Wayne Shorter

Speak No Evil

First released1965

Speak No Evil was recorded on December 24, 1964, at Rudy Van Gelder's studio in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, with engineer Rudy Van Gelder overseeing the technical aspects of the session. The album was produced by Alfred Lion for Blue Note Records and featured Wayne Shorter's quartet with Elvin Jones on drums, Joe Chambers on percussion, and Herbie Hancock on piano, with Ron Carter on bass. The session was completed in a single day, capturing performances that would become influential examples of modal jazz and hard bop. Van Gelder's meticulous recording techniques and the musicians' interplay created a warm, intimate sound characteristic of Blue Note's studio aesthetic during this period. The album has since become recognized as a landmark recording in 1960s jazz, despite receiving limited initial commercial attention.