Wayne Shorter - Speak No Evil

Excellent Album

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. May 21, 2008

Haven't spent enough time with the album for final judgement but...

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. March 25, 2008

Spooky Cool

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. January 24, 2008

One of the True Great Jazz Recordings

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". January 5, 2008

Speak No Evil...

I can't anymore to what already has been said. This work
(Wayne's 3rd Blue-Note Album) is simply outstanding. It's
a complete modern jazz work. As this is my first Wayne Shorter
album, I have nothing to compare it to! So, this gives
me an excuse to purchase another disk. But, what to buy?
I know, I'll pick up the following:

1. "Night Dreamer" (Wayne's 1st Blue Note Album)
2. "JuJu" (Wayne's 2nd Blue Note Album)

Then, I can perform comparisons! Stay tuned...Oh yes, this album
rates five stars!! June 14, 2007

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