1964 was one of the most momentous years in the musical life of
Wayne Shorter. Early in the year the saxophonist was still a member of Art
Blakey & The Jazz Messengers, appearing on classic Blue Note albums like
Free for All and Indestructible. Shorter made his own auspicious label debut
that spring with Night Dreamer and quickly recorded the impressive
follow-up JuJu.
That summer he joined the Miles Davis Quintet,
cementing a line-up that would become one of the seminal bands in jazz history.
And when Shorter entered Van Gelder Studio with Freddie Hubbard, Herbie
Hancock, Ron Carter, and Elvin Jones on Christmas Eve 1964 they created a
masterpiece with Speak No Evil, a transcendent set of six Shorter
originals including the swinging title track, “Witch Hunt,” and sublime ballad
“Infant Eyes.”
