Horace Silver - African Queen (1965)

This was the first Blue Note CD I bought with my own money, back in 1989. My pops had made a passing remark about Silver’s music being groovy, so I (randomly) chose this one from the stack. It turned out to be a good choice.

Joe Henderson and Woody Shaw’s modernist stylings make up a dream front line on this recording, and Roger Humphries’ drum work on this cut illustrates why he became Silver’s go-to drummer in the mid-60s. 

Horace Silver - The Kicker (1964)

A compositional twin to Joe Henderson’s Our Thing, The Kicker is a quintessential hard bop vehicle, establishing Henderson’s credentials as one of the most important composers and improvisers of his generation. Of course, the man whose name graces this album was probably the preeminent composer of his time, and the original hard bop “grandpop.”

Horace Silver - The Cape Verdean Blues (1965)

A foot-tapper’s delight. Listen for Joe Henderson’s infectious turn after the piano solo. 

Horace Silver - The Jody Grind  (1966)

The man knows how to lay it down.