Pianist Horace Silver (1928-2014) was one of the most important designers of hard bop in the 1960s. The albums he recorded for
Blue Note in those years are considered highlights in his oeuvre. Silver teamed up with
Art Blakey and
Stan Getz and his own band turned out to be a springboard for jazz talent as Donald Byrd, Woody Shaw, Joe Henderson and Michael and Randy Brecker. Silver grew up in
… Connecticut and was born Horace Tavares Silva. His father was from Cape Verde. This influence could be heard on songs such as Song For My Father and Cape Verdean Blues. In addition to many jazz musicians, Silver also influenced Steely Dan, who "borrowed" the opening riff from Silvers Song For My Father for their hit Rikki Don’t Lose That Number.more