Hard Bop
Year of recording 1957
 
Repressed 2021
 
Mint unopened still in original wrap
 
Art Farmer! Hank Mobley!! Who would have credited such a combination? Lyrical trumpet and malted tenor.Typically Horace, this is a perfectly balanced set of varied moods and tempo’s, graced with exquisite solo and collaborative performances. Though his mid ’60s work earned Horace the most acclaim, it’s his earlier work from the golden age of bop that is the most substantial. It’s Mobley. It’s Blue Note 1500 series. It’s cordon blue bop, inventive, lyrical, energetic, and substantial.
It may or may not be Silver’s best album, but the best is the enemy of the good, the merely enjoyable can become overlooked.