Table of Contents:
Horace Silver: The Top 25 pearls in Jazz history
Horace Silver biography
From the perspective of the 21st century, it is clear that few jazz musicians had a greater impact on the contemporary mainstream than Horace Silver. The hard bop style that Silver pioneered in the ’50s is now dominant, played not only by holdovers from an earlier generation, but also by fuzzy-cheeked musicians who had yet to be born when the music fell out of critical favor in the ’60s and ’70s.
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Silver’s earliest musical influence was the Cape Verdean folk music he heard from his Portuguese-born father. Later, after he had begun playing piano and saxophone as a high schooler, Silver came under the spell of blues singers and boogie-woogie pianists, as well as boppers like Thelonious Monk and Bud Powell.
In 1950, Stan Getz played a concert in Hartford, Connecticut, with a pickup rhythm section that included Silver, drummer Walter Bolden, and bassist Joe Calloway. So impressed was Getz, he hired the whole trio. Silver had been saving his money to move to New York anyway; his hiring by Getz sealed the deal.
Silver worked with Getz for a year, then began to freelance around the city with such big-time players as Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young, and Oscar Pettiford. In 1952, he recorded with Lou Donaldson for the Blue Note label; this date led him to his first recordings as a leader. In 1953, he joined forces with Art Blakey to form a cooperative under their joint leadership.
The band’s first album, Horace Silver and the Jazz Messengers, was a milestone in the development of the genre that came to be known as hard bop. Many of the tunes penned by Silver for that record — “The Preacher,” “Doodlin’,” “Room 608” — became jazz classics.
By 1956, Silver had left the Messengers to record on his own. The series of Blue Note albums that followed established him for all time as one of jazz’s major composer/pianists. LPs like Blowin’ the Blues Away and Song for My Father (both recorded by an ensemble that included Silver’s longtime sidemen Blue Mitchell and Junior Cook) featured Silver’s harmonically sophisticated and formally distinctive compositions for small jazz ensemble.
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Silver’s piano style — terse, imaginative, and utterly funky — became a model for subsequent mainstream pianists to emulate. Some of the most influential horn players of the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s first attained a measure of prominence with Silver — musicians like Donald Byrd, Woody Shaw, Joe Henderson, Benny Golson, and the Brecker Brothers all played in Silver’s band at a point early in their careers. Silver has even affected members of the avant-garde; Cecil Taylor confesses a Silver influence, and trumpeter Dave Douglas played briefly in a Silver combo.
Silver recorded exclusively for Blue Note until that label’s eclipse in the late ’70s, whereupon he started his own label, Silveto. Horace Silver’s ’80s work was poorly distributed.
During that time he began writing lyrics to his compositions, and his work began to display a concern with music’s metaphysical powers, as exemplified by album titles like Music to Ease Your Disease and Spiritualizing the Senses. In the ’90s, Silver abandoned his label venture and began recording for Columbia.
With his re-emergence on a major label, Silver once again received a measure of the attention his contributions deserve. Certainly, no one ever contributed a larger and more vital body of original compositions to the jazz canon. Silver died in New York on June 18, 2014, at the age of 85.
He had a son, Gregory – now a rap musician under the name of G Wise – from his marriage to Barbara, which ended in divorce.
Horace Ward Martin Tavares Silver, pianist and composer, born 2 September 1928, died 18 June 2014.
Selected Discography
Horace Silver and the Jazz Messengers, Blue Note, 1954
Blowin’ the Blues Away, Blue Note, 1959
Song For My Father, Blue Note, 1964
Cape Verdean Blues, Blue Note, 1965
The Hardbop Grandpop, GRP, 1996
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Horace Silver – Blowin The Blues Away
Personnel:
Horace Silver – piano
Blue Mitchell – trumpet
Junior Cook – tenor saxophone
Gene Taylor – bass
Louis Hayes – drums
from the album ‘BLOWIN’ THE BLUES AWAY’ (Blue Note Records)
Artist or Composer / Score name | Cover | List of Contents |
---|---|---|
Blues Piano Gustavo Villegas (Spanish- Español) | Blues.Piano | |
Blues Piano For Beginners by Mark Harrison | Blues Piano For Beginners by Mark Harrison | |
Blues Piano Keyboard arr. Michat Kirkoff | ||
Blues Piano Legends | Blues Piano Legends | |
Blues Play A Long And Solos Collection For Piano Beginner series by Andrew D. Gordon | Blues Play A Long And Solos Collection For Piano by Andrew D Gordon | |
Blues Riffs For Piano by Ed Baker (Great Riff series) | ||
Blues Rock for Classical Guitar | Blues Rock for Classical Guitar | |
Blues You Can Use – Guitar Chords – John Ganapes | ||
Blues-Rock Guitar Bible 35 Blues-Rock Songs (Guitar with TABs) | Blues-Rock Guitar Bible 35 Blues-Rock Songs (Guitar with TABs) | |
Blues, Encyclopedia Of The Blues (Edward Komara) Book | ||
Blues, Ragtime Blues And Hot Fiddle Tunes & Rags (Fingerpicking Guitar and TAB) Grossman Stefan | ||
Blues, The – David Baker’s Modern Jazz Series Improvisational Patterns | ||
Bluestone Alley Piano Tiles 2 Sheet Music | Bluestone Alley Piano Tiles 2 Sheet Music | |
Blur The Best Of (Guitar songbook) | Blur The Best Of | |
Bob Ashton – You Can Teach Yourself To Compose Music (with audio MP3) | ||
Bob Carlisle – Butterfly Kisses | ||
Bob Dylan Words and Chords (Bob Dylan) Book | ||
Bob Dylan – Blonde On Blonde Songbook | Bob Dylan – Blonde On Blonde Songbook | |
Bob Dylan – Blowin In The Wind (Piano and voice) | Bob Dylan – Blowin In The Wind (piano and vocal) | |
Bob Dylan – Blowin’ In The Wind – Arr. For Guitar (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Bob Dylan – Blowin’ In The Wind (Guitar TABS and chords) | ||
Bob Dylan – Fingerpicking Style Guitar and TAB | Bob Dylan – Fingerpicking Style Guitar | |
Bob Dylan – Knockin On Heavens Door | ||
Bob Dylan – Like A Rolling Stone | ||
Bob Dylan – Rock Score (Guitar Songbook) | Bob Dylan – Rock Score (Guitar Songbook) | |
Bob Dylan – The Times They Are A’changin’ – Piano And Voice (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Bob Dylan – The times they are a’changin’ – Piano solo sheet music with lyrics | ||
Bob Dylan – To Make You Feel My Love | ||
Bob Dylan Anthology | Bob Dylan Anthology | |
Bob Dylan Desire Songbook | Bob Dylan Desire Songbook | |
Bob Dylan Down In The Groove Songbook | Bob Dylan Down In The Groove Songbook | |
Bob Dylan Encyclopedia, The – Michael Gray (Book) | ||
Bob Dylan In America – Sean Wilentz (Book) | ||
Bob Dylan Play Acoustic Guitar With – Book + MP3 audio tracks play along with Tablature | Bob Dylan Play Acoustic Guitar With – Book + MP3 audio tracks play along sheet music | |
Bob Dylan Songbook, The | Bob Dylan Songbook, The | |
Bob Gaudio – Cant Take My Eyes Off You | ||
Bob Geldof – I don’t like Mondays (piano and vocal sheet music) | ||
Bob Haymes – That’s All Jazz Standard (Piano Solo Sheet Music) | ||
Bob James And His Music sheet music Book | Bob James And His Music sheet music Book | |
Bob James The Musical Styles of | Bob James The Musical Styles of | |
Bob Marley – 1945-1981 Ten greatest hits (piano) | Bob Marley – 1945-1981 | |
Bob Marley – Best Of -5 songs (FULL SCORE) | ||
Bob Marley – No Woman No Cry | Bob Marley – No Woman No Cry | |
Bob Marley – One Love – The Very Best of Bob Marley and The Wailers (Bob Marley) Guitar Tablature TABs | Bob Marley – One Love – The Very Best of Bob Marley and The Wailers (Bob Marley) Guitar Tablature TABs | |
Bob Marley – Play Guitar With – incl. MP3 audio tracks Play Along with Tablature | Bob Marley play with | |
Bob Marley A Biography by David V. Moskowitz | ||
Bob Marley Guitar Book with Tablature | Bob Marley sheet music book | |
BOB MARLEY I shot the sheriff | Bob Marley – I Shot The Sheriff | |
Bob Marley Songs Of Freedom | Bob Marley Songs Of Freedom | |
Bob Marley The Best Of – Guitar Songbook | Bob Marley the best of | |
Bob Marley The Words And Music Of Bob Marley (by David Moskowitz) Book | ||
Bob Mintzer – 12 Contemporary Jazz Etudes SAXO Bb (with audio MP3) | ||
Bob Mintzer The Song Is You (Solo Transcription) | ||
Bob Reynolds Crush | ||
Bob Reynolds Swedish Blues | ||
Bob Seger anthology piano guitar vocal | Bob Seger anthology piano guitar vocal | |
Bob Taylor – Sight Reading Jazz – For Treble Clef | Book Theory | |
Bob Zurke Boogie Woogie Piano Transcriptions | ||
Bobby Cronin Dear Daddy from the Bratt Camp Musical | Bobby Cronin Dear Daddy from the Bratt Camp Musical | |
Bobby Darin Mack The Knife | ||
Bobby Darin Mack The Knife Sheet Music Piano Vocal guitar Chors | ||
Bobby Darin The Best Of Bobby Darin Piano Vocal guitar Chords | Bobby Darin The Best Of Songbook | |
Bobby Hackett – Stardust (transcription) | Bobby Hackett – Stardust (transcription) | |
Bobby Hebb Sunny | ||
Bobby Mcferrin – Don’t Worry Be Happy Piano Solo Sheet Music | ||
Bobby Mcferrin – Dont Worry Be Happy | ||
Bobby Timmons Dat Dere Piano Solo sheet music | ||
Bobby Timmons Dat Dere as played by Cannonball Adderley (full score) | ||
Bobby Timmons Moanin (Oscar Peterson) | ||
Bohemian Rhapsody (Queen) | ||
Boig Per Tu (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Boleros Favoritos Romance Songbook (Piano, vocal, guitar chords) | Boleros Favoritos Romance Songbook | |
Boleros Y Otras Canciones Vol 2 | Boleros Y Otras Canciones Vol 2 | |
Boleros Y Otras Canciones Vol 3 | Boleros Y Otras Canciones Vol 3 | |
Boleros Y Otras Canciones Vol 4 | Boleros Y Otras Canciones Vol 4 | |
Boleros Y Otras Canciones Vol 5 | Boleros Y Otras Canciones Vol 5 | |
Boleros Y Otras Canciones Vol 6 | Boleros Y Otras Canciones Vol 6 | |
Boleros Y Otras Canciones, Vol. 1 | Boleros Y Otras Canciones, Vol. 1 | |
Boleros, mambos, tangos, sones (203 compositions) | Boleros, mambos, tangos, sones) | |
Bolling Suite For Flute And Piano | ||
Bolling, Claude – Partita baroque and blue(flauta-piano) | ||
BOLT – Music From The Motion Picture | BOLT – Music From The Motion Picture | |
Bon Iver Complete Songbook | Bon Iver Complete Songbook | |
Bon Jovi – Always | ||
Bon Jovi – Bed Of Dreams | ||
Bon Jovi – Bed Of Roses | ||
Bon Jovi – Crossroad – Guitar Songbook Tab | ||
Bon Jovi – Guitar Play Along 114 – with MP3 audio tracks with Tablature | ||
Bon Jovi – If I Cant Have Your Love | ||
Bon Jovi – Ill Be There For You | ||
Bon Jovi – Runaway | ||
Bon Jovi – Santa Fe | ||
Bon Jovi – Thank You For Loving Me | ||
Bon Jovi Best Of (Full score) | Bon Jovi Best Of (Full score) | |
Bon Jovi Greatest Hits (Songbook) – Bon Jovi sheet music | Bon Jovi Greatest Hits (Songbook) – Bon Jovi sheet music | |
Bon Jovi Livin’ On A Prayer (sheet music) | ||
Bon Jovi Play Guitar – With | Bon Jovi Play Guitar-With | |
Bon Jovi Rock Score (Guitar) | Bon Jovi Rock Score (Guitar) | |
Bon Jovi, Jam With Pdf & Mp3 Audio Tracks | ||
Boney M Disco Hits Songbook | Boney M Disco Hits Songbook | |
Boney M Hooray Hooray Its A Holy Holiday | ||
Bonnie Tyler – Holding Out For An Hero | ||
Bonnie Tyler – Total Eclipse Of The Heart | ||
Boogie Woogie and how to play it Book One By David Carr Glover | Boogie Woogie and how to play it Book One By David Carr Glover | |
Boogie Woogie and how to play it Book Two By David Carr Glover | Boogie Woogie and how to play it Book Two By David Carr Glover | |
Boogie Woogie Piano – Todd Lowry (The complete guide) | Boogie-Woogie piano | |
Boogie Woogie Stomp By Albert Ammons (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Boogie-Woogies (Easy) Anne Scholl et Rolf Anderson (4 hands piano) | Boogie-woogies faciles – Anne Scholl et Rolf Anderson – pour piano 4 mains | |
BOOK OF HARMONIC EXTENSIONS FOR GUITAR – BRET WILLMOTT | Book of Harmonic Extensions | |
Book of Jazz Guitar Lines and phrases With Tablature By Sid Jacobs | Book of Jazz Guitar Lines and phrases With Tablature By Sid Jacobs | |
Book Of Mormon The – The Musical Piano Score | Book Of Mormon, The – The Musical Piano Score | |
Book Of The Greatest Solo Piano | Book Of The Greatest Solo Piano | |
Booker T. Jones – Green Onions (Booker T & The MGs) – Appeared in many films | Booker T Jones – Green Onions (Booker T & The MGs) | |
Boomtown Rats – I Dont Like Mondays | ||
Boris Vian Chroniques De Jazz (Book) Français French | ||
Boris Vian Escritos De Jazz (Book) Español Spanish | ||
Bortkiewicz – Op. 8 – Esquisses De Crimmee | ||
Bossa Nova 3 Almir Chediak Guitar Songbook | Bossa Nova songbook 1 to 5 | |
Bossa Nova 4 Guitar songbook by Almir Chediak | Bossa Nova songbook 1 to 5 | |
Bossa Nova 5 Guitar Songbook Almir Chediak | Bossa Nova songbook 1 to 5 |