RIP Horace Silver
Blue Note Records, for which Silver recorded from the 50s through to the 70s, announced his passing.
Silver became a group leader in the mid-1950s, after starting out accompanying such giants as Stan Getz and Miles Davis. His raw, blues and gospel influenced style of playing — indicative of what came to be known as “hard bop” — proved a bit of an antidote to the relatively antiseptic “cool jazz” which was in vogue at the time, and it quickly caught on with audiences.
As the New York Times quotes in their obit here, Silver once wrote wrote of his music, in the liner notes to his 1968 album, Serenade to a Soul Sister; “I personally do not believe in politics, hatred or anger in my musical composition. Musical composition should bring happiness and joy to people and make them forget their troubles.”
Below is a terrific 1968 performance of the title composition from Silver’s classic 1965 album, Song for My Father. Give it a viewing, and then pay a visit to his PeekYou profile; from where you can find further music, plus videos, essays, interviews, photos, and much more.