Horace Silver: 14 Février 1959

Rating: ★★★

Record and Artist Details

Musicians:

Junior Cook (ts)
Blue Mitchell (t)
Louis Hayes (d)
Horace Silver (p)
Gene Taylor (b)

Label:

Frémeaux

Dec/Jan/2016/2017

Catalogue Number:

FA5641

RecordDate:

14 Feb 1959

Coming hard on the heels of the Zurich studio session shared with Sonny Rollins and reviewed in Jazzwise 210, this is a previously unreleased Paris concert from the same Norman Granz-organised European tour. With his then new frontline, Silver features a similar all-original programme of four band tunes and one trio, but only ‘Senor Blues’ appears on both – and, significantly, the performances here are roughly twice as long. This affords the opportunity to savour the driving rhythm-section and Horace's relentless comping, especially as the balance (seemingly recorded by radio station Europe No.1 at the Olympia) favours the piano more than the Zurich set. It also enables the listener to hear the other soloists, Mitchell and Cook, coping not only with the rhythm-section but with the sheer space for extended improvisation. Needless to say, they survive, although they were to improve in the years to come. Meanwhile, it's a pleasure to hear early live versions of ‘Room 608’, ‘Doodlin'’ and ‘The Preacher’.

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