Horace Silver - The Cape Verdean Blues (1965) (RVG)

Horace Silver - The Cape Verdean Blues (1965)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 330MB

Blue Note | RVG 24-bit remaster 2003

Allmusic:
After the success of Song for My Father and its hit title cut, Horace Silver was moved to pay further tribute to his dad, not to mention connect with some of his roots. Silver's father was born in the island nation of Cape Verde (near West Africa) before emigrating to the United States, and that's the inspiration behind The Cape Verdean Blues. Not all of the tracks are directly influenced by the music of Cape Verde (though some do incorporate Silver's taste for light exoticism); however, there's a spirit of adventure that pervades the entire album, a sense of exploration that wouldn't have been quite the same with Silver's quintet of old. On average, the tracks are longer than usual, and the lineup -- featuring tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson (a holdover from the Song for My Father sessions) and trumpeter Woody Shaw -- is one of the most modernist-leaning Silver ever recorded with. They push Silver into more advanced territory than he was normally accustomed to working, with mild dissonances and (especially in Henderson's case) a rawer edge to the playing. What's more, bop trombone legend J.J. Johnson appears on half of the six tracks, and Silver sounds excited to finally work with a collaborator he'd been pursuing for some time. Johnson ably handles some of the album's most challenging material, like the moody, swelling "Bonita" and the complex, up-tempo rhythms of "Nutville." Most interesting, though, is the lilting title track, which conjures the flavor of the islands with a blend of Latin-tinged rhythms and calypso melodies that nonetheless don't sound quite Caribbean in origin. Also noteworthy are "The African Queen," with its blend of emotional power and drifting hints of freedom, and "Pretty Eyes," Silver's first original waltz. Yet another worthwhile Silver album.

Tracks
-1. "The Cape Verdean Blues" - Silver - 4:59
-2. "The African Queen" - Silver - 9:36
-3. "Pretty Eyes" - Silver - 7:30
-4. "Nutville" - Silver - 7:15
-5. "Bonita" - Silver - 8:37
-6. "Mo' Joe" - Henderson - 5:45

Personnel
* Horace Silver (piano)
* Woody Shaw (trumpet)
* Joe Henderson (tenor sax)
* J. J. Johnson (trombone)
* Bob Cranshaw (bass)
* Roger Humphries (drums)

sample & buy: Cape Verdean Blues

Horace Silver - 6 Pieces Of Silver (RVG) (eac-log-cover)

Horace Silver - 6 Pieces Of Silver (1956)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 280MB

Blue Note | RVG 24-bit remaster 2000

Allmusic:
The first classic album by the Horace Silver Quintet, this CD is highlighted by "Señor Blues" (heard in three versions, including a later vocal rendition by Bill Henderson) and "Cool Eyes." The early Silver quintet was essentially the Jazz Messengers of the year before (with trumpeter Donald Byrd, tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley, and bassist Doug Watkins, while drummer Louis Hayes was in Blakey's place), but already the band was starting to develop a sound of its own. "Señor Blues" officially put Horace Silver on the map.

Tracks
-01. "Cool Eyes" - 5:55
-02. "Shirl" - 4:16
-03. "Camouflage" - 4:25
-04. "Enchantment" - 6:22
-05. "Señor Blues" - 7:01
-06. "Virgo" - 5:48
-07. "For Heaven's Sake" (Elise Bretton, Donald Meyer, Edwards Sherman) - 5:09
Bonus tracks
-08. "Señor Blues" (alternate take) - 6:38
-09. "Tippin'" - 6:16
-10. "Señor Blues" (Vocal version) - 6:12
* All songs written and composed by Horace Silver, except where noted.
* Recorded at Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, NJ, November 10, 1956 (tracks 1-8) and November 15, 1958 (tracks 9 & 10).

Personnel
* Horace Silver - piano
* Donald Byrd - trumpet (tracks 1, 2, 4-6 & 8-10)
* Hank Mobley - tenor saxophone (tracks 1, 2, 4-6 & 8)
* Junior Cook - tenor saxophone (tracks 9 & 10)
* Doug Watkins - bass (tracks 1-8)
* Gene Taylor - bass (tracks 9 & 10)
* Louis Hayes - drums (tracks 1-8)
* Roy Haynes - drums (tracks 9 & 10)
* Bill Henderson - vocals (track 10)

sample & buy: Six Pieces of Silver

Horace Silver - A Prescription For The Blues (1997) (eac-log-cover)

Horace Silver - A Prescription For The Blues (1997)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 380MB

Impulse/GRP

Allmusic:
Pianist/composer Horace Silver teams up with the Brecker Brothers (both of whom used to be in his quintet) and a veteran rhythm section of bassist Ron Carter and drummer Louis Hayes to debut nine of his originals. The funny part about Silver's music is that, no matter who he is paying tribute to (this set includes a song for Lester Young), the style always ends up sounding like Horace Silver, with no real reference to the subject matter. All of the music on this date is very much in Silver's funky hard bop tradition, in the phrasing, catchy themes, concise solos by tenor Michael and trumpeter Randy Brecker, and the pianist's distinctive and quote-filled improvisations. None of the melodies are all that memorable ("Walk On" has the best chance of catching on), so there are probably no future "hits" on this collection. But it is a joy to hear Horace Silver still playing in his prime at the age of 68.

Tracks
-1. "A Prescription for the Blues" - 5:12
-2. "Whenever Lester Plays the Blues" - 6:35
-3. "You Gotta Shake That Thing" - 5:16
-4. "Yodel Lady Blues" - 6:42
-5. "Brother John and Brother Gene" - 4:43
-6. "Free at Last" - 6:27
-7. "Walk On" - 6:26
-8. "Sunrise in Malibu" - 5:01
-9. "Doctor Jazz" - 5:31
* All compositions by Horace Silver
* Recorded in NYC on May 29 & 30, 1997.

Personnel
* Horace Silver - piano
* Randy Brecker - trumpet
* Michael Brecker - tenor saxophone
* Ron Carter - bass
* Louis Hayes - drums

sample & buy: A Prescription for the Blues

Horace Silver - Song For My Father (1964) (RVG) (eac-log-cover)

Horace Silver - Song For My Father (1964)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 380MB

BN | RVG 1999 24-bit rem | rar +5% recovery

AMG:
One of Blue Note's greatest mainstream hard bop dates, Song for My Father is Horace Silver's signature LP and the peak of a discography already studded with classics. Silver was always a master at balancing jumping rhythms with complex harmonies for a unique blend of earthiness and sophistication, and Song for My Father has perhaps the most sophisticated air of all his albums. Part of the reason is the faintly exotic tint that comes from Silver's flowering fascination with rhythms and modes from overseas -- the bossa nova beat of the classic "Song for My Father," for example, or the Eastern-flavored theme of "Calcutta Cutie," or the tropical-sounding rhythms of "Que Pasa?" Subtle touches like these alter Silver's core sound just enough to bring out its hidden class, which is why the album has become such a favorite source of upscale ambience. Song for My Father was actually far less focused in its origins than the typical Silver project; it dates from the period when Silver was disbanding his classic quintet and assembling a new group, and it features performances from both bands (and, on the CD reissue with bonus tracks, three different sessions). Still, it hangs together remarkably well, and Silver's writing is at its tightest and catchiest. The title cut became Silver's best-known composition, partly because it provided the musical basis for jazz-rock group Steely Dan's biggest pop hit "Rikki Don't Lose That Number." Another hard bop standard is introduced here in the lone non-Silver tune, tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson's "The Kicker," covered often for the challenge of its stuttering phrases and intricate rhythms. Yet somehow it comes off as warm and inviting as the rest of the album, which is necessary for all jazz collections -- mainstream hard bop rarely comes as good as Song for My Father.

Tracks:
01. "Song for My Father" – 7:15
02. "The Natives Are Restless Tonight" – 6:08
03. "Calcutta Cutie" – 8:28
04. "Que Pasa" – 7:45
05. "The Kicker" – 5:24
06. "Lonely Woman" – 7:03
*07. "Sanctimonious Sam" – 3:52
*08. "Que Pasa" (trio version) – 5:35
*09. "Sighin' and Cryin'" – 5:23
*10. "Silver Treads Among My Soul" – 3:50

Personnel:
Tracks 1, 2, 4, 5
* Horace Silver — piano
* Carmell Jones — trumpet
* Joe Henderson — tenor saxophone
* Teddy Smith — bass
* Roger Humphries — drums
Tracks 3, 6 – 10
* Horace Silver — piano
* Blue Mitchell — trumpet
* Junior Cook — tenor saxophone
* Eugene Taylor — bass
* Roy Brooks — drums

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