Horace Silver
September 2, 1928 – June 18, 2014
Horace Silver was an influential American jazz pianist who is largely responsible for creating what is now known as hard bop. Born in Norwalk, Connecticut, Silver lived close enough to New York City to experience its jazz scene from an early age. After initially picking up the tenor sax, Silver moved over the piano. His big break came in 1950 when Stan Getz hired his band to back him at a Hartford gig. That led to a tour and Silver’s recording debut on one of Getz’s records. Getz later recorded three of Silver’s compositions. In 1951, Silver formed the Jazz Messengers, one of the most influential jazz collectives of all time. He also played and recorded with the likes of Miles Davis, Lou Donaldson, and Hank Mobley, to name a few. In 1956, he signed with Blue Note Records, his home until 1980. Over the course of his career, Silver released over 40 albums as a band leader and countless others as a sideman. Horace Silver was 85 when he died of natural causes on June 18, 2014.
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