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 |
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L’étudiante Et Monsieur Henry – Constance (Piano Thème) Laurent Aknin | ||
L’immensità (Mina) | ||
L’Innocente – Adagio (Franco Mannino) | ||
L’italiana (Renato Zero) | ||
L’Italiano (Toto Cutugno) | ||
L’uomo dei sogni (Alessandro Errico) | ||
La Bamba Guitar Solo Score And Tab | ||
La banda del pinzimonio (Nicola Piovani) | ||
La Boheme (Charles Aznavour) | ||
La Boîte à Matelots (Les Parapluies de Cherbourg) Michel Legran | ||
La Canzone di Geppetto (Le avventure di Pinocchio) Fiorenzo Carpi | ||
La canzone di Marinella (Fabrizio De Andrè) | ||
La Casa e la Giovinezza (The Desert of the Tartars OST) Ennio Morricone | ||
La Chanson D’Hélène – Les choses de la vie OST (Philippe Sarde) | ||
La Chanson des Vieux Amants (Jacques Brel) | ||
La Cura (Franco Battiato) | ||
La Dolce Vita (Nino Rota) | ||
La donna del mio amico (Pooh) | ||
La fille du puisatier (Alexandre Desplat) | ||
La Guitare Jazz Manouche (Gypsy Jazz Guitar) French Français | ||
La La Land – City of Stars | City of Stars La La Land sheet music | |
La La Land – easy piano songbook | La La Land – easy piano songbook | |
La La Land – Justin Hurwitz Songbook Piano – Vocal – Guitar | La La Land – Justin Hurwitz Songbook | |
La La Land – Main Theme | ||
La La Land – Main Theme (Musescore File).mscz | ||
La La Land- It’s Over Engagement Party Piano and voice | ||
La lettre (Lara Fabian) | ||
La Melancolie (Georges Delerue) | ||
La mente torna (Battisti) | ||
La Mer – Charles Trenet (Musescore File).mscz | ||
La nouvelle guerre des boutons (Philippe Rombi) | ||
La Noyée (Amelie soundtrack) Yann Tiersen | ||
La Puta Castle In the Sky by Joe Hisaishi | La Puta Castle In the Sky by Joe Hisaishi | |
La Salvadora – Manuel Quiroga La Salvadora (Zamba) (Musescore File).mscz | ||
La Sconosciuta (Ennio Morricone) | ||
La storia vera della Signora delle Camelie – Alfonsina delle Camelie (Ennio Morricone) | ||
La storia vera della Signora delle Camelie – Amori senza Amore (Ennio Morricone) | ||
La storia vera della Signora delle Camelie – Valzer (Ennio Morricone) | ||
La Strada (Nino Rota) | ||
La Strada (Nino Rota) shorter version | ||
La Tigre e la Neve (Nicola Piovani) | ||
La Valse D’amélie (Piano Solo) Yann Tiersen (Musescore File).mscz | ||
La Vie En Rose Transcribed For Ukulele Or Guitar Sheet Music | ||
La Vie En Rose – Guitar TABlature | ||
La Vie En Rose – Transcribed For Ukulele Or Guitar sheet music.mscz | ||
La vie en rose -.mscz | ||
La Vie En Rose Edith Piaf) Piano Solo | ||
La Vie En Rose For Ukulele Transcribed By Lucas Schwyter | ||
La Vita È Bella (Easy Piano Solo) Nicola Piovani (Life Is Beautiful) | La Vita È Bella (Easy Piano Solo) Nicola Piovani (Life Is Beautiful) | |
La Vita È Bella (Easy Piano Solo) Nicola Piovani (Life Is Beautiful) (Musescore File).mscz | ||
La vita e bella (piano) | ||
La Voce della Luna (Nicola Piovani) | ||
Lachenmann, Helmut – Ein Kinderspiel Sieben Kleine Stücke | ||
Ladies of Soul Songbook | Ladies of Soul | |
Lady And The Tramp – Bella Notte | ||
Lady Gaga Always remember us this way A star is born Piano solo | ||
Lady Gaga – Hold My Hand Sheet Music | ||
Lady Gaga – Alejandro | ||
Lady Gaga – Bad Romance Piano vocal guitar chords sheet music | ||
Lady Gaga – Shallow From A Star Is Born Piano Sheet music | ||
Lady Gaga (Songbook) – Lady Gaga sheet music | Lady Gaga (Songbook) – Lady Gaga sheet music | |
Lady Gaga Born This Way Songbook | ||
Lady Gaga Monster (Easy Piano and Guitar chords) sheet music | Lady Gaga Monster | |
Lady Gaga Songbook (Piano & Voice Soce) | Lady Gaga Songbook (Piano & Voice Soce) | |
Lady Gaga Speechless Sheet Music | ||
Lady Gaga The Fame (Songbook) | Lay Gaga | |
Lágrima – Francesc D’assís Tàrrega I Eixea (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Lambert As Ballad | ||
Lambert Leicester | ||
Lambert Skye | ||
Lambert Stay In The Dark | ||
Lambert Sweet Apocalypse | ||
Lambert – As Ballad (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Lambert – Skye (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Lambert – Stay In The Dark (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Lambert – Sweet Apocalypse (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Lambert, Donald – 15 Great Solos For Piano Transcribed By Paul Marcorelles | Lambert, Donald – 15 Great Solos For Piano Transcribed By Paul Marcorelles | |
Lana Del Rey Born To Die (Songbook) | Lana Del Rey Born To Die (Songbook) | |
Lana Del Rey – Summertime Sadness Piano Solo | ||
Lana Del Rey Young & Beautiful | ||
Lang Lang – Journey of a thousand miles 1982 (Book) Autobiography | ||
Lang Lang – Playing with Flying Keys (Book) Biography | ||
Lang Lang, Journey Of A Thousand Miles My Story (Chinese) 郎朗,千里之行:我的故事 (朗朗)Ed | ||
Lara Fabian Pure | ||
Lars Jansson 40 Kompositioner Easy Jazz Piano | Lars Jansson | |
Last Christmas (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Last Christmas Wham! (George Michael) | ||
Last Regrets (Key) | ||
Latin And Bossa Piano and Guitar chords | Latin And Bossa Piano and Guitar chords | |
Latin Fake Book | Latin Fake Book contents | |
Latin Jazz (Vol. 23) 10 latin Jazz Classics | Latin Jazz (Vol. 23) 10 latin Jazz Classics | |
Latin Jazz Piano (with audio MP3) – John Valerio | John Valerio – Latin Jazz Piano (with MP3) | |
Latin Jazz Piano Technique (by Oligario Díaz) | ||
Latin Jazz Standards – Jazz Latina (32 canciones favoritas de Jazz) | Latin Jazz Standards – Jazz Latina (32 canciones favoritas de Jazz) | |
Latin real book, the – the best contemprary and classic salsa, brazilian music, latin jazz | Latin Realbook | |
Laundry Service Songbook Shakira | Laundry Service Songbook Shakira | |
Laura (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Laura by Johnny Mercer & David Raskin – Play Along lead sheet music | Laura lead sheet music | |
LAURA Johnny Mercer (film theme) | JOHNNY MERCER LAURA 1 (FILM) | |
Laura Pausini – La Solitudine | ||
Laura Pausini Resta In Ascolto Songbook | Laura Pausini Resta In Ascolto Songbook | |
Laura Shigihara Watery Graves (Plants Vs Zombies) | ||
Lauren Wood – Fallen | ||
Laurie (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Laverne, Andy – Handbook Of Chord Substitutions | ||
Lawnhurst, Vee – Keyboard Konversation | Lawnhurst, Vee – Keyboard Konversation | |
Le avventure di Pinocchio – sigla iniziale (Fiorenzo Carpi) | ||
Le Cinéma Michel Legrand (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Le Clan des Siciliens (Ennio Morricone) | ||
Le Cose Che Sei Per Me (The Things You Are To Me) (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Le Couppey L’agilité Op. 25 (25 Études) Pour Piano | ||
Le Couppey L’agilité Op. 25 (25 Études) Pour Piano No. 1.mscz | ||
Le Couppey – The Alphabet op. 17.mscz | ||
Le Couppey – The Alphabet, Op 17 | ||
Le Grand Meaulnes (Philippe Sarde) | ||
Le Jour où la Colombe (Nana Mouskouri) | ||
Le Locataire (The Tenant) Philippe Sarde | ||
Le Notti di Cabiria (Nino Rota) | ||
Le piano d’Isabelle – Le Temps des Secrets Philippe Rombi | ||
Le piano de Jeanne – Un homme et son chien OST (Philippe Rombi) |