Horace Silver

5 STARS DOWN BEAT MAGAZINE
4 1/2 STARS ALL MUSIC GUIDE
 

Horace Silver’s complete original album Blowin’ the Blues Away (Blue Note BLP4017), which is hailed as one of the true classics from the pianist’s discography. On this album Silver introduced some of his finest compositions, such as “Peace” and “Sister Sadie”. As a bonus, Kenny Burrell date featuring Silver that was recorded two years before Blowin’ the Blues Away. The material here consists of two blues and a Burrell tune based on “Strike Up the Band”, as well as a stunning version of Silver’s celebrated “Nica’s Dream”.

Includes 12-page booklet

PERSONNEL:

BLUE MITCHELL, trumpet (out on 2 & 7)
JUNIOR COOK, tenor sax (out on 2 & 7)
HORACE SILVER, piano
GENE TAYLOR, bass
LOUIS HAYES, drums

Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, August 29-30 & September 13, 1959.

*Bonus tracks:
Hank Mobley (ts), Kenny Burrell (g), Horace Silver (p), Doug Watkins (b), Louis Hayes (d).
Hackensack, New Jersey, February 10, 1957.

Tracks:

01 BLOWIN’ THE BLUES AWAY 4:44
02 THE ST. VITUS DANCE 4:09
03 BREAK CITY 4:57
04 PEACE 6:02
05 SISTER SADIE 6:19
06 BAGHDAD BLUES 4:53
07 MELANCHOLY MOOD 7:08
08 HOW DID IT HAPPEN? 4:42
09 K. B. BLUES 6:24*
10 D. B. BLUES 5:50*
11 NICA’S DREAM 9:37*
12 OUT FOR BLOOD 9:04*

Total Time: 73:52

Down Beat original review: Blowin’ the Blues Away

“This is a lovely album, full of the fire and brimstone as well as the revivalistic carrying on that seems characteristic of the cauldron out of which the young jazz stars come these days.” (Ralph J. Gleason)

“Blowin' the Blues Away is one of Horace Silver's all-time Blue Note classics, with tightly constructed, joyfully infectious hard bop. This album marks the peak of Silver's classic quintet with trumpeter Blue Mitchell, tenor saxophonist Junior Cook, bassist Gene Taylor, and drummer Louis Hayes; it's also one of the pianist's strongest sets of original compositions. In short, Blowin' the Blues Away is one
of Silver's finest albums, and it's virtually impossible to dislike.” (Steve Huey)