CiTR

Tonight marks the 86th Birthday of one of the great movers and shakers of post-war Jazz, pianist/composer Horace Silver. Silver was brought to the national scene early in the 50's by none other than Stan Getz, who hired Silver's trio to back him in clubs and record dates.Silver became a charter member of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers when it was a co-operative band.After Blakey, Silver formed his own quintet in the summer of 1956 and began his career as a bandleader.He recorded for Blue Note Records from 1956 to 1980 and left a legacy of recordings and compositions that changed the face of Jazz music. His piano styling pares down the essence of Bud Powell to it's essentials and Silver's piano stylings have influenced several generations of players. It is simple, bluesy and deeply swinging. Tonight's Feature is his first album with his own band . The band includes three former Jazz Messengers, Donald Byrd on trumpet, Hank Mobley on tenor saxophone and Doug Watkins on bass and of course, Mr Silver on piano. The drummer is a discovery of Horace's....18 year old Louis Hayes! The album is called "6 Pieces of Silver" and actually has 7 tunes as one standard is played called "For Heaven's Sake". The album also contained one of Silver's first big hits and that's "Senor Blues". Happy Birthday to Horace Silver 86 years young today.