A taste of Horace Silver this Sunday morning recorded in Copenhagen, Denmark in October 1968 by Danish Radio – DRK. He’s joined by Bill Hardman on trumpet, Bennie Maupin on Tenor, John Williams on bass and Billy Cobham on drums.
You can never have too much Horace Silver in your musical diet, which is why he’s such a regular to these pages at Past Daily. Why not? He’s magic.
In case you haven’t read it, or visited their site – All About Jazz gives a solid biography about Horace Silver. If you’re just discovering Horace Silver or would like a refresher course – check it out – and bookmark All About Jazz – makes for required exploring:
When Horace Silver once wrote out his rules for musical composition (in the liner notes to the 1968 record, Serenade to a Soul Sister), he expounded on the importance of “meaningful simplicity.” The pianist could have just as easily been describing his own life. For more than fifty years, Silver has simply written some of the most enduring tunes in jazz while performing them in a distinctively personal style. It’s all been straight forward enough, while decades of incredible experiences have provided the meaning.
Silver was born in Norwalk, Connecticut on September 2, 1928. His father had immigrated to the United States from Cape Verde—-and that island nation’s Portuguese influences would play a big part in Silver’s own music later on. When Silver was a teenager, he began playing both piano and saxophone while he listened to everything from boogie-woogie and blues to such modern musicians as Bud Powell and Thelonious Monk. As Silver’s piano trio was working in Hartford, Connecticut, the group received saxophonist Stan Getz’s attention in 1950. The saxophonist brought the band on the road and recorded three of Silver’s compositions.
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).
‘Nuff said – Press Play.
