The Stylings of Silver - Horace Silver

Recorded in a single session on May 8, 1957 at Rudy Van Gelder's studio in Hackensack, New Jersey, The Stylings of Silver captures pianist Horace Silver leading a quintet of Art Farmer on trumpet, Hank Mobley on tenor saxophone, Teddy Kotick on bass, and Louis Hayes on drums. Released on Blue Note Records, the album followed Silver's departure from the Jazz Messengers, the cooperative band he had co-founded with Art Blakey, and established the two-horn quintet format that would define his output for decades. All six tracks are Silver originals, showcasing his gift for writing catchy, blues-rooted melodies with rhythmic punch. "Home Cookin'" became a hit after lyrics were added, "Soulville" pairs Farmer's lyrical trumpet with Mobley's warm tenor over a medium groove, and "No Smokin'" drives at a harder pace. Silver's piano style — percussive, funky, and rhythmically insistent — anchors every track and influenced the development of both hard bop and soul jazz. The album sits in the middle of Silver's prolific Blue Note run and is regarded as one of the stronger entries from his late-1950s period.