The Scope of Horace (Silver)

[Adam]

Just thought I'd give Horace Silver his own all-encompassing "corner."

Especially with some live shows coming up. I was lucky enough to have Easter dinner 2 nights ago with Horace, listening to some great stories about his early days, the people he's thinking of getting for the Blue Note gig (all local NYers). He will be doing a free show at the Santa Monica Pier in July, for those of us in So Cal.

It was news to him that United States of Mind would be coming out later this year.

So I hope some of you have heard some of his music. Any thoughts?

[chris olivarez]

Horace is one of my heroes. I probably have more of his recordings than just about any other artists save Miles and Trane. Horace never fails to put a smile on my face when I'm playing his music. I'm kind of surprised that he didn't that he didn't know about USOM. If that indeed was the case that is inexcuseable and unprofessional conduct on the part of Blue Note. Long live Horace Silver!!!!

[Dan Gould]

What's your connection to Horace, Adam?

I like to think I'm within a degree of Horace, since my friend Sally White went to High School with him in Norwalk, CT, but I don't know when the last time was she actually saw him.

[Hardbopjazz]

Adam, did Horace mention anything about his new album? It's supposed to come out this month from what I read.

[Rooster_Ties]

Very few people know about USOM coming out in the Fall. I would venture to say that outside of the people who read these boards, I suspect Michael hasn't told any more than one or maybe two dozen people, at most. (And then all it takes is one of those people to post the info here, or on AAJ - and suddenly a few more people know.)

It wouldn't suprise me all that much that Horace didn't know. He probably should know, but it's not like it's really "public" knowledge either. (And it's still anything but 100% certain too, I suspect.)

[chris olivarez]

Horace should have been the first or at least one of the very first to know.

[mikeweil]

There were several years in the 1980's when I started, spent and ended the day with Horace Silver's records, and he never failed to brighten up my spirit when I was in a bad mood. Thanks a lot!

I doubt wether I would place him among the top five jazz composers, maybe between five and ten, but he certainly is the top hard bop composer!

[Dan Gould]

Oh, I'd definitely put him in the top five jazz composers! Along with Dameron and Golson (and ahead of Ellington, forgive me but its true).

[Hardbopjazz]

Adam, maybe you can ask Horace is he would like to join this board. Seriously, I would really enjoy having one of the GIANTS chatting with us. He could tell us stories.

Isn't Horace one of the last jazz musicians from that great photo, “One day in Harlem”?

I think Sonny Rollins and Marian McPartland are the other two.

[tooter]

Adam, maybe you can ask Horace is he would like to join this board. Seriously, I would really enjoy having one of the GIANTS chatting with us. He could tell us stories.

That's would be really good - I would be very interested to hear the story of his discovery by Stan Getz, straight from the horse's mouth.

[undergroundagent]

Horace Silver is dynamite!!!!

I could put on any one of his albums any time of the day and enjoy it...speaking of which, I'm emailing Mr. Tanno...I need some more cheap TOCJs.

I'm going to see him in NYC at the end of the month as well. My girlfriend and I are really looking forward to seeing him perform.

Any idea who will be joining him on stage?

[Hardbopjazz]

Horace Silver is dynamite!!!!

I could put on any one of his albums any time of the day and enjoy it...speaking of which, I'm emailing Mr. Tanno...I need some more cheap TOCJs.

I'm going to see him in NYC at the end of the month as well. My girlfriend and I are really looking forward to seeing him perform.

Any idea who will be joining him on stage?

Juinor Cook and Blue Mitchell

[Adam]

He seemed reluctant to mention any of the players until he had confirmed them all. I noticed this the one previous time as well, when he spoke of potential players on his next album.

I haven't asked him about contributing directly; I don't think he would.

He's a really kind and gentle soul, doesn't drink alcohol. I don't know him that well. But here's the story in brief. At a jazz convention a couple of years ago I met a man named George Schmid (who produced Horact Tapscott's The Dark Tree and a couple of other records for Hat, and who has been seeing shows since the 50s). George is friends with Bobby Bradford, Horace Silver, Andrew Cyrille, etc; was also friends with Horace Tapscott, etc. Every two or three months George, another friend of mine, and I have an "avant-garde jazz" listening session. Between the three of us, we have a great array of stuff, particularly George, who gets every single Hat Art. Add lots of Okka Discs, Ememens, etc. Evan Parker, Paul Rutherford, Brotherhood of Breath, Brotzmann, David Murray. Whatever catches our fancy. So we spend the afternoon listening to out jazz, then have more straight stuff mixed in (as George and I also will gladly throw in a Johnny Hodges, Duke, or what have you.) And George will occasionally invite one of his friends as an additional guest for listening & dinner. Bobby Bradford came another time.

Horace Silver doesn't care for the "out" stuff, so he comes later, at 6:00, for dinner. So this dinner on Easter, for example, was just the five of us: George, his wife, my friend, myself, and Horace Silver. Per Horace's request, we listened frst to a side of Jimmy Lunceford, then there was some of Mulligan & Desmond; some Kenny Dorham, etc. It's very nice & casual. Horace takes a bit of time to warm to my friend and I, but George is much better friends with him, and is great at getting him to warm up.

I asked him if there was any likelihood of the issuing of the Silveto albums. He said not for now. He owns the masters. He won't issue anything unless he is properly compensated. George has asked him if Horace would do an album for Hat Art, because he could arrange it, but Horace says that Hat is too small. I asked how many LPs there are, and he said 7 or 8. So I think it would be a good Mosaic box.

He didn't mention a new album this spring at all; just the "Rachmaninoff" disc. But none of us asked him about it either, as we didn't know that there might be one. He didn't ontribute a lot of information about his current activities.

Edited April 10, 2007 by Adam

[reg]

does anyone know if horace has ever thought of doing a book?

[Michael Fitzgerald]

He's already published one on small group arranging and he is in the process of completing his autobiography.

Mike

[reg]

He's already published one on small group arranging and he is in the process of completing his autobiography.

Mike

thanks for the news about the autobiography. that's just about made my day

[Adam]

He's already published one on small group arranging and he is in the process of completing his autobiography.

Mike

What Michael said.

Horace did mention that he has finished the book, but it is currently being edited, rewritten, etc. But I don't think he has a publisher yet.

Edited April 15, 2004 by Adam

[Shrdlu]

I'm surprised that Horace was not consulted about the reissue. I heard that he normally is consulted, and it seems that he has always vetoed the inclusion of any alternate takes. (You have probably noticed that there never have been any on the CD reissues.) He has agreed to the release of some previously unissued titles, as on the "Song For My Father" CD.

[Adam]

Actually, I did ask Horace about that. He said that he was consulted on the 4-CD box set, but that he has usually not been consulted or informed about the releases of his other albums. I was the first to tell him of the reissue of "In Search of the 27th Man" at the last dinner.

But he does seem to be on good terms with Michael Cuscuna.

[reg]

just wondering, any news on his book yet?

i was listening to paris blues today and it got me thinking that for someone to have been going as long as horace there is not much live recording by him. i wonder why bluenote waited till 1961 to record his quintet. to me that line up screamed out to be caught live. when you think how much messengers live stuff is out there (no bad thing).

noticed that the Horace Silver Quintet appeared on something called JAZZ GOES TO COLLEGE on the BBC 1966/ 67 (link). is this film lost forever?

[stevebop]

Last night I featured 5 hours of Horace Silver's music on my radio show to belatedly celebrate his 76th birthday (b. 9/2/28) Follow this link to the playlist. A couple of hours of it should be available via on demand webcast in a few weeks. Keep checking back.

http://www.wgbh.org/playlists/

Go to "Jazz from Studio Four" for September 10th

[chris olivarez]

Happy-albeit-way late Birthday to Horace. I hope it was a good one.

[Big Al]

I'm glad to hear he's still playing!!! I've only heard one track from his latest album, but it sounded pretty good!

I love his classic hard bop stuff (especially Finger Poppin' and Blowin' the Blues Away), but I think I can honestly say that my favorite Horace album is In Search of the 27th Man. It's the one I go back to on a regular basis. The beauty of the tracks with the vibes is something I wish he'd pursued more often. Then, of course, there's those fiery tracks with the Brecker Bros. OOWWW!!!!

Long live Horace indeed!

[Templejazz]

I'm glad to hear he's still playing!!! I've only heard one track from his latest album, but it sounded pretty good!

I love his classic hard bop stuff (especially Finger Poppin' and Blowin' the Blues Away), but I think I can honestly say that my favorite Horace album is In Search of the 27th Man. It's the one I go back to on a regular basis. The beauty of the tracks with the vibes is something I wish he'd pursued more often. Then, of course, there's those fiery tracks with the Brecker Bros. OOWWW!!!!

Long live Horace indeed!

Haven't listened to "..27th Man" since I picked it up a while ago. Might have to take it out for a spin.

I sure hope "Doin' the Thing" is reissued sometime soon. That mutha is on FIRE!!

[sidewinder]

noticed that the Horace Silver Quintet appeared on something called JAZZ GOES TO COLLEGE on the BBC 1966/ 67 (link). is this film lost forever?

I didn't even know that the BBC recorded Silver for this series and my suspicion is that the tape may have been wiped to make space for dross - a fate which happened to other stuff on this series and also on Jazz 625 (there was a Tubby Hayes Big Band also put out around this time also on 'Jazz Goes To College'). Standard practice at the time and absolutely tragic in terms of jazz history. The same thing happened to some good Joe Harriott broadcasts on both national and regional television which were lost as a result.

Edited September 19, 2004 by sidewinder