Horace Silver
Silver's Serenade

THE REVIEW

A Celebration

Silver is a very attentive and precise musician. Besides being one of the greatest jazz musicians of all time, he is also a very precise and attentive musician. As Joel Dorn recalls in the original liner notes of this album, part of his success is due to his ability to manage business affairs and to conceive his music as a product to be offered, without obviously losing sight of beauty, research, and personality. Beyond impacting the financial and image aspects of the Horace Silver Quintet, this vision also affects the music itself. Music that is harmonically and structurally very complex as well (a title like "Nineteen Bars" is illustrative), but which the group manages to make immediate. Few notes, carefully chosen notes, lots of melody and rhythm. Silver or someone from his group has never been heard playing just for the sake of playing, without an idea behind every note.

Silver's Serenade (1963) precedes the acclaimed (and rightly so) Song For My Father and, while being on the same level, is much less known and considered. A pity. A pity because we are probably talking about a masterpiece (certainly a 4.5). Five compositions by the leader that the musicians (Blue Mitchell - trumpet, Junior Cook - tenor sax, Gene Taylor - double bass, Roy Brooks - drums) approach in "pure Horacian style". A leader must know how to choose his musicians, and Silver knows how to do it. "Pure Horacian style", from start to finish. Instrumentalists certainly not among the most famous, but perfect for the sought-after sound, perfect for one another. Mitchell is simply like the "trumpet" version of Silver: two very similar musicians, continuously conversing with dizzying interplay, speaking to each other and especially to us. Not to be outdone is Junior Cook: his style is slightly more intricate (we're talking about minimal differences), creating a subtle, almost imperceptible tension which moves the setup forward. Gene Taylor doesn't stand out; he is both a solid base and a "decoration", emphasizing the others' phrases like a friend who is always on your side, always supporting you. And all of this is built on the swinging foundations of Roy Brooks, whose style (for some reason) is also simple and effective, reminiscent of Jimmy Cobb's. And then there's Horace's piano... what else can I say? An incredible musician, astounding precision, unique and recognizable sound, masterful touch.

Playing, this is the key word. With the melody, with the arpeggios, with the structures, playing with rhythm, with pauses. Direct themes, full of well-thought-out breaks, each at the right moment, solos full of joy and beauty. These are compositions with titles that perhaps won't mean anything to you ("Silver's Serenade", "Let's Get To The Nitty Gritty", "Sweet Sweetie Dee", "The Dragon Lady", "Nineteen Bars"), but after listening to them, believe me, they will mean a lot to you.