12 Classic Albums: 1953-1962

Horace Ward Martin Tavares Silva, born September 2, 1928, was an American jazz pianist and composer. Influenced by a wide range of musical styles, notably gospel, African music, and Latin American, Silver also ventured into the soul jazz genre. Silver's big break came in 1950 backing saxophonist Stan Getz at The Sundown Club in Hartford, Connecticut. It was with Getz that Silver made his recording debut, for the 1950 Stan Getz Quartet album. 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 Blue Note label while working as a sideman. He eventually signed with them, remaining there until 1980. In New York, he co-founded 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. Silver was also a member of the Miles Davis All Stars, recording the Walkin' album in 1954. The album Horace Silver and the Jazz Messengers was recorded on November 13, 1954 and issued in 1955. It was regarded as a milestone in the development of hard bop. It featured the mid-tempo blues "Doodlin'" and Silver's first hit "The Preacher". 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. This 6 CD compilation features all of Horace Silver's recorded output between the years of 1952 and 1962, the first, and many would say most productive and challenging, decade of this masterful composer, performer and musician's career.