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Horace Silver

Horace Silver

Born: 2nd September 1928, Norwalk, Connecticut, USA

Died: 18th June 2014, New Rochelle, New York, USA

Nationality: American

Horace Ward Martin Tavares Silver was an American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger, particularly in the hard bop style that he helped pioneer in the 1950s.

After playing tenor saxophone and piano at school in Connecticut, Silver got his break on piano when his trio was recruited by Stan Getz in 1950. Silver soon moved to New York City, where he developed a reputation as a composer and for his bluesy playing. Frequent sideman recordings in the mid-1950s helped further, but it was his work with the Jazz Messengers, co-led by Art Blakey, that brought both his writing and playing most attention. Their Horace Silver and the Jazz Messengers album contained Silver's first hit, "The Preacher".

Further Reading: Horace Silver

Classic Recordings, Horace Silver Quintet - Song for My Father

A hard bop classic inspired by the pianist's cultural heritage, Song for My Father is one of the most influential cuts of the era.

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