Although known as one of the world's greatest pianists, Horace Silver's first instrument was the tenor saxophone. Heavily influenced by saxophonist Lester Young and pianist Bud Powell, Silver was discovered playing at a club in Hartford, Connecticut where his trio backed Stan Getz on saxophone, who subsequently took him on the road with him and recorded three of his compositions.

Moving to New York, Silver got a weekly residency at the famous Birdland jazz club, where he was signed by Blue Note Records and formed the Jazz Messengers with Art Blakey. He also became a member of the Miles Davis Allstars, recording the highly influential 'Walkin'' with him in 1964.

In the ensuing years he recorded regularly for Blue Note, defining a rhythmic style that became known as hard bop, blending jazz with R&B and gospel, resulting in hits like 'The Preacher' and the upbeat 'Filthy McNasty'. In 1964 he collaborated with Joe Henderson on tenor sax and Carmell Jones on trumpet on his best-known album 'Song for My Father'. He also drew on his background to extend his fusion style on 'The Cape Verdean Blues' (1965).

He even took to singing on 'The United States of Mind' (2004) and continued to experiment with fusion music on the orchestral 'Continuity of Spirit' album (1985) and 'It's Got to Be Funky' (1993). He died in 2014 aged 85.

Horace Silver

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