Horace Silver and the Jazz Messengers is a 1956 reissue of the two previous 10? LPs Horace Silver Quintet and Horace Silver Quintet, Vol. 2 by jazz pianist Horace Silver. It was the first sessions in which he used the quintet format, with drummer Art Blakey and featuring Hank Mobley (tenor saxophone), Kenny Dorham (trumpet), and Doug Watkins (bass), which he would largely use for the rest of his career. The album mixes bebop influences with blues and gospel feels. These recordings helped establish the hard bop style. Scott Yanow on Allmusic describes it as a true classic. One of the most successful tunes from the album, The Preacher, was almost rejected for recording by producer Alfred Lion, who thought it was too old-timey, but reinstated at the insistence of Blakey and Silver, who threatened to cancel the session until he had written another tune to record in its place if it wasnt included. According to Silver, the track showed that the band could reach way back and get that old time, gutbucket barroom feeling with just a taste of the back-beat.
Track Listing:
- Room 608 05:22
- Creepin In 07:26
- Stop Time 04:07
- To Whom It May Concern 05:11
- Hippy 05:23
- The Preacher 04:18
- Hankerin 05:18
- Doodlin 06:45
horace silver & the jazz messengers