Today is the anniversary of the birth of Horace Silver (b. 1928, d. June 28 2014), who has remained one of my all-time favorite musicians. He had a long, illustrious, productive career, and played with most of the giants of the genre. I came late to the party - only really learning of him when "Hardbop Grandpop" came out in 1996. I remember the moment - seeing the very cool looking Horace, wearing black suit, purple shirt and awesome hat - staring back at me from the front of a CD rack at Borders Books and Music (in White Plains, no less). The rainbow lettering drew me over; I asked the nearest clerk what he knew about the album, which wasn't much. "He's some old jazz dude." Thanks I replied. I thought I'd give it a try, so I bought the CD, brought it out to the car (my oh so hip '96 Saturn), popped it into the deck...and WOW. I think I grooved to that album for the next 3 weeks straight.
Now there's a whole lot of musicians I love - Oscar Peterson, Sonny Rollins, Ron Carter, Hank Mobley, Lee Morgan, Charlie Parker, Lester Young, and of course Miles Davis (how I love me some Miles!). And yet there's something particularly magical in my ear and heart about Horace. The composition...the virtuoso playing...the collaboration...it all adds up to be one of the more creative inspirations I've ever enjoyed. Whether writing, event planning, consulting with others and even playing music on my own - a little something extra seems to pump the blood and brain if Horace is on in the background.
He's been gone just more than a year. Thankfully his musical genius lives every time we hit "play."
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