Horace Silver and The Jazz Messengers

Yesterday I recommended a Miles Davis album. Today, I’ll recommend an album by someone Miles recorded with, Horace Silver.

Because one of the greatest passages from Miles Davis’ autobiography has to do with Horace and Art Blakey, I’ll recommend this record, which has them both on it!

And no, this recommendation has NOTHING to do with the fact that the album has a song called “The Preacher” on it. Even tho that song is badass.

Anyhow, here’s that bit from Miles:

“I think Art Blakey turned me on to Horace, because he knew him real well. Horace was staying at the same hotel I was staying in – the Arlington Hotel on 25th near Fifth – so we got to know each other well. Horace had an upright piano in his room where I would play and compose songs. He was a little younger than me, three or four years younger I think. I used to tell him a few things and show him some shit on the piano. I liked the way Horace played piano, because he had this funky shit that I liked a lot at that time. He put fire up under my playing and with Art on drums you couldn’t be fucking around; you had to get on up and play.”

For the record, this record IS the alpha and the omega of Hard Bop. If you want to know what Hard Bop is, this is it.