Horace Silver

[.:.impossible]

Wow. I'm late to the party, but this is a side of Horace Silver that I just didn't know existed! This shit is right up my alley. Listening to the first few bars of the first tune, Horoscope (which to many reading this right now is probably a classic), I could have sworn I was mixed up and threw in some Nichols.

Edited October 14, 2005 by .:.impossible

[.:.impossible]

For some reason, no matter how hard I hit the keys, they just wouldn't type. Anyway, to finish the original post...

Bu included! Why do you think Silver cylced through the bassists on this session the way he did?

I love these hard bop trios and am interested in your recommendations for more like this. Go ahead, tell me what I've been missing all this time, because there are some tracks on this recording that are just monster.

Thanks.

[Noj]

I really dig this one too. Especially "Ecaroh," "Horace-Scope," and "Nothing But The Soul."

All eleven Horace Silver Blue Note albums I own are fantastic, and Paris Blues is good too.

[mikeweil]

Silver was so great as a trio pianist I regret he never reocrded more than that initial LP and an occasional trio track on his subsequent Blue Note albums. Michael Cuscuna once collected all of them on a Blue Note reissue series twofer LP The Trio Sides - I will make my own CDR of his later trios because they are so fine and mellow.

I will post a list later.

[mikeweil]

BTW - there is one more Blue Note album to be reissued on CD:

You Gotta Take A Little Love

I can't understand why this remains overlooked - it is as great as any other Blue Note quintet LP.

[robviti]

BTW - there is one more Blue Note album to be reissued on CD:

You Gotta Take A Little Love

I can't understand why this remains overlooked - it is as great as any other Blue Note quintet LP.

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why am i skeptical about this claim?

[jazzbo]

Don't be skeptical! It's very cool!

[Joe]

IIRC, the 70's BN reissue of these trio sides included liner notes by Ran Blake. Anyone have access to those? If so, would you be willing to post them here?

Silver's trios are not only great listening -- they're "important" in the same way the Monk and Bud trios are (though perhaps not to the same degree).

Edited October 14, 2005 by Joe

[JSngry]

Wouldn't say that it's as good as any, but it ain't bad.

[JSngry]

IIRC correctly, the 70's BN reissue of these trio sides included liner notes by Ran Blake.  Anyone have access to those?  If so, would you be willing to post them here?

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Slide by the crib and I'll make a xerox for you. They're loooooooong.

[mikeweil]

Those notes really opened my eyes as far as Silver's qualities as a composer and pianist were concerned. The Trio Sides and the Blue Note compilation twofer (as the single albums were more difficult to get at the time) were my Silver bible at the time and were played back daily!

Here are the trio sides from the albums between 1956 and 1968 (album name in brackets):

Shirl (Six Pieces of Silver)

For Heaven's Sake (Six Pieces of Silver)

Melancholy Mood [First Version] (Further Explorations)

Sweet Stuff (Finger Poppin‘)

Melancholy Mood [2nd Version] (Blowin‘ The Blues Away)

The St. Vitus Dance (Blowin‘ The Blues Away)

Cherry Blossom (The Tokyo Blues)

Lonely Woman (Song For My Father)

Next Time I Fall in Love (Serenade To A Soul Sister)

The expanded CD edition of Song For My Father included a previously unissued trio version of Que Pasa that would fit in here, too.

Edited October 15, 2005 by mikeweil

[mikeweil]

Why do you think Silver cylced through the bassists on this session the way he did?

This was recorded in three sessions! Silver was offered the first session when Lou Donaldson had to cancel a session with Silver, Ramey, and Blakey as sidemen, so Gene Ramey may simply not have been the bassist of his choice, and he didn't have as much time for preparation as he wanted to. Curly Russell was called to complete the material for the first release, which was a 10" LP; Russel was his section mate in Blakey's band at the time.

Percy Heath was Silver's frequent rhythm section mate after that, so he was a logical choice for the session which made up the second 10" LP. 10" LPs were thought of as separate recording projects just as the 12" LPs later on.

Edited October 14, 2005 by mikeweil

[.:.impossible]

I am surprised that he didn't record any other trio albums. This stuff is smokin hot and dense. I've never really had an ear for Horace's music the way I do for this trio album. I'm sure it will hit me one day the way Sonny Clark's non-trio recordings did.

This is up there with the Thelonious Monk Trios, Sonny Clark Trios, Bud Powell Trios, Herbie Nichols Trios for sure. No particular order there, just thinking about piano trios in this vein.

What else?

[jazzbo]

The Jamal Trios (either with gibtox or skins). I think they're up to that company.

[JSngry]

Elmo Hope & early Randy Weston too.

[mikeweil]

I made me a CDR of all trios recorded between 1956 and 1968 yesterday - this will get a lot of play! But whereas the two 10" LPs were lively, with mostly medium and up tempos, he used the trios for ballad performances in those years. Except for tracks 5 and 9 on the list below, all are ballads in a pensive and reflective mood, reminding me of Ellington's ballads on his Capitol trios album. I highly recommend this collection - a fascinating and under-represented side of Silver!

Horace Silver - The Trio Sides 1956 - 1968

01. Shirl (Six Pieces of Silver)

02. For Heaven's Sake (Six Pieces of Silver)

03. Melancholy Mood [First Version] (Further Explorations)

04. Sweet Stuff (Finger Poppin‘)

05. The St. Vitus Dance (Blowin‘ The Blues Away)

06. Melancholy Mood [2nd Version] (Blowin‘ The Blues Away)

07. Cherry Blossom (The Tokyo Blues)

08. Lonely Woman (Song For My Father)

09. Que Pasa [Trio version] (Song For My Father)

10. Next Time I Fall in Love (Serenade To A Soul Sister)

Horace Silver - piano

Doug Watkins - bass (1,2)

Teddy Kotick - bass (3)

Gene Taylor - bass (4-9)

John Williams - bass (10)

Louis Hayes - drums (1-6)

John Harris jr. - drums (7)

Roy Brooks - drums (8,9)

Billy Cobham - drums (10)

Recording dates (all at RVG studios):

November 10, 1956 (1,2)

January 13, 1958 (3)

January 31, 1959 (4)

September 13, 1959 (5,6)

July 13-14, 1962 (7)

October 31, 1963 (8,9)

March 29, 1968 (10)

Edited October 15, 2005 by mikeweil

[jazzbo]

Elmo Hope & early Randy Weston too.

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Yes.

[Jim Dye]

What a great idea!

Shirl just may be my favorite Horace Silver composition.

Edited October 15, 2005 by Jim Dye

[.:.impossible]

Elmo Hope & early Randy Weston too.

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Yes.

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Yes.

Lon, which Jamal trios are you referring to?

[BruceH]

BTW - there is one more Blue Note album to be reissued on CD:

You Gotta Take A Little Love

I can't understand why this remains overlooked - it is as great as any other Blue Note quintet LP.

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why am i skeptical about this claim?

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I haven't heard the music on this album, but I am certain that the cover could have been better. A LOT better.

[Cali]

I love these hard bop trios and am interested in your recommendations for more like this. Go ahead, tell me what I've been missing all this time, because there are some tracks on this recording that are just monster.

Thanks.

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Check out SONNY CLARK TRIO on Blue Note. There's a current discussion of this album in another thread. Also, A WORLD OF PIANO by Phineas Newborn, Jr.