Chief Crazy Horse is a post-bop composition by Wayne Shorter, written for his 1966 Blue Note album Adam's Apple. Recorded on February 24, 1966, at Rudy Van Gelder Studio and produced by Alfred Lion, the track features Shorter on tenor saxophone with Herbie Hancock on piano, Reggie Workman on bass, and Joe Chambers on drums. The tune is built on a 32-bar AABA form in G minor, taken at a moderate tempo with a driving, jazz-rock feel. Its melody features a distinctive rhythmic motif with dotted rhythms and Shorter's trademark harmonic twists that create tension and a brooding, narrative quality. Serving as the album closer, Chief Crazy Horse caps a session dominated by Shorter originals, including the iconic Footprints, and reflects his maturing compositional voice during the mid-1960s Blue Note period that also produced albums like JuJu and Speak No Evil. On AllSolos, solos from the original recording are available from Wayne Shorter on tenor saxophone, Herbie Hancock on piano, and Joe Chambers on drums, with Chambers's solo being a particularly notable example of the churning rhythmic energy the tune generates. Chief Crazy Horse remains a deep cut in Shorter's catalog rather than a widely performed standard, but it rewards study as a fine example of his compositional craft during one of the most fertile periods in modern jazz.
