RIP Horace Silver

Horace Silver was one of the giants of jazz. One of the creators of Hard Bop, Horace Silver brought jazz back to it's funky, soulful, bluesy roots. Furthermore, he was one of the most prolific jazz composers. As a bandleader, he was comparable to Art Blakey, Miles Davis, and Betty Carter, in that getting a chance to play with him meant the "seal of approval". As a pianist, his percussive attack, thundering left hand, aggressive comping, and clear, direct right hand were unmistakeable. Horace Silver has left us a huge body of compositions to play(everybody knows "Song For My Father," "Peace," Strollin," and "Nica's Dream") as well as a huge discography to listen to. I've always thought it was interesting that as great a musical force as Horace Silver was, it seemed as though most jazz pianists don't claim his as an influence. Horace Silver died yesterday after a number of years of declining health. I did a tribute to his music this past December in Portland for the PDX jazz series. Let's continue to listen to Silver's music; let's continue to perform his compositions. RIP Horace Silver.