Horace Silver and the Jazz Messengers

Horace Silver always had a simple and earthy approach. One of the leaders of hard bop and soul jazz, Silver's funky style of piano was blues-oriented with strong hints of church music, leavened by his witty quotes from other songs. In addition, Silver has long been a major composer, with many of his tunes becoming jazz standards.

Silver first began to be noticed when he toured during 1951-52 with Stan Getz's quartet. After freelancing, in 1954 he formed the Jazz Messengers, a group that he co-led with drummer Art Blakey. He left the group two years later and led his own quintets for decades, being a pacesetter as a pianist, bandleader and composer. Horace Silver And The Jazz Messengers was the first recording by the Jazz Messengers and is a true classic. The quintet (with Silver, Blakey, trumpeter Kenny Dorham, tenor-saxophonist Hank Mobley and bassist Doug Watkins) performs eight songs, seven of which are by Silver, including two, The Preacher and Doodlin', that caught on big. Even the lesser-known tunes are memorable and hard-swinging

-Scott Yanow

A true classic, this CD found pianist Horace Silver and drummer Art Blakey co-leading the Jazz Messengers; Silver would leave a year later to form his own group. Also featuring trumpeter Kenny Dorham, Hank Mobley on tenor, and bassist Doug Watkins, this set is most notable for the original versions of Silver's "The Preacher" and "Doodlin'," funky standards that helped launch hard bop and both the Jazz Messengers and Silver's quintet. Essential music. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide