The Process of Creation Suite, Pt. 3: Assimilation - Horace Silver,
All in Time
The Soul and Its Expression [Medley: Part 1: the Search for Direction/ ...
Horace Silver might tout Bud Powell as an early--and even decisive--influence. Silver might even sound a bit bullish on Bud, especially on his debut recording, a rare trio date that foreshadows lots of the physically deman... more »ding piano the younger ivory tickler came to exercise throughout the 1950s and 1960s. But over the course of its four CDs, Retrospective goes well beyond Bud. You hear Silver and Art Blakey kick-starting hard bop with their strong melodies and minimized bebop stair climbs. The music becomes quickly rhythmic, a churning funnel of energy that Silver seems--decades late, even--intent on drawing and redrawing constantly. His piano playing is big on large, hard-hit chords and notes, pile-ups that recall boogie-woogie, and when calm, a lovely sense of mood that flexes from the composure of "Peace" to the bounce of "Psychedelic Sally." Silver stayed at Blue Note records longer than any of the label's other artists, and while there, he made the jazz quintet--with a tenor sax and trumpet front line--his vehicle. With his long tenure at Blue Note, it's no surprise the label opted for a multi-CD anthology rather than a mega-multi-CD "complete" set. The picks are each solid, demonstrating that Silver rarely miscued between 1953 and 1978. Sure, the last CD sags a tad under Silver's Fender Rhodes and Bob Cranshaw's electric bass. No matter the instrument or the vibe, though, there is an undertow that pulls you in on each of these tracks. Never mind the elegance of "Song for My Father" or the hustle of "Sister Sadie." It's all gold in Silver's groove. --Andrew Bartlett« less
Horace Silver might tout Bud Powell as an early--and even decisive--influence. Silver might even sound a bit bullish on Bud, especially on his debut recording, a rare trio date that foreshadows lots of the physically demanding piano the younger ivory tickler came to exercise throughout the 1950s and 1960s. But over the course of its four CDs, Retrospective goes well beyond Bud. You hear Silver and Art Blakey kick-starting hard bop with their strong melodies and minimized bebop stair climbs. The music becomes quickly rhythmic, a churning funnel of energy that Silver seems--decades late, even--intent on drawing and redrawing constantly. His piano playing is big on large, hard-hit chords and notes, pile-ups that recall boogie-woogie, and when calm, a lovely sense of mood that flexes from the composure of "Peace" to the bounce of "Psychedelic Sally." Silver stayed at Blue Note records longer than any of the label's other artists, and while there, he made the jazz quintet--with a tenor sax and trumpet front line--his vehicle. With his long tenure at Blue Note, it's no surprise the label opted for a multi-CD anthology rather than a mega-multi-CD "complete" set. The picks are each solid, demonstrating that Silver rarely miscued between 1953 and 1978. Sure, the last CD sags a tad under Silver's Fender Rhodes and Bob Cranshaw's electric bass. No matter the instrument or the vibe, though, there is an undertow that pulls you in on each of these tracks. Never mind the elegance of "Song for My Father" or the hustle of "Sister Sadie." It's all gold in Silver's groove. --Andrew Bartlett
CD Reviews
Excellent Scope
John Chapin | Jackson Heights, NY USA | 08/02/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I'm a tenor and bari player and have long enjoyed doing Horace Silver tunes, but have been reluctant to buy albums under his name: my taste in piano runs more towards Tommy Flannagan and Barry Harris.
But this 4 disc collection provides a broad entry into his records without having to get individual disks. The scope of the recordings ranges from some of the early Messengers all the way up to 1978. The emphasis is on the mid 50s through mid 60s, though, which suits me just fine.
The individual solos are good examples of straight ahead playing from that period, but the 2-horn arrangements throughout all 4 disks is what makes Horace Silver records GREAT. He really did the most with using 2 horns on these heads.
And as I've listened to these disks more, I've warmed to his piano playing, too... he is a fun player, and should not be faulted for being "funky", whatever that means.
The package is well done: the booklet has track details in one spot, with photos and worthwhile stories about this part of his career."
Horace Silver-The One and Only
CLASSIC ROCK MAN | CONNECTICUT | 07/14/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"When many people think of Jazz, the names Coltrane, Bird and Miles usually come to mind.As those of us Jazz aficionados know, there are many layers of Jazz and as far as I am concerned, one of the Kings of Hardbop and Bebop will always be Mr. Silver himself.This retrospective takes you through his career from 1959-1978 and shows you all the raw talent this icon has brought to our world.I am not in love with 100 percent of the choices on this CD, but I do give it a strong rating of 95%.Horace,you will alway be considered one of the real stars from Norwalk, Connecticut."
The Inner Core of Horace Silver
Brian D. Fitzpatrick | Medford, MA | 04/18/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"'Retrospective' is a compilation of selected tracks from recordings Silver produced by Alfred Lion(Blue Notes Records) during Horace's 25 year tenure with the company from 1953 to 1978.It is important to note that Art Blakey and Horace Silver co-founded the 'The Jazz Messengers' around 1952.After a year with the Jazz Messengers Horace Silver left to form his own band and Art Blakey took over 'The Jazz Messengers.In many respects Art Blakey and Horace Silver were virtual institutions during the 50's and 60's.They were the true leaders,along with Miles and a few others during these years.Young and talented musicians that passed through their bands during the course of their own careers gained vital experience during there tenures with Blakey and/or Silver.The list is quite long,but you can obtain them from the liner notes in this CD collection.Silver was a remarkable pianist,and along with Wayne Shorter were amoungst the most prolific composers of this genre(hard bop)They both played an important role for further exploration by other musicians and composers that proceeded them.Something that should be noted is that Alfred Lion of {Blue Note Records}was instrumental in encouraging and facilitating all these recording projects to materialize and ultimately to be issued,and he did just that.So we can also thank him for these amazing sessions,along with Rudy Van Gelder for his superb job of re-mastering the orginal recordings. This is a worthy investment,as it provides access to a wide variety of players,and you have the chance to listen to the genius of Horace Silver's playing and the brilliance of his compositions.What a creative musician!Enjoy
"
A must-have for serious jazz collectors!
Dr. G. Thomas | Los Angeles | 03/20/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)
"This retrospective contains every Horace Silver track you have heard as well as many you may hear for the first time. Rudy Van Gelder has done an excellent job of re-mastering each track providing the listener with 40+ year old tracks that sound as if Horace cut them last night!
As usual, there are the occasional tracks that make you say, "Why on earth did they bother to include that??" However, overall, this compilation is a must-have for any serious fan of Horace Silver."
Track Listings (14) - Disc #1