Horace Silver

Born September 2, 1928, Horace Ward Martin Tavares Silva - later to be known as Horace Silver - was among the most accomplished American jazz pianists and composers of all time; coming out of the hard bop school of jazz, Silver was known for his distinctive playing style and pioneering compositional contributions to the form. Influenced by a wide range of musical styles, notably gospel, African music, and Latin American, Silver also later ventured into the soul-jazz genre. This 4CD collection features Horace Silver's eight finest Blue Note albums, made between 1952 and 1963, the first, and many would say most productive and challenging, decade of this masterful composer, performer and musician's career. Despite living a long and hugely influential life, Horace Silver sadly passed away on June 18th 2014, albeit at the age of 85 and of natural causes, having generally enjoyed good health until his final hour. This compilation serves as both an ideal starting point for those new to Horace Silver's music, and as a perfect reminder for those already familiar.

Horace-Scope is the third album by Horace Silver's classic quintet - or most of it, actually, as drummer Louis Hayes was replaced by Roy Brooks starting with this session. The rhythmic drive and overall flavor of the group are still essentially the same, though, and Horace-Scope continues the tight, sophisticated-yet-swinging blueprint for hard bop pioneered on its two classic predecessors. The program is as appealing as ever, and even though not as many tunes caught on this time - at least not on the level of a "Juicy Lucy" or "Sister Sadie" - Silver's writing is tuneful and tasteful. The best-known selections are probably the lovely closing number "Nica's Dream," which had been around for several years but hadn't yet been recorded on a Silver LP, and the genial, laid-back opener "Strollin'"…

Horace Silver - Song For My Father (1964) {Blue Note Japan, CP32-5213, Early Press}
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© 1964, 1986 Blue Note / Toshiba EMI Japan | CP32-5213
Jazz / Hard Bop / Piano

One of Blue Note's greatest mainstream hard bop dates, Song for My Father is Horace Silver's signature LP and the peak of a discography already studded with classics. Silver was always a master at balancing jumping rhythms with complex harmonies for a unique blend of earthiness and sophistication, and Song for My Father has perhaps the most sophisticated air of all his albums. Part of the reason is the faintly exotic tint that comes from Silver's flowering fascination with rhythms and modes from overseas – the bossa nova beat of the classic "Song for My Father," for example, or the Eastern-flavored theme of "Calcutta Cutie," or the tropical-sounding rhythms of "Que Pasa?"

Taking in Horace Silver's fertile '50s stretch (volume two covers the '60s), this Blue Note best-of disc is the perfect introductory set for listeners new to the hard bop giant. One of the first of the soul-jazz innovators (listen to that gospel-fired left hand and all that dancefloor-friendly material), Silver also wrote some of the most original cuts of the period and – like Art Blakey – provided a home for many of the best young players of the era. In fact, Silver headed up the first incarnation of the Jazz Messengers with Blakey, some of the fruits of which are heard here ("Preachin'," "Doodlin'," "Room 608"). Moving on to such classic LPs as Six Pieces of Silver ("Cool Eyes," "Senor Blues") and Blowin' the Blues Away ("Peace," "Sister Sadie"), Silver delivers some of the most sophisticated modern swing around with help from the likes of Hank Mobley, Junior Cook, Donald Byrd, Blue Mitchell, Doug Watkins, and Louis Hayes. A jazz primer with plenty of memorable tunes to boot.

Further Explorations by the Horace Silver Quintet is an album by jazz pianist Horace Silver released on the Blue Note label in 1958 featuring performances by Silver with Art Farmer, Clifford Jordan, Teddy Kotick, and Louis Hayes. The Japanese editions feature the same artwork shown here, but have blue as dominant colour instead of yellow. The Allmusic review by Steve Leggett awarded the album 4 stars and states "Further Explorations is a solid, even striking outing, and if it isn't maybe quite as flashy as some of its predecessors, it is no less substantive and revealing".

Horace Silver - Silver's Blue (1956) {Epic–Legacy EK93856 rel 2005}
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© 1956, 2005 Epic / Legacy / Sony BMG Music | EK 93856
Jazz / Bop / Hard Bop / Piano

Horace Silver never did much for me on the several occasions when I caught him live: his compositions were showcased at the expense of musicians' solos, and Horace's piano work–with its limited technique and "catch-phrase" melodies–would pale considerably if another pianist were on the same concert bill. Hearing him on record is another matter–especially the recordings he made under his own name as well as with Art Blakey in the 1950's. His Blue Note session with Blakey and Clifford Brown at Birdland is legendary, and the set for Columbia entitled "Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers" is simply quintessential music, not to mention exemplary–make that "sterling"–Messengers' material.

In this set of nine originals, the Horace Silver touch is clearly evident: happy, strong melodies; groovin' beats; Silver's deft, deliberate, bluesy piano comping and boppin' leads; and the joyful playing of saxophonist Jimmy Greene and trumpeter Ryan Kisor, which seems to be more intense in the context of Silver's unmistakable compositions.