Cool Eyes

Hank Mobley (tenor sax), Donald Byrd (trumpet), Horace Silver (piano), Doug Watkins (bass) and Louis Hayes (drums). From the album 6 Pieces of Silver (1957).

This is the first album of the Horace Silver quintet. Silver is considered one of the initiators of the hard bop style and listening to this album you can understand why. It’s based on the mix of blues, funk and bebop, and it’s full of feeling. All musicians know the direction they want to go.

All the themes are composed by Silver except “For Heaven’s Sake”, which shows his ability as a composer. Jazz critic Scott Yanow wrote: “The early Silver quintet was essentially the Jazz Messengers of the year before but already the band was starting to develop a sound of its own. “Señor Blues” officially put Horace Silver on the map.”

The theme begins right away and has a rather complicated structure. Mobley starts his solo with a soft tone and jumping notes. His phrases follow one another naturally and without interruption. The group plays a short arrangement to give way for Byrd’s solo, which is solid, coherent and with well-defined notes. The band plays the arrangement again and Silver comes in playing with energy, but controlling the flow of the solo. The whole group comes back playing new arrangements and in this way they finish the theme.