BNJ-61005

Horace Silver - Senor Blues

Released - June 21,1984

Recording and Session Information

WOR Studios, NYC, October 9, 1952
Horace Silver, piano; Gene Ramey, bass; Art Blakey, drums.

BN450-6 tk.15 Thou Swell

WOR Studios, NYC, October 20, 1952
Horace Silver, piano; Curly Russell, bass; Art Blakey, drums.

BN452-1 tk.2 Quicksilver
BN455-3 tk.11 Knowledge Box

WOR Studios, NYC, November 23, 1953
Horace Silver, piano; Percy Heath, bass; Art Blakey, drums.

BN540-0 tk.21 Buhaina

Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, NJ, November 10, 1956
Donald Byrd, trumpet; Hank Mobley, tenor sax; Horace Silver, piano; Doug Watkins, bass; Louis Hayes, drums.

tk.11 Senor Blues (45 version)

Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, NJ, March 8, 1957
Art Farmer, trumpet; Hank Mobley, tenor sax; Horace Silver, piano; Doug Watkins, bass; Art Blakey, drums.

tk.4 Wham And They're Off (alternate take)

Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, NJ, June 15, 1958
Donald Byrd, trumpet; Junior Cook, tenor sax; Horace Silver, piano; Eugene Taylor, bass; Louis Hayes, drums; Bill Henderson, vocals #2.

tk.9 Tippin'
tk.11 Senor Blues (vocal version)

Track Listing

Side One
Title	Author	Recording Date
Senõr Blues (Single Version)	Horace Silver	November 10 1956
Senõr Blues (Vocal Version)	Horace Silver	June 15 1958
Tippin'	Horace Silver	June 15 1958
Side Two
Thou Swell	Rodgers-Hart	October 9 1952
Quicksilver	Horace Silver	October 20 1952
Knowledge Box	Horace Silver	October 20 1952
Buhaina	Horace Silver	November 23 1953
Wham And They're Off (Alternate Take)	Hank Mobley	March 8 1957

Liner Notes

From October of 1952 to November of 1979, Horace Silver was, with one exception, an exclusive Blue Note recording artist. In fact, his sound came to epitomize Blue Note in the fifties and sixties. And in those 27 years, he created a great body of musical works, many of which are now considered classic performances and standards.

This album compliments and completes his output during the 1500 series years. Horace's first trio session on October 9, 1952, happened quite by accident. This was to be another Lou Donaldson quartet date, but the saxophonist had to cancel out a few days before. Alfred Lion asked Horace if he would like to keep the studio and the sidemen and make his first recordings as leader. Being very serious and meticulous about his music, he took the plunge, but worked feverishly to compose, prepare and rehearse the music. With such short notice, it became necessary to do half of the 10" album that day and the rest on October 20. A year later, on November 23, he made another 10" trio album.

Most of these titles were later gathered on Blue Note BLP 1520. But for reasons of space, four of the original selections were left off. They are included here. "Thou Swell" from the first date has an exuberance and fire that are part of Silver's spirit and trademark, but lacks the use of space that characterizes his later work.

From October 20. come "Quicksilver" and "Knowledge Box". "Quicksilver" is a typical, wonderful Horace creation which was later immortalized on the Art Blakey recordings of 1954. "Knowledge Box" is a lesser known piece. Ran Blake wrote of this, "Especially impressive..."Knowledge Box" is quite a gem. His ideas often contain themselves in 8 bar phrases. The results sound easy. There are even a few predictable sequences, but few pianists can cook with such heat. The 32 bar be-bop figuation has been pared to its essence."

From the November 23, 1953 session, we have "Buhaina", straight ahead tribute to the trio's drummer, Art Blakey. The following year, Horace would make two fateful 10" lps with a quintet that would set off Art Blakey And The Jazz Messengers and the Horace Silver Quintet, the two pillars of hard bop. Those performances were later collected on BLP 1518. Thereafter, Horace would record and tour with a quintet, only rarely playing the occasional trio tracks on albums.

After the breakup of the original Jazz Messengers in May of 1956, Blakey formed a new band with that name. In November, Horace was asked to make another Blue Note album. He used the final edition of the Messengers (Hank Mobley, Donald Byrd and Doug Watkins) with Louis Hayes on drums. The result was "Six Pieces Of Silver", BLP 1539. Although Horace had not intended to become a band leader at that point, the success of "Senor Blues" from this record brought in a flood of job offers. And the Horace Silver Quintet was a real entity.

The 45 release of "Senor Blues", used mostly for the juke box trade, is a different and shorter take than the one that appears on the album. This was a practice that Blue Note did on rare occasions. Of the origins of his first hit, Horace recalls, "I've always been turned on by Latin music as well as blues and gospel. I used to listen to Tito Puente at Birdland and other bands of that type. I was always fond of Latin rhythms."

"Wham And They're Off", under Hank Mobley's leadership, is an alternate take to the one that appears on "Hank Mobley Quintet" BLP 1550 and is just as exciting. This is a reunion of the Jazz Messengers, except for the appearance of Art Farmer. Farmer and Mobley were the front line of Silver's group at the time of this March 8, 1957 recording. So its appearance on a Horace Silver package is still keeping it within the family.

"Senor Blues" was an important song for Horace. 19 months after taping the original versions, he recorded a vocal version. He told me, "The vocal version was my idea. I was hoping to add some life to the tune on the possibility that some singers might pick up on it. At first, I was looking for Jon Hendricks to write the lyrics. But I ended up writing them myself."

By this session of June 15, 1958, Junior Cook was on tenor, Gene Taylor on bass and Louis Hayes remained on drums. As Blue Mitchell had yet to join the band, Donald Byrd was called in. Through a friend in Connecticut, Horace met Bill Henderson who had just moved from Chicago to New York. Henderson, who later cut four single titles with Jimmy Smith for Blue Note that year, was the vocalist.

The 45 release of this vocal was back with "Tippin'", made at the same session. Horace recalls, "We were between albums, so I thought I should write something for the back side instead of using something off the older albums. I guess it was forgotten by the time we began planning the next album."

By the next album, Blue Mitchell was in place, and the best and longest-lived Horace Silver Quintet was complete. By then, too, Blue Note had finished its 1500 series.

With this album, the full picture of Horace Silver from 1952 to 1958, which has been represented by 5 albums in Blue Note's original 1500 series is complete. And it charts some of his greatest growth and development as a jazz master.

Of course, Silver and Blue Note would go on for many years, growing together in artistry and popularity. But the fiery comping and soling and the inventive, meticulous arranger and composer are in full evidence in his earliest professional years.

-MICHAEL CUSCUNA