Horace Silver’s trademark features--often sunny compositions and
treacherous, tight arrangements as well as his preferred quintet format
and enthusiastic embrace of bop, Latin, blues, and folk
melodies--mark him as a mid-century creative
wellspring that continues to inform jazz. Along with
Art Blakey, Silver helped create what became known as the
Blue Note sound. Swing era listeners intimidated by
the “Chinese music” of bop found plenty to love in
Silver’s inclusive synthesis. Only Lee Morgan
compares as a composer of catchy, danceable, and
personalized tunes from that period.
For many, the Blue Mitchell/Junior Cook frontline
defines the Horace Silver Quintet. Although they’d
appeared on a few jazz sessions, their experiences in
R&B and early rock bands endowed them with an
economical style that never lost sight of the fun. Their
five-year tenure with Silver beginning here in 1959
made them sought-after players. Silver’s blues based
romps and bottomless trunk of infectious melodies
provided the vehicles for their forays into jazz
history.
Opening on the title track, Mitchell/Cook/Silver
state a breakneck theme in unison; thirty
seconds later, the solos begin. Silver gives Mitchell’s
whirlwind fairly straightforward support, content to
sit back at top speed with Louis Hayes and Gene
Taylor. But when Cook jumps out of the plane, Silver
gets giddy and suggests the Cecil Taylor of Coltrane
Time. The pianist’s own solo over the rampaging
rhythm section plays with time, quotes, bunches
notes. He’s subversively modern yet solidly earthy.
“Juicy Lucy” features the horns elegantly arranged in
Silver’s mid-tempo tribute to big women. Taking the
first solo, he repeatedly jams a chord before strolling
the melody home. Mitchell shows off his warm tone
and blues sense before handing off to Cook. “Swingin’
the Samba” gives the keys to Cook after an insanely
quick reading of the theme. The tenor player gives it a sturdy
run, but Hayes’ busy rim work steals the thunder
from Silver's take. None of this prepares the listener
for the deep melancholy of “Sweet Stuff,” a trio
arrangement devastated by minors. Deeply
introverted, Silver plays few notes hesitatingly,
augmenting the overall despair.
“Cookin’ at the Continental” returns to Silver’s manic
phase with an embouchure erasing arrangement
executed flawlessly by the horns. His solo
provides yet another reminder what a huge fan Ramsey Lewis is. “Come
on Home” features a two-beat insinuation that
obviously spoke to Henry Mancini. On the other
hand, “You Happened My Way” echoes Ellington’s
“I’ve Got it Bad” in chorus except for some wellplaced
minors. “Mellow D” ends the set up-tempo.
Five years after this recording, this productive working band would
break up and Silver would scale new heights with a
new group recording, Song for My Father, taking the
Blue Note sound to its biggest audience yet.
This review originally appeared in All About Jazz: Los Angeles.
~ Rex Butters
