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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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Straylight Run – Existentialism On Prom Night | ||
Streabbog (Jean Louis Gobbaerts) – 12 Easy and Melodious Studies, Op 64 | ||
Streabbog (Jean Louis Gobbaerts) – 12 Very Easy and Melodious Studies, op 63 | ||
Streabbog Book 1 Opus 63 Twelve Very Easy And Melodious Studies | ||
Streabbog Book 2 Opus 64 12 Melodious Pieces For Piano | ||
Stride & Swing Piano The Complete Guide | Stride & Swing Piano Stride & Swing Piano – The Complete Guide | |
Studio Ghibli Guitar Arrangements Best Album (Joe Hisaishi & Hayao Miyazaki) with Tablature | ||
Studio Ghibli Piano Suite | ||
Styx – Babe | ||
Styx – Come Sail Away | ||
Succar Ya Banat (Caramel OST) Rasha Rizk | ||
Suis-moi – Le Petit Prince OST (Hans Zimmer – Camille) | ||
Sum 41 – Pieces | ||
Summer of ’42 (Michel Legrand) | ||
Summer of ’42 The Summer Knows Michel Legrand Piano & Voice | Summer of ’42 The Summer Knows Michel Legrand Piano & Voice | |
SUMMER OF’42 THE SUMMER KNOWS Piano (another version) | THE SUMMER KNOWS -SUMMER OF’42 | |
Summertime – Piano arrangement Pianos Of Cha’n | ||
Summertime G. Gershwin | ||
Sun Ra sheet music Collection | 1 Sun Ra index sheet music | |
Sunday Music (100 Arrangements For Piano Solo) E. Pauer | Sunday Music (100 Arrangements For Piano Solo) E. Pauer | |
Sunrise on Pontchartrain (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button OST) Alexandre Desplat | Sunrise on Pontchartrain | |
Super Junior Pajama Party | ||
Super Mario 64 – dire,dire docks | ||
Super Mario 64 by Koji Kondo – Piano | ||
Super Mario Bros – Main Theme | Super Mario Bros – Main Theme | |
Super Mario Bros – Main Theme Overworld | ||
Super Mario Bros – Main Theme Overworld (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Super Mario Bros – Mario Main Theme – Koji Kondo | ||
Super Mario Bros 2 Overworld Theme by Koji Kondo Piano Solo | ||
Super Mario Bros 2 Complete Piano Arrangement | ||
Super Mario Bros Overworld Main Theme sheet music | ||
Super Mario Bros Songbook | ||
Super Mario Bros. 3 Don’t stand on the Donuts – Piano Sheet Music | ||
Super Mario Galaxy – Aquatic Race | ||
Super Mario Galaxy – Attack! Koopas Fleet | ||
Super Mario Galaxy – Catastrophe | ||
Super Mario Galaxy – File Select | ||
Super Mario Galaxy – King Koopa’s Entrance | ||
Super Mario Galaxy – Kinopio’s Expedition | ||
Super Mario Galaxy – Overture | ||
Super Mario Galaxy – Peachs Castle is Stolen | ||
Super Mario Galaxy – Rosetta’s Comet Observatory I | ||
Super Mario Galaxy – Starbit Festival | ||
Super Mario Galaxy Complete Sheet Music | ||
Super Mario Galaxy Sheet Music (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Super Mario Land – Birabuto Kingdom by Hirokazu Tamaka | ||
Super Mario World 2 Yoshis Island – Athletic | ||
Super Solos for Acoustic Guitar Solos (by Johnny Norris) Fingerpicking with Tablature | Super Solos for Acoustic Guitar Solos (by Johnny Norris) Fingerpicking with Tablature | |
Super Top Ten Volume (Guitar) | Super Top Ten Volume (Guitar) | |
Supercell – Sayonara Memories | ||
Superhero Themes 14 of Your Favorite Heroes and She-Roes | Superhero Themes 14 of Your Favorite Heroes and She-Roes | |
Superman Theme For Piano | ||
Supertramp – Breakfast In America | Supertramp Breakfast In America Book | |
Supertramp – Logical Song | ||
Supertramp Anthology Songbook | Supertramp Anthology Songbook | |
Supertramp Breakfast In America SongBook | Supertramp Breakfast In America Book | |
Supertramp Crisis What Crisis SongBook | ||
Supertramp Even In The Quietest Moments Songbook | Supertramp Even In The Quietest Moments | |
Supertramp Famous Last Words SongBook | Supertramp Famous Last Words Book | |
Supertramp Paris SongBook | Supertramp Paris Book | |
Surface Pressure – Encanto (sheet music).mscz | ||
Suzanne Ciani Adagio | Suzanne Ciani Adagio | |
Suzanne Ciani Dream Songs for piano | Suzanne Ciani Dream Songs piano | |
Suzanne Ciani New Age Piano | Suzanne Ciani New Age Piano | |
Suzanne Vega Songbook | Suzanne Vega Songbook | |
SUZUKI – Guitar School Revised Edition (Vol 1) | SUZUKI – Guitar School Revised Edition (Vol 1) | |
Suzuki Guitar (Complete Vol. 1 To 9) | SUZUKI GUITAR Vol 1-9 | |
Suzuki Piano School – Vol 07 – Mozart Handel and Paderevski | ||
Suzuki Piano School Volumes 1 to 7 (240 p.) | Suzuki 1-7 – Piano School (7 books) | |
Suzuki Tsunekichi – Omohi De – Irish Folk Song Opening Theme To The Netflix Series Midnight Diner Tokyo Stories) (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Suzuki Tsunekichi – Omohi de – Irish Folk Song Opening theme to the Netflix series Midnight Diner Tokyo Stories) Guitar | Suzuki Tsunekichi – Omohi de – Irish Folk Song Opening theme to the Netflix series Midnight Diner Tokyo Stories) Guitar | |
Sveinn Eythorsson – Easy Guitar Songs | ||
Swan Lake Theme – Tchaikovsky (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Swanee River Boogie Woogie – Albert Ammons (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Sweet Hour Of Prayer – Piano Solo arr. of 13 Sacred Songs by Marvin Goldstein | ||
Swing And Early Progressive Piano Styles Jazz Improvisation 3 by John Mehegam | Swing And Early Progressive Piano Styles Jazz Improvisation 3 by John Mehegam | |
Swing Low Sweet Charriot (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Sydney Bechet Si Tu Vois Ma Mere Lead sheet music GUITAR CHORDS | ||
Symphony No 40 In Gm K550 (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Symphony No 9 In E Minor (From The New World) For Piano – 1st Movement (Adagio – Allegro Molto) (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Symphony No 9 In E Minor (From The New World) For Piano – 2nd Movement (Largo) (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Symphony No 9 In E Minor 4th Mov. (From The New World) A. Dvorak (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Symphony No. 2 Third Mov. Advanced Piano Arr. (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Symphony No. 5 – Adagietto Gustav Mahler (Musescore File).mscz | ||
System Of A Down – Lonely Day | ||
T – Pain – Buy You A Drink | ||
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Table for Two – Nocturnal Animals OST (Abel Korzeniowski) | ||
Takashi Yoshimatsu – Piano Folio … To a disappeared pleiad | ||
Take Five (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Take Five by Paul Desmond Jazz Play Along | ||
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Take Five Jazz Standard Paul Desmond Dave Brubeck arr. Carsten Gerlitz | ||
Take Me To The Land Of Jazz by Pete Wendling (1919) | ||
Take That – Could It Be Magic | ||
Take That – How Deep Is Your Love | Take That – how deep is your love | |
Takemisu, Toru – 12 Songs for guitar | ||
Takemitsu – Secret Love Guitar with TABs | ||
Tales Of Earthsea Teeru No Uta Kashuu Baajon Taniyama Hiroko Miyazaki Tomochika | ||
Tales of EArthsea – Teeru No Uta | ||
Talking Heads Anthology | Talking Heads Anthology | |
Tangled – Alan Menken OST | Alan Menken – Tangled (Disney) Rapunzel songbook | |
Tango El Caramel (Khaled Mouzanar) | ||
Tango Fake Book | Tango Fake Book | |
Tangos And More (Intermediate Piano Solos) | Tangos And More (Intermediate Piano Solos) | |
Tangos Para Guitarra | Tangos | |
Tania Maria Yatra Ta | ||
Tant Que Vivray (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Tanta voglia di lei (Pooh) | ||
Tarantella in 3rd class (Ennio Morricone) | ||
Taro Iwashiro – Her Most Beautiful Smile | ||
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Tàrrega 12 Studies for Guitar Guitarra | ||
Tàrrega Integral De Guitarra | Tàrrega guitar | |
Tàrrega, F. – Recuerdos de la Alhambra (Guitar).mscz | ||
Tarzan (Disney) songbook Music by Phil Collins | ||
Tarzan Full Score (The Musical) Music and Lyrics by Phil Collins | ||
Tausig – Ballad (The Ghostship – Das Geisterschiff) | ||
Taverner, John – In Nomine (full score) MS 31390 fol. 120 |