Coleman Hawkins with Horace Silver - Complete Birdland Broadcasts

"Coleman Hawkins and Horace Silver were only recorded together during the two Birdland broadcasts presented here, which had never previously appeared on CD. As a bonus, we have added Hawkins' complete quartet set at the First Playboy Jazz Festival in 1959 and a seven-minute Hawkins interview, which also appear here for the first time ever on CD."

How great is it that this kind of stuff continues to show up? These are certainly not the greatest recordings ever or anything like that, but given the level of the participants, how can you possibly resist?  These tracks are from the golden age of radio when live dates with the giants of jazz were a regular weekly event. Jump into the 'Wayback Machine' and spend an hour or so transported back to a time when jazz was still popular music in the spotlight.

Horace Silver Quintet & Trio - Blowin' The Blues Away (1959, 2004)

Blowin' The Blues Away is one of Horace Silver's all-time Blue Note classics, only upping the ante established on Finger Poppin' for tightly constructed, joyfully infectious hard bop. This album marks the peak of Silver's classic quintet with trumpeter Blue Mitchell, tenor saxophonist Junior Cook, bassist Gene Taylor, and drummer Louis Hayes; it's also one of the pianist's strongest sets of original compositions, eclipsed only by Song for My Father and Horace Silver and the Jazz Messengers. The pacing of the album is impeccable, offering up enough different feels and slight variations on Silver's signature style to captivate the listener throughout. Two songs - the warm, luminous ballad "Peace" and the gospel-based call-and-response swinger "Sister Sadie" - became oft-covered standards of Silver's repertoire, and the madly cooking title cut wasn't far behind. And they embody what's right with the album in a nutshell -- the up-tempo tunes ("Break City") are among the hardest-swinging Silver had ever cut, and the slower changes of pace ("Melancholy Mood") are superbly lyrical, adding up to one of the best realizations of Silver's aesthetic. Also, two cuts ("Melancholy Mood" and the easy-swinging "The St. Vitus Dance") give Silver a chance to show off his trio chops, and "Baghdad Blues" introduces his taste for exotic, foreign-tinged themes. Through it all, Silver remains continually conscious of the groove, playing off the basic rhythms to create funky new time patterns. The typical high-impact economy of his and the rest of the band's statements is at its uppermost level, and everyone swings with exuberant commitment. In short, Blowin' the Blues Away is one of Silver's finest albums, and it's virtually impossible to dislike. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide. 

Blue Note Records, TOCJ-6421, 2004
Recorded 29th August (#1,6), 30th August (#3,4,5) and 13th September (#2,7), 1959
at Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey 

Musicians:
Horace Silver - Piano
Blue Mitchell - Trumpet (#1,3-6)
Junior Cook - Tenor Saxophone (#1,3-6)
Gene Taylor - Bass
Louis Hayes - Drums 

Tracks:
1. Blowin' The Blues Away (4:45)
2. The St. Vitus Dance (4:09)
3. Break City (4:57)
4. Peace (6:03)
5. Sister Sadie (6:19)
6. The Baghdad Blues (4:53)
7. Melancholy Mood (7:09) 

All compositions by Horace Silver 

Total Time: 38:19 

Credits:
Producer - Alfred Lion
Recording Engineer - Rudy van Gelder
Cover Design - Reid Miles
Cover Illustration - Paula Donohue
Liner Notes - Ira Gitler 

Blowin' The Blues Away

Horace Silver Quintet - Doin' The Thing [At The Village Gate] (1961)

This live set (recorded at the Village Gate) finds pianist/composer Horace Silver and his most acclaimed quintet (the one with trumpeter Blue Mitchell, tenor saxophonist Junior Cook, bassist Gene Taylor and drummer Roy Brooks) stretching out on four selections, including his new song "Filthy McNasty." Two shorter performances were added to the CD version of this enjoyable and always funky hard bop session. ~ by Scott Yanow, AMG. 

Blue Note Records, 0946 3 62682 2 4, 2006
Recorded 19th & 20th May, 1961 at the Village Gate, New York City 

Musicians:
Horace Silver - Piano
Blue Mitchell - Trumpet
Junior Cook - Tenor Saxophone
Gene Taylor - Bass
Roy Brooks - Drums 

Tracks:
1. Filthy McNasty (11:02)
2. Doin' The Thing (11:16)
3. Kiss Me Right (9:18)
4. The Gringo / Cool Eyes [Theme] (12:03)
5. It Ain't S'Posed To Be Like That (6:21)
6. Cool Eyes [Full Version] (3:56) 

All Compositions by Horace Silver 

Total Time: 53:57 

Credits:
Producer - Alfred Lion
Producer [Reissue] - Michael Cuscuna
Recording, Remastering - Rudy van Gelder
Cover Design - Reid Miles
Cover Photograph - Jim Marshall
Liner Photographs - Francis Wolff 

Furious live set that swings insanely hard. And I mean really, really hard. Silver's quartet at this time included Blue Mitchell (trumpet), Junior Cook (tenor sax), Gene Taylor (bass) and Roy Brooks (drums) and everyone but Brooks had been playing together since 1958 (he joined September 1959). Their dynamic chemistry is apparent within the first minute of "Filthy McNasty" and the energy level is just off the scale. These Guys Really Know How To Swing. Highlights? The whole damn album is a highlight. No wussy-pussy ballads or standards to be found, just four really great Silver originals. "Kiss Me Right" is the slowest thing on here and it's still pretty fast. The sound quality is decent for a live recording, the remastered CD may have cleaned that up. The extended applause after "Filthy" shows that the audience was at least somewhat aware that they were witnessing something special that night. ~ Extract by coolidge, rateyourmusic.com. 

Doin' The Thing

Horace Silver Quintet - 6 Pieces Of Silver {RVG} (1956,58)

The first classic album by the Horace Silver Quintet, this set is highlighted by "Señor Blues" and "Cool Eyes." The early Silver quintet of 1956 was essentially the Jazz Messengers of the year before, with trumpeter Donald Byrd, tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley, and bassist Doug Watkins (while drummer Louis Hayes was in Blakey's place), but already the band was starting to develop a sound of its own. "Señor Blues" officially put Horace Silver on the map, and the album is a hard bop and gospel-tinged jazz gem. [Some reissues add bonus tracks, including two additional versions of "Señor Blues," including a later vocal rendition by Bill Henderson.]. ~ by Scott Yanow, AMG. 

Blue Note Records, 5 25648 2 8, 2000
Recorded 10th November, 1956 (#1-8) & 15th November, 1958 (#9,10)
at Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, New Jersey

Musicians:
Horace Silver - Piano
Donald Byrd - Trumpet (#1,2,4-6,8-10)
Hank Mobley - Tenor Saxophone (#1,2,4-6,8)
Junior Cook - Tenor Saxophone (#9,10)
Doug Watkins - Bass (#1-8)
Gene Taylor - Bass (#9,10)
Louis Hayes - Drums (#1-8)
Roy Haynes - Drums (#9,10)
Bill Henderson - Vocals (#10) 

Tracks:
01. Cool Eyes {Horace Silver} (5:55)
02. Shirl {Horace Silver} (4:16)
03. Camouflage {Horace Silver} (4:25)
04. Enchantment {Horace Silver} (6:22)
05. Señor Blues {Horace Silver} (7:01)
06. Virgo {Horace Silver} (5:48)
07. For Heaven's Sake {Elise Bretton, Donald Meyer, Edwards Sherman} (5:09) 

Bonus Tracks:
08. Señor Blues [Alternate 45 Take] {Horace Silver} (6:38)
09. Tippin' {Horace Silver} (6:12)
10. Señor Blues [Vocal Version] {Horace Silver} (6:14) 

Total Time: 58:05 

Credits:
Producer - Alfred Lion
Reissue Producer - Michael Cuscuna
Recording, Remastering - Rudy van Gelder
Liner Notes - Bob Blumenthal, Leonard Feather
Creative Director - Gordon H. Jee
Cover Design - Reid Miles
Cover & Liner Photos - Francis Wolff 

Señor Blues

Gigi Gryce/Hall Overton/Duke Jordon - Signals (24/48 vinyl rip)

A new rip in 24/48! Sounds pretty good to me.


The story of these rather extraordinary records dates back to a short lived label called Signal (thus the title). Signal was the brain child of Jules Colomby, brother of Harold Colomby who was Monk's manager. Colomby had the idea that they would make records of a soloist over a crack rhythm section and put that on one side of the record, while on the other side the soloist would be deleted, leaving space for the home player to now play over the rhythm section. Kind of a cool idea. Jules got his brother Harold and Don Schlitten to become his partners and they found a silent partner investor for capitol. The investor eventually wanted his money back and the label was folded and sold to Savoy.

Sides one and two here are the quartet sides from Jazz Laboratory - Do It Yourself Jazz, volumes 1 and 2. On side one Gryce plays in front of the jaw dropping rhythm team of Duke Jordon, Oscar Pettiford and Kenny Clarke! Side two features Phil Woods in front of Hall Overton, Teddy Kotick, and  Mick Stabulas. Both sessions are quite nice but I think Phil's tone sounds a bit muddy next to Gryce's.

The second record gets REALLY interesting. I'm not sure if these two sessions were ever presented in the format described above or even intended to be, but each is half a record so who knows what they had in mind. Side three is a lovely large band set with Gryce sounding glorious in front of a large portion of the Oscar Pettiford Orchestra of that time. Side four is the BIG payoff though...four tracks of Gryce in a quartet with Thelonious Monk, Percy Heath, and Art Blakey!!! Can you imagine if they DID make a second side without Gryce and you got to try to play over those guys? This second record was later released as Nica's Tempo.

Gigi Gryce - Duke Jordan - Hall Overton – Signals
Label:Savoy Records – SJL 2231, Format:2 × Vinyl, LP, Reissue
Country:US, Released:1978, Genre:Jazz, Style: Bop, Swing

A1         Sometimes I'm Happy        
A2         Embraceable You        
A3         Jordu        
A4         Oh Yeah!        
B1         Pennies From Heaven        
B2         Yesterdays        
B3         It's Only A Paper Moon       
B4         You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To        
C1         Speculation        
C2         In A Meditation Mood        
C3         Social Call        
C4         Smoke Signal        
C5         (You'll Always Be) The One I Love        
C6         Kerry Dance        
D1         Shuffle Boil        
D2         Brake's Sake        
D3         Gallop's Gallop        
D4         Nica's Tempo        

   Alto Saxophone – Gigi Gryce (tracks: A1 to A4, C1, C2, C4, C6, D1 to D4), Phil Woods (tracks: B1 to B4)
    Baritone Saxophone – Cecil Payne (tracks: C3, C5), Danny Bank (tracks: C1, C2, C4, C6)
    Bass – Oscar Pettiford (tracks: A1 to A4, C1, C2, C4, C6), Percy Heath (tracks: D1 to D4), Teddy Kotick (tracks: B1 to B4)
    Drums – Art Blakey (tracks: C3, C5, D1 to D4), Kenny Clarke (tracks: A1 to A4, C1, C2, C4, C6), Mick Stabulas* (tracks: B1 to B4)
    Executive Producer – Steve Backer
    French Horn – Gunther Schuller (tracks: C1, C2, C4, C6), Julius Watkins (tracks: C3, C5)
    Mastered By, Recorded By [Original Recording] – Rudy Van Gelder
    Piano – Duke Jordan (tracks: A1 to A4), Hall Overton (tracks: B1 to B4), Horace Silver (tracks: C1, C2, C4, C6), Thelonious Monk (tracks: D1 to D4)
    Producer [Original Sessions] – Jules Colomby
    Reissue Producer – Bob Porter
    Trombone – Eddie Bert (tracks: C3, C5), Jimmy Cleveland (tracks: C1, C2, C4, C6)
    Trumpet – Art Farmer (tracks: C1, C2, C4, C6)
    Tuba – Bill Barber (tracks: C1, C2, C4, C6)
    Vocals – Ernestine Anderson (tracks: C3, C5)

Side 1 Recorded In Hackensack. March 7, 1955.
Side 2 Recorded In Hackensack. February 8, 1955.
Side 3 Recorded In Hackensack. October 22 & 30, 1955.
Side 4 Recorded In Hackensack. October 15, 1955.

Lament For Horace Silver

I was surprised that the sun could show it's face today, surely the sky should be grey and weeping for we have lost our dear brother Horace and we shall not know his like again!

This is a personal collection assembled this morning with the pain still fresh and tears in my eyes. Goodbye old friend.

I first intended this as a mixcloud but they have changed the rules in the US and we can no longer use more than 3 tracks of any individual in a mix which has kind of killed all my tribute posts.

Horace Silver - Live 1964 & The Natives Are Restless

Well Grumpy's post of a Silveto album got me looking back through the archives and it has been quite some time since I dragged these gold nuggets out of my stash bag. For me, the discovery of these albums was some kind of jazz wet dream. One of my personal fave periods with monsters everywhere and all captured really well and live....GASP!

All the old guard here at the Crypt will already have these of course, but maybe some new friend will have the same kind of knee buckling experience that WE had back we first heard this stuff. The view into what it was like to hear these wonderful bands in the club is like a magical Way-Back Machine opportunity not to missed!