6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Nothin' better!, October 1, 2001
This review is from: Best of 2 (Audio CD)
When I first got into jazz, I was at a loss for exactly WHO to listen to... There was just soo much out there, and there was no one I knew to guide me. Along the way, and early on, I found this CD. Horace Silver is (still alive I believe as I saw him live about 2 years ago) definitely one of the BEST jazz musicians to have ever come on the music scene. Like Art Blakey, the musicians that came under his wing later left far better for the time they spent with him. His arrangements, his compositions, his ear, his direction -- they have all left a mark on jazz that cannot be measured. For all the Henderson's and Breker's and the like out there, they would be so much less but for the true genius of Mr. Silver. This is truly a wonderful album to give as a jazz intorduction. If this does not hook em' and pull em' in, probably nothing will...
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A golden introduction to Horace Silver, July 30, 2000
This review is from: Best of 2 (Audio CD)
I first heard Horace Silver's "Song for My Father" in the Jazz History class I took a few years back and loved it. This prompted me to find more by the artist, and I was led to this CD. I can't even imagine what Volume 1 must be like, because jazz better than this must be mind-blowing. Every single track is marvelous. The grooving "Song," breezy "Serenade for a Soul Sister," jazzy "Pretty Eyes," frenetic and brassy "Nutville," soulful "Jody Grind," and funny "Mexican Hip Dance" are all good songs.
Aside from "Song," the best numbers here are the smooth, suave "Gregory is Here" and the magnificent "Cape Verdean Blues," which is one of the best recordings I have ever heard. Joe Henderson rips through one of the greatest jazz solos ever, chorus after chorus of masterful playing.
This CD is an excellent introduction to Mr. Silver's music, sort of a blend of cool jazz and bop, always with its own special sound that sets it apart from other artists. He's still playing today, I'm told, self-nicknamed "The Hard-Bop Grandpop." Making music like this, we should hope he's playing forever. Definitely worth your money.
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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Best of Horace Silver, Vol. 2, May 13, 2007
This review is from: Best of 2 (Audio CD)
Better than Volume 1
Piece number one is a must to have it
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