Witch Hunt is a Wayne Shorter composition from his 1966 Blue Note album Speak No Evil. It was recorded on December 24, 1964 at Van Gelder Studio in Englewood Cliffs and features Shorter on tenor sax, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Herbie Hancock on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums. The tune opens with a dramatic, foreboding theme and then moves into a sauntering blues-like walk, built around Shorter’s angular lines and distinctive quartal harmony - a hallmark of the piece. The track runs 8 minutes and 11 seconds and showcases solos by Shorter, Hubbard, and Hancock, with Jones driving the final push to the close. Witch Hunt epitomizes the post-bop, hard bop, and modal jazz blend of Speak No Evil and is regarded as one of Shorter’s finest works and a cornerstone of the Blue Note catalog.
