AOW (MAR 14 - 20): Horace Silver "Horace-Scope"

[undergroundagent]

Hey Folks,

Well, here is my choice...this is the first Horace Silver disc that I owned and, though I bought it largely because I liked the cover, it turned out to be an absolutelty terrific album with an all-star band. While just about any Horace Silver disc could be album of the week for March 14 - 20, this one holds sentimental value and is probably the most underrated of the lot. It also led me to explore many of the other band member's solo albums as well. Enjoy!!!

Quoting AMG's review: "Horace-Scope is the third album by Horace Silver's classic quintet — or most of it, actually, as drummer Louis Hayes was replaced by Roy Brooks starting with this session. The rhythmic drive and overall flavor of the group are still essentially the same, though, and Horace-Scope continues the tight, sophisticated-yet-swinging blueprint for hard bop pioneered on its two classic predecessors. The program is as appealing as ever, and even though not as many tunes caught on this time — at least not on the level of a "Juicy Lucy" or "Sister Sadie" — Silver's writing is tuneful and tasteful. The best-known selections are probably the lovely closing number "Nica's Dream," which had been around for several years but hadn't yet been recorded on a Silver LP, and the genial, laid-back opener "Strollin'." But really, every selection is full of soulful grooves and well-honed group interplay, the qualities that made this band perhaps the top hard bop outfit of the early '60s. Silver was in the midst of a hot streak that wouldn't let up for another few years, and Horace-Scope is another eminently satisfying effort from that period."

Edited March 11, 2004 by undergroundagent

[JSngry]

Great side, a real good'un.

You know, for years I thought that that album was "newer" in date than it actually was, entirely because of the cover. How many jazz album covers from the late 50s/early 60s referenced palmistry & astrology?

[Big Al]

Well, so much for waiting for an RVG of this one!

[king ubu]

good choice! Long time not listened to this one.

ubu

[mikeweil]

There was a time in the 1980's when I had Silver spinning every day! Time to revive this habit, thanks for the opportunity!

[JohnS]

I don't know when I last gave my old lp of this a spin. It's lovely stuff. I've always been very fond of the Silver quintet with Mitchell and Cook for all the reasons underground agent spells out. Everything works out just right. The tunes, arrangements and solos are soulful, groovy and fun, always better than interesting and just the right length.

Thanks undergroundagent for getting me to play this one again.

[jazzbo]

Hey, I ought to dig this out and participate. . . I'll see if I can. .. been working more and enjoying it less and have stacks of stuff to listen to!

This is a domestic cd with Japanese remastering if my memory is still cooperating. . . . A great session!

[skeith]

I like this one too, it's not my favorite Horace Silver, but I like it a lot.

I think Horace Silver is seriously underrated!!!!!!!!

[mikeweil]

This was one of the few Blue Notes CDs I bought as a Japanese edition (it says: Digital transfers by Yoshio Ozaki), as no US CD was available - I think Jazzbo is correct, and they issued the US CD with that transfer within a year.

What I always liked about was the start with a medium tempo tune (the classic Strollin') and not one of those fast-paced ones - starting an album with a fast tune always gives me the feeling of having tu jump on a train at full speed.

It is very interesting that Silver re-recorded two tunes from his early 10" Blue Note trio LPs on that one, Yeah, and the title track, Horace-Scope.

And he finally got Nica's Dream on a record under his leadership, after the jazz Messengers Columbia LP (April 5, 1956), and the version on a Kenny Burrell Blue Note session (February 10, 1957 with Mobley, Silver, Watkins and Hayes) that remained unissued - that tune must have been very dear to him.

The first looking back at his career?

That was a classic band, of course, and one of the greatest hard bop frontlines, Blue Mitchell and Junior Cook - the latter shows his Mobley influences here a little, listento his solo on Where You At?.

Why Alfred Lion didn't give Junior Cook an LP of his own remains a mystery to me. Or did he think he had enough tough tenors? Joe Henderson and Stanley Turrentine were still in the future, Mobley was only temporarily active at the time, so why not?

[BruceH]

Good question.

I love this band, and this segment of Horace Silver's career. Will spin this baby tonight!

[king ubu]

Just finished listening. I really forgot how much I liked it! A very good album.

"Strollin'" is a great opener, Mike's remarks about opening an album make perfect sense. Horace-Scope is another great tune. Also I like those Don Newey compositions! Nica is classic, of course.

I really would like to get an RVG of this one, too!

Thanks to undergroundagent for making me listening to this again!

ubu

PS: if anyone has the Downbeat with the Silver cover story handy (it's the latest one that's been available this side of the water) - he makes comments on some of his best known tunes, I'm sure some included on this album are among them. I could type it out some later time, if no one beats me to it.

[mikeweil]

One thing that is always overlooked about this edition of the Silver Quintet - at least it seems so to me - is the rhythm team.

Gene Taylor with his thick percussive and at the same time warm sound and Roy Brooks at the drums were an excellent team with a very personal definition of swing and drive. Tasteful and hittin' the groove always. Maybe the best bass/drums team Silver has ever had, overlooking his career.

Let's give them some credit!!!

[Big Al]

I still haven't had a chance to pick this one up, but I wanna comment on this edition of the Silver Quintet, as I don't think they had it in them to produce anything less than a stellar album! Right now, all I have is Finger Poppin' and Blowin' the Blues Away, and these are two powerhouse albums that are as fiery as anything put out by Silver's former boss in the Jazz Messengers!