Wayne Shorter - The Best of Wayne Shorter (1988)

Wayne Shorter (born August 25, 1933) is an American jazz saxophonist and composer. Shorter came to wide prominence in the late 1950s as a member of, and eventually primary composer for, Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers. In the 1960s, he went on to join Miles Davis's Second Great Quintet, and from there he co-founded the jazz fusion band Weather Report. He has recorded over 20 albums as a bandleader.

Although one can't lose with any of Shorter's classic Blue Note titles from the '60s, this sampler is perfect for newcomers just wanting to get their feet wet. Covering the period 1964-1969, the nine tracks include highlights from Night Dreamer (Virgo), Speak No Evil (the title track and Infant Eyes), and Adam's Apple (Footprints). There's also the title cut from Juju (replete with a sparkling Elvin Jones solo) and the superb Lost off of The Soothsayer. With nice additions from Schizophrenia and the fusion-leaning Super Nova, that just leaves the long-in-the-vaults Etc. (one of the saxophonist's best) and All Seeing Eye to account for. With more than enough Shorter material to dive into, and top hard bop contributions from the likes of Herbie Hancock, Freddie Hubbard, Tony Williams, James Spaulding, and Joe Chambers, these oversights shouldn't pose any great dilemmas. Besides, it shouldn't be long before Shorter's entire Blue Note catalog sits snugly on your shelves.