer to a haunting effect. I would also say that "Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum" fails to bring Jack and the Beanstalk to mind, but nonetheless exhibits some modicum of an ogre-like presence, a "heaviness" that just weighs on the listener. And the title track, probably the most approachable, just sizzles, going up and down, in and out, like a rubber escalator turned up too fast. This is what jazz composing and performing are all about, and this CD really brings together an exciting bunch of songs that rely on the confidence and skill of the musicians to bring them to life. And this group is as superior a jazz band as you will find anywhere. There is the indomitable Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, who uses his solos to great effect to turn back around and focus on Shorter's solos. Shorter himself plays the role of saxophone impressario and composer, and he's obviously successful at executing the compositions he has in mind. Then there is the easily recognizable and reliable rhythm section of Ron Carter and Elvin Jones, who do their usual workaday job of keeping every track going. And when you think you've run out of superlatives to describe the sheer jazz-embodying force of this band, you're reminded that you have the up and coming Herbie Hancock on piano, who was working with so many great musicians at the time, it is really easy to notice and appreciate the wonderful runs, clear comping, and creative soloing that he lays down throughout this recording. This is a five star recording, and I recommend it to all jazz fans. And now that I have my first Wayne Shorter CD, it's time to go ahead and get some more. There's lots more Wayne Shorter to cover in the Real Book.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Excellent Album
Comment: Wonderful album from a ground-breaking musician. A great CD to put on and relax or have on while working. The sounds will draw you in while they tell a story.
Customer Rating: 
Summary: Haven't spent enough time with the album for final judgement but...
Comment: the playing is really solid. Shorter has some really nice melodic runs and makes some cool choices as a composer. Obviously the backing band is the cats pajamas. I don't really know where it stands yet on my favorite albums list- but if you're a fan of Shorter I can't really imagine that you would be disapointed by this outing.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Spooky Cool
Comment: From the opening notes of "Witch Hunt", it's clear we've moved beyond the realm of hard bop, into strange new territory. To achieve his supernatural vision, Wayne Shorter enlists a stellar cast of performers. Frequent collaborator Freddie Hubbard lends his passionate trumpet playing to the cause, providing his own inventive lines to Shorter's mysterious compositions. Elvin Jones and Ron Carter lay the foundation, not necessarily keeping time, but flowing around and stabilizing the other musicians. Herbie Hancock's sinewy piano draws everything together, serpentine. This one took a few listens for this jazz newbie, but I fell in love with Shorter's songs, especially "Dance Cadaverous", the title track, and "Infant Eyes". All the songs are very solid, truly a five star effort.
Customer Rating:
Summary: One of the True Great Jazz Recordings
Comment: I required several listenings to fully appreciate this CD. It strikes the fragile balance between new ground and accessibility brilliantly. For "new ground", Shorter uses challenging melodies and chord progressions that are not quite modal yet not quite conventional - they are something else again (borrowed in part from the innovative classical composers of the 20th and late 19th centuries). The "out there" sequential patterns and comping that Herbie Hancock sneaks in the cracks are the touch of magic that complete the "other worldly" effect.
How can THAT be accessible? Despite the odd scales and intervals, the melodies are straightforward and singable. Yes, experimental jazz can have hooks. The polished sound of Shorter and trumpeter Freddie Hubbard stating the themes seals the deal. The music is also emotionally accessible. Though far from the ii-v-i tensions we all know and love, Shorter's songs create their own tensions and releases. The moods vary wildly from the extroverted Witch Hunt to the haunting Dance Cadaverous to the plaintive Infant Eyes. The wonder is that Shorter senses how listeners will react emotionally to sounds that they have never heard before.
The sound is clear and bright. Shorter plays with fade outs at the end of songs to extend the moods he has created. Though common for rock and roll tunes of the day, this was another departure for jazz.
The final indicator that Shorter produced something "extra special" was when I compared it to Shorter's JuJu. With much respect to McCoy Tyner, who plays marvelously on JuJu, I greatly missed Hubbard and Hancock on JuJu. They are irreplaceable ingredients used to create the unrepeatable lightning-in-a-bottle whose name is "Speak No Evil".
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