This is the seminal album that gave birth to the Blue Note Sound, to Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers and to the Horace Silver Quintet. Shifting be-bop into an earthier, more blues-gospel orbit connected with audiences a... more »nd forged the direction that hard bop would take for years to come. Kenny Dorham, Hank Mobley, Silver, Doug Watkins and Blakey deliver Horace's compositions with panache and solo with heart-felt invention. A classic. KENNY DORHAM, trumpet; HANK MOBLEY, tenor sax; HORACE SILVER, piano; DOUG WATKINS, bass; ART BLAKEY, drums Recorded on November 13, 1954 (#1, 2, 3, 8) and February 6, 1955 (all others) at the Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, New Jersey« less
This is the seminal album that gave birth to the Blue Note Sound, to Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers and to the Horace Silver Quintet. Shifting be-bop into an earthier, more blues-gospel orbit connected with audiences and forged the direction that hard bop would take for years to come. Kenny Dorham, Hank Mobley, Silver, Doug Watkins and Blakey deliver Horace's compositions with panache and solo with heart-felt invention. A classic. KENNY DORHAM, trumpet; HANK MOBLEY, tenor sax; HORACE SILVER, piano; DOUG WATKINS, bass; ART BLAKEY, drums Recorded on November 13, 1954 (#1, 2, 3, 8) and February 6, 1955 (all others) at the Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, New Jersey
"This is the first Jazz Messengers album which soon would go under the tutelage of Art Blakey. From there (read the book Hardbop Academy) the group would go through many line up changes and launch the careers of musicians from inspired (Wayne Shorter) to derivative (Wynton Marsalis) and many in between. This has to be my favorite Jazz Messengers album because most of the pieces on it would become jazz standards. Adding elements of soul and later funk to bebop to create the sub-genre known as hardbop does not sound like much today but it was an act to take away the idea of jazz as music for purely intellectuals and return it to its roots but still keeping it advancing in a new direction. Ever jazz musician with any degree of awareness would name check this album. But forgot the hyperbole. If you are a fan of classic hardbop, sooner or later you will run into this album and when you do, do yourself a favor and pick up a copy."
Silver is Gold!!!
Gerard Powers | Manchester, NH USA | 02/14/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This CD got me hooked on Horace Silver and started my journey on exploring all of the great Blue Note artists of the 50's and 60's.
The Preacher and Doodlin' are classic Horace Silver compositions."
The Message is loud and clear!
A Minstrel in the Gallery | Portsmouth, New Hampshire USA | 12/19/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This bubbling brew of jazz by Horace and the Messengers is filled to the brim with funk, humor, and attitude. If you like Blue Note, or jazz in general, this is a cd you MUST have. It is certainly one of the greatest jazz recordings of all time with an all star lineup, including Hank Mobley and Art Blakey."
Horace Silver and the Jazz Mesengers.
Thomas Sorensen | Chicago (there's only one) | 11/19/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Horace Silver and the Jazz Messengers
This is the fourth time in 50 years that I have bought this album not counting the countless times I have given it as a gift. It is the definative album of what 50's funk was. You just had to say "Horace Silver" and you defined a whole movement from the 50's. It is really the real beginning of the jazz messengers and a recording that was important in defining the new hard bop movement of the era. Should be a part of every jazz lover's library."