Horace Silver

"The Cape Verdean Blues" followed Song for My Father as another album by Horace Silver that was inspired by his father, who hailed from the island nation of Cape Verde. The Cape Verdean Blues featured the added contribution of legendary bop trombonist J.J. Johson, whom Silver had wanted to work with for quite some time leading up to this album.

The Tokyo Blues is an album by jazz pianist Horace Silver released on the Blue Note label in 1962, featuring performances by Silver with Blue Mitchell, Junior Cook, Gene Taylor, and John Harris Jr. The Allmusic review awarded the album 4 stars.

"Song for My Father" was a milestone recording in the illustrious career of jazz pianist Horace Silver. Recorded through two sessions, a year apart, the album boasts an impressive line-up featuring Silver’s classic band and his newly formed quintet. The charismatic jazz man delivered his sophisticated balance of lively rhythms with complex harmonies. The title track, one of his most well known compositions, has transformed into a jazz standard and heavily influenced Steely Dan’s biggest pop hit, “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number”. This essential recording remains one of Blue Note’s greatest hard bop releases.

Blowin' the Blues Away is an album by jazz pianist Horace Silver, released on the Blue Note label in 1959 featuring performances by Silver with Blue Mitchell, Junior Cook, Eugene Taylor, and Louis Hayes. The Allmusic review by Steve Huey awarded the album 4½ stars and states "Blowin' the Blues Away is one of Horace Silver's all-time Blue Note classics… one of Silver's finest albums, and it's virtually impossible to dislike".

Horace Ward Martin Tavares Silver was an American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger, particularly in the hard bop style that he helped pioneer in the 1950s. After playing tenor saxophone and piano at school in Connecticut, Silver got his break on piano when his trio was recruited by Stan Getz in 1950. Silver soon moved to New York City, where he developed a reputation as a composer and for his bluesy playing. Frequent sideman recordings in the mid-1950s helped further, but it was his work with the Jazz Messengers, co-led by Art Blakey, that brought both his writing and playing most attention. Their Horace Silver and the Jazz Messengers album contained Silver's first hit, "The Preacher". After leaving Blakey in 1956, Silver formed his own quintet, with what became the standard small group line-up of tenor saxophone, trumpet, piano, bass, and drums. Their public performances and frequent recordings for Blue Note Records increased Silver's popularity, even through changes of personnel.

This classic album includes tracks Horace Silver recorded with drummer Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers in 1954, originally released on 10" vinyl. A major influence on the evolution of hard bop, Silver was dabbling in blues and gospel at the time, influences apparent here. In 1955 these tracks were combined with songs from another session and repackaged as a full 12" LP, credited to Silver and the Jazz Messengers.

The music of Horace Silver presented here by drummer Hideo Shiraki with almost the same approach to soul jazz you'd find on Silver's best Blue Note sides of the late 50s

In 1996 trombonist Conrad Herwig unveiled the first installment in the popular "Latin Side of" series with the Grammy-nominated The Latin Side of John Coltrane.

Legendary drummer Louis Hayes makes his Blue Note debut with this loving tribute to his mentor and friend, the great pianist, composer and bandleader Horace Silver. Hayes was 19 years old when he moved to New York City in 1956 and joined Silver’s quintet, putting his stamp on several timeless Blue Note recordings. Co-produced by Don Was and bassist Dezron Douglas with the eminent Maxine Gordon acting as executive producer, "Serenade for Horace" presents Hayes leading an ensemble that revisits 10 Silver classics in addition to the Hayes original Hastings Street, a dedication to his hometown of Detroit. The album's first single "Song for My Father" features Grammy-winning vocalist Gregory Porter.