Horace Silver  

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-'''Horace Silver''' (born [[September 2]], [[1928]]), born '''Horace Ward Martin Tavares Silva''' in [[Norwalk, Connecticut]], is an American [[jazz pianist]] and composer. His father was from [[Cape Verde]] and his mother was born in New Canaan, Connecticut and was of Irish-African descent. Silver is known for his distinctive humorous and funky playing style and for his pioneering contributions to [[hard bop]]. Silver was influenced by a wide range of musical styles, notably gospel music, African music, and Latin American music and sometimes ventured into the [[soul jazz]] genre.+ 
 +'''Horace Silver''' (born '''Horace Ward Martin Tavares Silva''', September 2, 1928 – June 18, 2014) was an American [[jazz pianist]] and composer.
 + 
 +Silver is known for his distinctively humorous and funky playing style and for his pioneering compositional contributions to [[hard bop]]. He was influenced by a wide range of musical styles, notably [[gospel]] music,[[ African music]], and [[Latin American music]] and sometimes ventured into the [[soul jazz]] genre.
 + 
 + 
 +Silver's music has been a major force in modern jazz. He was one of the first pioneers of the style known as [[hard bop]], influencing such pianists as [[Bobby Timmons]], [[Les McCann]], and [[Ramsey Lewis]]. Nor did Silver's talent go unnoticed among rock musicians who bore jazz influences: [[Steely Dan]] sent Silver into the Top 40 in the early 1970s when they crafted their biggest hit single, "Rikki, Don't Lose That Number", off the bass riff that opens "Song for My Father".
==Early life and career== ==Early life and career==
-Silver began his career as a tenor saxophonist but later switched to [[piano]]. His [[tenor saxophone]] playing was highly influenced by [[Lester Young]], and his piano style by [[Bud Powell]]. Silver was discovered in the Sundown Club in Hartford, Connecticut in 1950 by saxophonist [[Stan Getz]]. Getz was playing at the club with Silver’s trio backing him up. Getz liked Silver’s band and brought them on the road, eventually recording three of Silver’s compositions. It was Getz with whom Silver made his recording debut. +Silver was born on September 2, 1928, in [[Norwalk, Connecticut]], United States. His father, John Tavares Silva, was from the island of [[Maio, Cape Verde|Maio]] in Cape Verde while his mother was born in [[New Canaan, Connecticut]], and was of Irish-African descent.
-He moved to [[New York City]] in 1951, where he worked at the jazz club [[Birdland (jazz club)|Birdland]] on Monday nights, when different musicians would come together and informally jam. During that year he met the executives of the label [[Blue Note]] while working as a sideman. He eventually signed with them where he remained until 1980. It was in New York that he formed The Jazz Messengers, a co-operatively run group with [[Art Blakey]]. +Silver began his career as a tenor saxophonist but later switched to piano. His [[tenor saxophone]] playing was highly influenced by [[Lester Young]], and his piano style by [[Bud Powell]]. Silver's big break came in 1950 backing saxophonist [[Stan Getz]] at The Sundown Club in [[Hartford, Connecticut]]. Getz liked Silver's band and took them on the road, eventually recording three of Silver's compositions. It was with Getz that Silver made his recording debut.
-In 1952 and 1953 he recorded three sessions with his own trio, featuring Blakey on drums and [[Gene Ramey]], [[Curly Russell]] and [[Percy Heath]] on bass. The drummer-pianist team lasted for four years; during this time, Silver and Blakey recorded at Birdland (''[[A Night at Birdland Vol. 1]]'') with Russell, [[Clifford Brown]] and [[Lou Donaldson]], at the Bohemia with [[Kenny Dorham]] and [[Hank Mobley]], and also in the studios. He was also a member of the [[Miles Davis]] All Stars, recording the notable ''[[Walkin']]'' in 1954.+Silver moved to New York City in 1951, where he worked at the jazz club [[Birdland (jazz club)|Birdland]] on Monday nights, when different musicians would come together and informally jam. During that year he met the executives of the label [[Blue Note]] while working as a sideman. He eventually signed with them, remaining there until 1980. In New York, he formed [[the Jazz Messengers]], a cooperatively-run group with [[Art Blakey]].
 + 
 +In 1952 and 1953 Silver recorded three sessions with his own trio, featuring Blakey on drums and [[Gene Ramey]], [[Curly Russell]] and [[Percy Heath]] on bass. The drummer-pianist team lasted for four years; during this time, Silver and Blakey recorded at Birdland (''[[A Night at Birdland Vol. 1]]'') with Russell, [[Clifford Brown]] and [[Lou Donaldson]]; at the Bohemia with [[Kenny Dorham]] and [[Hank Mobley]]; and also in the recording studio. Silver was also a member of the [[Miles Davis]] All Stars, recording the ''[[Walkin']]'' album in 1954.
 + 
 +During his time with Blakey, Silver rarely recorded as a leader, but after splitting with him in 1956, he formed his own hard bop quintet at first featuring the same line-up as Blakey's Jazz Messengers with 18-year-old [[Louis Hayes]] replacing Blakey.
==Blue Note years== ==Blue Note years==
-From 1956 onwards, Silver recorded exclusively for the [[Blue Note Records|Blue Note]] label, eventually becoming close to label boss [[Alfred Lion]] who allowed him greater input on aspects of album production than was usual at the time. During his years with Blue Note, Silver helped to create the rhythmically forceful branch of jazz known as "hard bop", which combined elements of rhythm-and-blues and gospel music with jazz. Gospel elements are particularly prominent on one of his biggest hits, "The Preacher", which Silver had thought corny, but Lion had persuaded him to record. +From 1956 onwards, Silver recorded exclusively for Blue Note, eventually becoming close to label boss [[Alfred Lion]], who allowed him greater input on aspects of album production than was usual at the time. During his years with Blue Note, Silver helped to create the rhythmically forceful branch of jazz known as "hard bop", which combined elements of rhythm-and-blues and gospel music with jazz. Gospel elements are particularly prominent on one of his biggest hits, "The Preacher", which Lion thought corny, but which Silver persuaded him to record.
-While Silver's compositions at this time featured surprising tempo shifts and a range of melodic ideas, they caught the attention of a wide audience. Silver's own piano playing easily shifted from aggressively percussive to lushly romantic within just a few bars. At the same time, his sharp use of repetition was funky even before that word could be used in polite company. Along with Silver's own work, his bands often featured such rising jazz stars as saxophonists [[Junior Cook]] and [[Hank Mobley]], trumpeter [[Blue Mitchell]], and drummer [[Louis Hayes]]. Some of his key albums from this period included ''Horace Silver Trio'' (1953), ''Horace Silver and the Jazz Messengers'' (1955), ''Six Pieces of Silver'' (1956) and ''[[Blowin' the Blues Away]]'' (1959), which includes his famous, "Sister Sadie." He also combined jazz with a sassy take on pop through the 1961 hit, "Filthy McNasty".+While Silver's compositions at this time featured surprising tempo shifts and a range of melodic ideas, they caught the attention of a wide audience. His own piano playing easily shifted from aggressively percussive to lushly romantic within just a few bars. At the same time, his sharp use of repetition was funky even before that word could be used in polite company. Along with Silver's own work, his bands often featured such rising jazz stars as saxophonists [[Junior Cook]] and [[Hank Mobley]], trumpeter [[Blue Mitchell]], and drummer [[Louis Hayes]]. Silver's key albums from this period include ''[[Horace Silver and the Jazz Messengers]]'' (1955), ''[[6 Pieces of Silver]]'' (1956) and ''[[Blowin' the Blues Away]]'' (1959), which includes his famous "[[Sister Sadie]]". He also combined jazz with a sassy take on pop through the hit "Filthy McNasty" (1961).
-==Influences==+In 1963 Silver created a new group featuring [[Joe Henderson]] on tenor saxophone and [[Carmell Jones]] on trumpet; this quintet recorded most of Silver's best-known album ''[[Song for My Father]]''. When Jones left to settle in Europe, the trumpet chair was filled by a young [[Woody Shaw]] and [[Tyrone Washington (musician)|Tyrone Washington]] replaced Henderson.
-Silver’s early influences included the styles of boogie-woogie and the blues. It includes but is not limited to [[Art Tatum]], [[Teddy Wilson]], [[Nat “King” Cole]], and [[Thelonious Monk]]. He liked to quote other musicians within his own work and would often recreate famous solos in his original pieces as something of a tribute to the greats he was influenced by.+
-During Silver's time with Blakey he rarely recorded as a leader, but after splitting with him in 1956, formed his own hard bop quintet at first featuring the same line-up as Blakey's Jazz Messengers with 18-year-old [[Louis Hayes]] substituting for Blakey. The quintet's more enduring line-up featured [[Blue Mitchell]] and [[Junior Cook]].+As social and cultural upheavals shook the nation during the late 1960s and early 1970s, Silver responded to these changes through music. He commented directly on the new scene through a trio of records much later collected together under the title ''[[The United States of Mind]]'' (1970–72) that featured the spirited vocals of [[Andy Bey]]. The composer got deeper into cosmic philosophy as his group, Silver 'N Strings, recorded ''Silver 'N Strings Play The Music of the Spheres'' (1979).
-In 1963 Silver created a new group featuring [[Joe Henderson]] on tenor saxophone and [[Carmell Jones]] on trumpet; this quintet recorded most of Silver's best-known album ''[[Song for My Father]]''. When Jones left to settle in Europe, the trumpet chair was filled by a young [[Woody Shaw]] and [[Tyrone Washington]] replaced Henderson. +==Influences==
 +Silver tended not to play up that he was proficient in Portuguese, nor draw directly on his rich [[Lusophone]] musical upbringing. His 1965 hit, "Cape Verdean Blues", is the only clear rhythmic reference to his childhood home where his father and friends jammed, with traditional Capeverdean ''[[morna (music)|morna]]'' and ''[[coladeira]]'' as the main fare. In the interview for the liner notes to 1964's ''[[Song for My Father|Song for My Father (''Cantiga Para Meu Pai'')]]'', however, Silver remarked of the title track, "This tune is an original of mine, but it has a flavor of it that makes me think of my childhood days. Some of the family, including my father and my uncle, used to have musical parties with three or four stringed instruments; my father played violin and guitar. Those were happy, informal sessions." Silver melded additional Lusophone influences into his music directly after his February 1964 tour of Brazil. Referring to "Song for My Father", Silver said, "I was very much impressed by the authentic ''[[bossa nova]]'' beat. Not just the monotonous ''tick-tick-tick, tick-tick'', the way it's usually done, but the real ''bossa nova'' feeling, which I've tried to incorporate into this number."
-Silver's compositions, catchy and very strong harmonically, gained popularity while his band gradually switched to funk and soul. This change of style was not readily accepted by many long-time fans. The quality of several albums of this era, such as ''The United States of Mind'' (on which Silver himself provided vocals on several tracks), is to this day contested by fans of the genre. Silver's spirituality displayed on these albums also has a mixed reputation. However, many of these later albums featured many interesting musicians (such as [[Randy Brecker]]). Silver was the last musician to be signed to Blue Note in the 1970s before it went into temporary abeyance. In 1981 he formed his own short-lived label, Silveto.+His early influences included the styles of boogie-woogie and the blues. It includes but is not limited to [[Art Tatum]], [[Teddy Wilson]], [[Nat "King" Cole]], and [[Thelonious Monk]]. He liked to quote other musicians within his own work and would often recreate famous solos in his original pieces as something of a tribute to the greats who influenced him.
 + 
 +Silver's compositions, catchy and very strong harmonically, gained popularity while his band gradually switched to funk and soul. This change of style was not readily accepted by many long-time fans. The quality of several albums of this era, such as the ''The United States of Mind'' sequence (on which Silver himself provided vocals on several tracks), is to this day contested by critics. Silver's spirituality displayed on these albums also has a mixed reputation. Silver was the last musician to be signed to Blue Note in the 1970s before it went into temporary hiatus. In 1981 he formed his own short-lived labels, Silveto and Emerald.
==Later years== ==Later years==
-After Silver's long tenure with Blue Note ended, he continued to create vital music. The 1985 album, ''Continuity of Spirit'' (Silveto), features his unique orchestral collaborations. In the 1990s, Silver directly answered the urban popular music that had been largely built from his influence on ''It's Got To Be Funky'' (Columbia, 1993). Now living surrounded by a devoted family in California, Silver has received much of the recognition due a venerable jazz icon. In 2005, the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS) gave him its President's Merit Award.+After Silver's long tenure with Blue Note ended, he continued to create vital music. The 1985 album ''Continuity of Spirit'' (Silveto) features his unique orchestral collaborations. In the 1990s, he directly answered the urban popular music that had been largely built from his influence on ''It's Got To Be Funky'' (Columbia, 1993). Living surrounded by a devoted family in California, Silver received much of the recognition due a venerable jazz icon. In 2005, the [[National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences]] (NARAS) gave him its President's Merit Award. The [[SFJAZZ Collective]] focused on Silver's music for their 2010 season.
-In early 2008, it was reported by bassist [[Christian McBride]] that Silver is suffering from [[Alzheimer's disease]].{{Fact|date=April 2008}}+Silver died of natural causes in New Rochelle, New York, on June 18, 2014. He was 85.
-==Legacy==+==Discography==
-Silver's music was a major force in modern jazz on at least four counts. He was one of the first pioneers of the style known as [[Hard Bop]], influencing such pianists as Bobby Timmons, Les McCann, and [[Ramsey Lewis]]. Second, the instrumentation of his quintet (trumpet, tenor sax, piano, double bass, and drums) served as a model for small jazz groups from the mid-1950s until the late 1960s. Further, Silver's ensembles provided an important training ground for young players, many of whom (such as Donald Byrd, Art Farmer, Blue Mitchell, [[Woody Shaw]], Junior Cook, and [[Joe Henderson]]) later led similar groups of their own. Finally, Silver refined the art of composing and arranging for his chosen instrumentation to a level of craftsmanship as yet unsurpassed in jazz.+===As leader===
-As social and cultural upheavals shook the nation during the late 1960s and early 1970s, Silver responded to these changes through music. He commented directly on the new scene through a trio of records called [[United States of Mind]] (1970-1972) that featured the spirited vocals of [[Andy Bey]]. The composer got deeper into cosmic philosophy as his group, Silver 'N Strings, recorded ''Silver 'N Strings Play The Music of the Spheres'' (1979).+;[[Blue Note Records]]
 +* 1955: ''[[Horace Silver and the Jazz Messengers]]''
 +* 1956: ''[[6 Pieces of Silver]]''
 +* 1957: ''[[The Stylings of Silver]]''
 +* 1958: ''[[Further Explorations]]''
 +* 1958: ''[[Live at Newport '58]]''
 +* 1959: ''[[Finger Poppin']]''
 +* 1959: ''[[Blowin' the Blues Away]]''
 +* 1960: ''[[Horace-Scope]]''
 +* 1961: ''[[Doin' the Thing]]''
 +* 1962: ''[[The Tokyo Blues]]''
 +* 1963: ''[[Silver's Serenade]]''
 +* 1965: ''[[Song for My Father]]''
 +* 1965: ''[[The Cape Verdean Blues]]''
 +* 1966: ''[[The Jody Grind]]''
 +* 1968: ''[[Serenade to a Soul Sister]]''
 +* 1969: ''[[You Gotta Take a Little Love]]''
 +* 1970: ''[[That Healin' Feelin']]''
 +* 1971: ''[[Total Response]]''
 +* 1972: ''[[All (Horace Silver album)|All]]''
 +* 1972: ''[[In Pursuit of the 27th Man]]''
 +* 1975: ''[[Silver 'n Brass]]''
 +* 1976: ''[[Silver 'n Wood]]''
 +* 1977: ''[[Silver 'n Voices]]''
 +* 1978: ''[[Silver 'n Percussion]]''
 +* 1979: ''[[Silver 'n Strings Play the Music of the Spheres]]''
-==Discography ==+;Silverto Records/Emerald Records
-===As leader===+* 1964: ''[[Live 1964]]''
-(* As Co-Leader with Blakey)+* 1965: ''[[The Natives are Restless Tonight]]''
-*''[[Horace Silver Trio]]'' (Blue Note, 1952/1953)+* 1981: ''[[Guides to Growing Up]]''
-*''[[Horace Silver and the Jazz Messengers]]'' (Blue Note, 1955)+* 1983: ''[[Spiritualizing the Senses]]''
-*''[[The Jazz Messengers at the Cafe Bohemia, Volumes 1 and 2]]'' (Blue Note, 1955)*+* 1984: ''[[There's No Need to Struggle]]''
-*''[[The Jazz Messengers]]'' (Columbia, 1956)*+* 1985: ''[[The Continuity of Spirit]]''
-*''[[Silver's Blue]]'' (Columbia, 1956)+* 1988: ''[[Music to Ease Your Disease]]''
-*''[[Six Pieces of Silver]]'' (Blue Note, 1956)+
-*''[[The Stylings of Silver]]'' (Blue Note, 1957)+
-*''[[Further Explorations by The Horace Silver Quintet]]'' (Blue Note, 1958)+
-*''[[Finger Poppin' with The Horace Silver Quintet]]'' (Blue Note, 1959)+
-*''[[Blowin' the Blues Away]]'' (Blue Note, 1959)+
-*''[[Horace-Scope]]'' (Blue Note, 1960)+
-*''[[Doin' the Thing, The Horace Silver Quintet at The Village Gate]]'' (Blue Note, 1961)+
-*''[[The Tokyo Blues]]'' (Blue Note, 1962)+
-*''[[Silver's Serenade]]'' (Blue Note, 1963)+
-*''[[Song for My Father]]'' (Blue Note, 1964)+
-*''[[The Cape Verdean Blues]]'' (Blue Note, 1965)+
-*''[[The Jody Grind]]'' (Blue Note, 1966)+
-*''[[Serenade to a Soul Sister]]'' (Blue Note, 1968)+
-*''[[You Gotta Take A Little Love]]'' (Blue Note, 1969)+
-*''[[The United States of Mind Phase I : That Healin' Feelin']]'' (Blue Note, 1970)+
-*''[[The United States of Mind Phase II : Total Response]]'' (Blue Note, 1971)+
-*''[[The United States of Mind Phase III : All]]'' (Blue Note, 1972)+
-*''[[In Pursuit of the 27th Man]]'' (Blue Note, 1972)+
-*''[[Silver 'N Brass]]'' (Blue Note, 1975)+
-*''[[Silver 'N Wood]]'' (Blue Note, 1976)+
-*''[[Silver 'N Voices]]'' (Blue Note, 1977)+
-*''[[Silver 'N Percussion]]'' (Blue Note, 1978)+
-*''[[Silver 'N Strings Play The Music Of The Spheres]]'' (Blue Note, 1979)+
-*''[[Guides To Growing Up]]'' (Silveto, 1981)+
-*''[[Spiritualizing The Senses]]'' (Silveto, 1983)+
-*''[[There's No Need To Struggle]]'' (Silveto, 1984)+
-*''[[Continuity Of Spirit]]'' (Silveto, 1985)+
-*''[[Music To Ease Your Disease]]'' (Silveto, 1988)+
-*''[[Rockin' With Rachmaninoff]]'' (Bop City, 1991)+
-*''[[It's Gotta Be Funky]]'' (Columbia, 1993)+
-*''[[Pencil Packin' Papa]]'' (Columbia, 1994)+
-*''[[The Hardbop Grandpop]]'' (Impulse!, 1996)+
-*''[[A Prescription for the Blues]]'' (Impulse!, 1997)+
-*''[[Jazz Has a Sense of Humor]]'' (Verve, 1999)+
-===As sideman===+;[[Columbia Records]]
 +* 1956: ''[[Silver's Blue]]''
 +* 1993: ''[[It's Got to Be Funky]]''
 +* 1994: ''[[Pencil Packin' Papa]]''
-'''with [[Stan Getz]] : +;[[Impulse! Records]]
-* ''[[The Complete Roost Recordings]]'' (1951, [[Blue Note Records]])+* 1996: ''[[The Hardbop Grandpop]]''
-* ''[[Birdland Sessions]]'' (1952, [[Fresh Sound]])+* 1997: ''[[A Prescription for the Blues]]''
-'''with [[Lou Donaldson]] :+
-* ''[[Quartet/Quintet/Sextet]]'' (1952, [[Blue Note Records]])+
-'''with [[Terry Gibbs]] :+
-* ''[[ Jazz USA]]'' (1951, [[Brunswick]])+
-'''with [[Coleman Hawkins]] :+
-* ''[[Disorder at the Border]]'' (1952, [[Spotlite]])+
-'''with [[Lester Young]] : +
-* ''[[The Pres Box, Vol. 10-12]]'' (1953, [[Jazz Up]])+
-'''with [[Sonny Stitt]] :+
-* ''[[Arrangements by Richards]]'' (1953, [[Roost/Mosaic]])+
-'''with [[Howard McGhee]] :+
-* ''[[Howard McGhee, Volume 2]]'' (1953, [[Blue Note]])+
-'''with [[Al Cohn]] :+
-* ''[[Al Cohn's Tones]]'' (1953, [[Savoy]])+
-'''with [[Kenny Dorham, Lou Donaldson, Gene Ramey, Art Blakey]] :+
-* ''[[Radio broadcast from Birdland, New York City]]'' (October 31, 1953, [[Sessions/Landscape]])+
-'''with [[Art Farmer]] :+
-* ''[[Early Art]]'' (1954, [[Prestige]])+
-* ''[[Art Farmer Septet]]'' (1954, [[Prestige]])+
-'''with [[Art Blakey]] :+
-* ''[[Art Blakey Quintet, A Night at Birdland, Volume 1 & 2]]'' (1954, [[Blue Note]])+
-* ''[[The Complete Art Blakey on EmArcy]]'' (1954, [[EmArcy]])+
-* ''[[Originally]]'' (1956, [[Columbia]])+
-'''with [[Miles Davis]] :+
-* ''[[Volume 1]]'' (1954, [[Blue Note Records]])+
-* ''[[Blue Haze]]'' (1954, [[Prestige Records]])+
-* ''[[Walkin']]'' (1954, [[Prestige Records]])+
-* ''[[Bag's Groove]]'' (1954, [[Prestige Records]])+
-'''with [[Phil Urso]] :+
-* ''[[The Philosophy of Urso]]'' (1954, [[Savoy]])+
-'''with [[Art Farmer and Gigi Gryce]] :+
-* ''[[When Farmer Met Gryce]]'' (1954, [[Prestige]])+
-'''with [[Various]] :+
-* ''[[Leonard Feather Presents Cats vs. Chicks]]'' (1954, [[MGM]])+
-* ''[[Giants of Jazz]]'' (1955, [[MGM]])+
-'''with [[Clark Terry]] :+
-* ''[[Clark Terry]]'' (1955, [[EmArcy]])+
-'''with [[Kenny Dorham]] :+
-* ''[[Afro-Cuban]]'' (1955, [[Blue Note Records]])+
-'''with [[Milt Jackson]] :+
-* ''[[Milt Jackson Quartet/Quintet]]'' (1954, [[Prestige Records]])+
-* ''[[Milt Jackson Quartet]]'' (1955, [[Prestige Records]])+
-* ''[[Plenty, Plenty Soul]]'' (1957, [[Atlantic]])+
-'''with [[Hank Mobley]] : +
-* ''[[Hank Mobley Quartet]]'' (1955, [[Blue Note]])+
-* ''[[The Jazz Message of Hank Mobley, Volume 1]]'' (1956, [[Savoy]])+
-* ''[[Hank Mobley Sextet]]'' (1956, [[Blue Note]])+
-* ''[[Hank Mobley and His All Stars]]'' (1957, [[Blue Note]])+
-* ''[[Hank Mobley Quintet]]'' (1957, [[Blue Note]])+
-'''with [[J. J. Johnson]] : +
-* ''[[The Eminent J. J. Johnson, Volume 2]]'' (1955, [[Blue Note]])+
-'''with [[Kenny Clarke]] : +
-* ''[[Bohemia after Dark]]'' (1955, [[Savoy]])+
-'''with [[Nat Adderley]] : +
-* ''[[Introducing Nat Adderley]]'' (1955, [[EmArcy]])+
-'''with [[Gigi Gryce]] : +
-* ''[[Nica's Tempo]]'' (1955, [[Savoy]])+
-'''with [[Donald Byrd]] : +
-* ''[[Byrd's Eye View]]'' (1955, [[Transition]])+
-'''with [[Rita Reys]] : +
-* ''[[The Cool Voice of Rita Reys]]'' (1956, [[Columbia]])+
-'''with [[Paul Chambers]] : +
-* ''[[Whims of Chambers]]'' (1956, [[Blue Note]])+
-'''with [[J. R. Monterose]] : +
-* ''[[J. R. Monterose]]'' (1956, [[Blue Note]])+
-'''with [[Lee Morgan]] : +
-* ''[[Lee Morgan Indeed!]]'' (1956, [[Blue Note]])+
-* ''[[Lee Morgan Sextet]]'' (1956, [[Blue Note]])+
-'''with [[Kenny Burrell]] : +
-* ''[[K.B. Blues]]'' (1957, [[Blue Note]])+
-'''with [[Clifford Jordan and John Gilmore]] : +
-* ''[[Blowing In from Chicago]]'' (1957, [[Blue Note]])+
-'''with [[Sonny Rollins]] : +
-* ''[[Volume 2]]'' (1957, [[Blue Note]])+
-'''with [[Dee Dee Bridgewater]] : +
-* ''[[Love & Peace: A Tribute To Horace Silver]]'' (1994, [[Verve]])+
 +;Other labels
 +* 1962: ''[[Paris Blues (Horace Silver album)|Paris Blues]]'' (Pablo)
 +* 1991: ''[[Rockin' with Rachmaninoff]]'' (Bop City)
 +* 1999: ''[[Jazz Has a Sense of Humor]]'' (Verve)
 +;Compilations
 +*''[[The United States of Mind]]'' (Blue Note) – compiles ''[[That Healin' Feelin']]'', ''[[Total Response]]'', and ''[[All (Horace Silver album)|All]]''
 +
 +===As sideman===
 +'''with [[Nat Adderley]]
 +*''[[Introducing Nat Adderley]]'' (1955, [[EmArcy]])
 +'''with [[Art Blakey]]
 +*''[[A Night at Birdland Vol. 1]]'' (1954, [[Blue Note]])
 +*''[[A Night at Birdland Vol. 2]]'' (1954, [[Blue Note]])
 +*''[[A Night at Birdland Vol. 3]]'' (1954, [[Blue Note]])
 +*''[[At the Cafe Bohemia, Vol. 1]]'' (1955, Blue Note)
 +*''[[At the Cafe Bohemia, Vol. 2]]'' (1955, Blue Note)
 +*''[[Art Blakey with the Original Jazz Messengers]]'' (1956, [[Columbia Records|Columbia]])
 +*''[[Originally]]'' (1956, [[Columbia Records|Columbia]])
 +'''with [[Dee Dee Bridgewater]]
 +*''[[Love and Peace: A Tribute to Horace Silver]]'' (1994, [[Verve Records|Verve]])
 +'''with [[Kenny Burrell]]
 +*''[[K. B. Blues]]'' (1957, [[Blue Note]])
 +'''with [[Donald Byrd]]
 +*''[[Byrd's Eye View]]'' (1955, [[Transition Records|Transition]])
 +'''with [[Paul Chambers]]
 +*''[[Whims of Chambers]]'' (1956, [[Blue Note]])
 +'''with [[Kenny Clarke]]
 +*''[[Bohemia After Dark]]'' (1955, [[Savoy]])
 +'''with [[Al Cohn]]
 +*''[[Al Cohn's Tones]]'' (1953, [[Savoy]])
 +'''with [[Miles Davis]]
 +*''[[Miles Davis Volume 1]]'' (1954, [[Blue Note Records]])
 +*''[[Blue Haze]]'' (1954, [[Prestige Records]])
 +*''[[Walkin']]'' (1954, [[Prestige Records]])
 +*''[[Bags' Groove]]'' (1954, [[Prestige Records]])
 +'''with [[Kenny Dorham]]
 +*''[[Afro-Cuban (album)|Afro-Cuban]]'' (1955, [[Blue Note Records]])
 +'''with [[Lou Donaldson]]
 +*''[[Quartet/Quintet/Sextet]]'' (1952, [[Blue Note Records]])
 +'''with [[Art Farmer]]
 +*''[[Early Art]]'' (1954, [[Prestige Records|Prestige]])
 +*''[[The Art Farmer Septet]]'' (1954, [[Prestige Records|Prestige]])
 +'''with [[Leonard Feather]]
 +*''Cats vs. Chicks'' (1954, [[MGM]])
 +'''with [[Stan Getz]]
 +*''[[The Complete Roost Recordings]]'' (1951, [[Blue Note Records]])
 +*''[[Birdland Sessions]]'' (1952, [[Fresh Sound]])
 +'''With [[Giants of Jazz]]'''
 +*''Giants of Jazz'' (1955, [[Mercury Records]])
 +'''with [[Terry Gibbs]]
 +*''[[Jazz USA]]'' (1951, [[Brunswick Records|Brunswick]])
 +'''with [[Gigi Gryce]]
 +*''[[When Farmer Met Gryce]]'' (1954, [[Prestige Records|Prestige]])
 +*''[[Nica's Tempo]]'' (1955, [[Savoy]])
 +'''with [[Coleman Hawkins]]
 +*''[[Disorder at the Border]]'' (1952, [[Spotlite]])
 +'''with [[J. J. Johnson]]
 +*''[[The Eminent Jay Jay Johnson Volume 2]]'' (1955, [[Blue Note]])
 +'''with [[Milt Jackson]]
 +*''[[Milt Jackson Quartet/Quintet]]'' (1954, [[Prestige Records]])
 +*''[[Milt Jackson Quartet]]'' (1955, [[Prestige Records]])
 +*''[[Plenty, Plenty Soul]]'' (1957, [[Atlantic Records|Atlantic]])
 +'''with [[Clifford Jordan|Cliff Jordan]] & [[John Gilmore (musician)|John Gilmore]]'''
 +*''[[Blowing in from Chicago]]'' (1957, Blue Note)
 +'''with [[Howard McGhee]]
 +*''[[Howard McGhee, Volume 2]]'' (1953, [[Blue Note]])
 +'''with [[Hank Mobley]]
 +*''[[Hank Mobley Quartet]]'' (1955, [[Blue Note]])
 +*''[[The Jazz Message of Hank Mobley]]'' (1956, [[Savoy]])
 +*''[[Hank Mobley Sextet]]'' (1956, [[Blue Note]])
 +*''[[Hank Mobley and his All Stars]]'' (1957, [[Blue Note]])
 +*''[[Hank Mobley Quintet]]'' (1957, [[Blue Note]])
 +'''with [[J. R. Monterose]]
 +*''[[J. R. Monterose (album)|J. R. Monterose]]'' (1956, [[Blue Note]])
 +'''with [[Lee Morgan]]
 +*''[[Lee Morgan Indeed!]]'' (1956, [[Blue Note]])
 +*''[[Lee Morgan Sextet]]'' (1956, [[Blue Note]])
 +'''with [[Clifford Jordan]] and [[John Gilmore (musician)|John Gilmore]]
 +*''[[Blowing in from Chicago]]'' (1957, [[Blue Note]])
 +'''with [[Rita Reys]]
 +*''[[The Cool Voice of Rita Reys]]'' (1956, [[Columbia Records|Columbia]])
 +'''with [[Sonny Rollins]]
 +*''[[Sonny Rollins, Vol. 2]]'' (1957, [[Blue Note]])
 +'''with [[Sonny Stitt]]
 +*''[[Arrangements by Richards]]'' (1953, [[Roost/Mosaic]])
 +'''With [[Clark Terry]]'''
 +*''[[Clark Terry (album)|Clark Terry]]'' (EmArcy, 1955)
 +'''with [[Phil Urso]]
 +*''[[The Philosophy of Urso]]'' (1954, [[Savoy]])
 +'''with [[Lester Young]]
 +*''[[The Pres Box, Vol. 10-12]]'' (1953, [[Jazz Up]])
{{GFDL}} {{GFDL}}

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Horace Silver (born Horace Ward Martin Tavares Silva, September 2, 1928 – June 18, 2014) was an American jazz pianist and composer.

Silver is known for his distinctively humorous and funky playing style and for his pioneering compositional contributions to hard bop. He was influenced by a wide range of musical styles, notably gospel music, African music, and Latin American music and sometimes ventured into the soul jazz genre.


Silver's music has been a major force in modern jazz. He was one of the first pioneers of the style known as hard bop, influencing such pianists as Bobby Timmons, Les McCann, and Ramsey Lewis. Nor did Silver's talent go unnoticed among rock musicians who bore jazz influences: Steely Dan sent Silver into the Top 40 in the early 1970s when they crafted their biggest hit single, "Rikki, Don't Lose That Number", off the bass riff that opens "Song for My Father".

Contents

Early life and career

Silver was born on September 2, 1928, in Norwalk, Connecticut, United States. His father, John Tavares Silva, was from the island of Maio in Cape Verde while his mother was born in New Canaan, Connecticut, and was of Irish-African descent.

Silver began his career as a tenor saxophonist but later switched to piano. His tenor saxophone playing was highly influenced by Lester Young, and his piano style by Bud Powell. Silver's big break came in 1950 backing saxophonist Stan Getz at The Sundown Club in Hartford, Connecticut. Getz liked Silver's band and took them on the road, eventually recording three of Silver's compositions. It was with Getz that Silver made his recording debut.

Silver moved to New York City in 1951, where he worked at the jazz club Birdland on Monday nights, when different musicians would come together and informally jam. During that year he met the executives of the label Blue Note while working as a sideman. He eventually signed with them, remaining there until 1980. In New York, he formed the Jazz Messengers, a cooperatively-run group with Art Blakey.

In 1952 and 1953 Silver recorded three sessions with his own trio, featuring Blakey on drums and Gene Ramey, Curly Russell and Percy Heath on bass. The drummer-pianist team lasted for four years; during this time, Silver and Blakey recorded at Birdland (A Night at Birdland Vol. 1) with Russell, Clifford Brown and Lou Donaldson; at the Bohemia with Kenny Dorham and Hank Mobley; and also in the recording studio. Silver was also a member of the Miles Davis All Stars, recording the Walkin' album in 1954.

During his time with Blakey, Silver rarely recorded as a leader, but after splitting with him in 1956, he formed his own hard bop quintet at first featuring the same line-up as Blakey's Jazz Messengers with 18-year-old Louis Hayes replacing Blakey.

Blue Note years

From 1956 onwards, Silver recorded exclusively for Blue Note, eventually becoming close to label boss Alfred Lion, who allowed him greater input on aspects of album production than was usual at the time. During his years with Blue Note, Silver helped to create the rhythmically forceful branch of jazz known as "hard bop", which combined elements of rhythm-and-blues and gospel music with jazz. Gospel elements are particularly prominent on one of his biggest hits, "The Preacher", which Lion thought corny, but which Silver persuaded him to record.

While Silver's compositions at this time featured surprising tempo shifts and a range of melodic ideas, they caught the attention of a wide audience. His own piano playing easily shifted from aggressively percussive to lushly romantic within just a few bars. At the same time, his sharp use of repetition was funky even before that word could be used in polite company. Along with Silver's own work, his bands often featured such rising jazz stars as saxophonists Junior Cook and Hank Mobley, trumpeter Blue Mitchell, and drummer Louis Hayes. Silver's key albums from this period include Horace Silver and the Jazz Messengers (1955), 6 Pieces of Silver (1956) and Blowin' the Blues Away (1959), which includes his famous "Sister Sadie". He also combined jazz with a sassy take on pop through the hit "Filthy McNasty" (1961).

In 1963 Silver created a new group featuring Joe Henderson on tenor saxophone and Carmell Jones on trumpet; this quintet recorded most of Silver's best-known album Song for My Father. When Jones left to settle in Europe, the trumpet chair was filled by a young Woody Shaw and Tyrone Washington replaced Henderson.

As social and cultural upheavals shook the nation during the late 1960s and early 1970s, Silver responded to these changes through music. He commented directly on the new scene through a trio of records much later collected together under the title The United States of Mind (1970–72) that featured the spirited vocals of Andy Bey. The composer got deeper into cosmic philosophy as his group, Silver 'N Strings, recorded Silver 'N Strings Play The Music of the Spheres (1979).

Influences

Silver tended not to play up that he was proficient in Portuguese, nor draw directly on his rich Lusophone musical upbringing. His 1965 hit, "Cape Verdean Blues", is the only clear rhythmic reference to his childhood home where his father and friends jammed, with traditional Capeverdean morna and coladeira as the main fare. In the interview for the liner notes to 1964's Song for My Father (Cantiga Para Meu Pai), however, Silver remarked of the title track, "This tune is an original of mine, but it has a flavor of it that makes me think of my childhood days. Some of the family, including my father and my uncle, used to have musical parties with three or four stringed instruments; my father played violin and guitar. Those were happy, informal sessions." Silver melded additional Lusophone influences into his music directly after his February 1964 tour of Brazil. Referring to "Song for My Father", Silver said, "I was very much impressed by the authentic bossa nova beat. Not just the monotonous tick-tick-tick, tick-tick, the way it's usually done, but the real bossa nova feeling, which I've tried to incorporate into this number."

His early influences included the styles of boogie-woogie and the blues. It includes but is not limited to Art Tatum, Teddy Wilson, Nat "King" Cole, and Thelonious Monk. He liked to quote other musicians within his own work and would often recreate famous solos in his original pieces as something of a tribute to the greats who influenced him.

Silver's compositions, catchy and very strong harmonically, gained popularity while his band gradually switched to funk and soul. This change of style was not readily accepted by many long-time fans. The quality of several albums of this era, such as the The United States of Mind sequence (on which Silver himself provided vocals on several tracks), is to this day contested by critics. Silver's spirituality displayed on these albums also has a mixed reputation. Silver was the last musician to be signed to Blue Note in the 1970s before it went into temporary hiatus. In 1981 he formed his own short-lived labels, Silveto and Emerald.

Later years

After Silver's long tenure with Blue Note ended, he continued to create vital music. The 1985 album Continuity of Spirit (Silveto) features his unique orchestral collaborations. In the 1990s, he directly answered the urban popular music that had been largely built from his influence on It's Got To Be Funky (Columbia, 1993). Living surrounded by a devoted family in California, Silver received much of the recognition due a venerable jazz icon. In 2005, the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS) gave him its President's Merit Award. The SFJAZZ Collective focused on Silver's music for their 2010 season.

Silver died of natural causes in New Rochelle, New York, on June 18, 2014. He was 85.

Discography

As leader

Blue Note Records
Silverto Records/Emerald Records
Columbia Records
Impulse! Records
Other labels
Compilations

As sideman

with Nat Adderley

with Art Blakey

with Dee Dee Bridgewater

with Kenny Burrell

with Donald Byrd

with Paul Chambers

with Kenny Clarke

with Al Cohn

with Miles Davis

with Kenny Dorham

with Lou Donaldson

with Art Farmer

with Leonard Feather

  • Cats vs. Chicks (1954, MGM)

with Stan Getz

With Giants of Jazz

with Terry Gibbs

with Gigi Gryce

with Coleman Hawkins

with J. J. Johnson

with Milt Jackson

with Cliff Jordan & John Gilmore

with Howard McGhee

with Hank Mobley

with J. R. Monterose

with Lee Morgan

with Clifford Jordan and John Gilmore

with Rita Reys

with Sonny Rollins

with Sonny Stitt

With Clark Terry

with Phil Urso

with Lester Young


Unless indicated otherwise, the text in this article is either based on Wikipedia article "Horace Silver" or another language Wikipedia page thereof used under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License; or on research by Jahsonic and friends. See Art and Popular Culture's copyright notice.

Retrieved from "http://artandpopularculture.com/Horace_Silver"
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