1959 · Album
Blowin' The Blues Away
Recorded 1959 · Blue Note Records · Produced by Alfred Lion
Soul Stew and Hard Bop Wisdom
Silver's funky, accessible sound proved hard bop didn't have to choose between intellect and groove.
By the time Horace Silver cut Blowin' The Blues Away (1959), he'd already figured out what a lot of jazz musicians were still learning: that accessible doesn't mean shallow. This album sits right in that sweet spot where Silver's music works as both serious compositional effort and something you actually want to listen to more than once. The title track moves with a swagger that comes from Silver's left hand—he's got this knack for finding pocket grooves that swing without trying too hard. Junior Cook on tenor saxophone fits perfectly into that world, pushing just hard enough without overcomplicating things.
What makes this record feel different from some of Silver's other Blue Note sessions is its focus. These aren't complicated pieces demanding you sit with headphones and take notes. "Blowin' The Blues Away" works as a straightforward, soulful hard bop record, closer to church and street corners than concert halls. The rhythm section of Eugene Taylor on bass and Louis Hayes on drums locks in tight, giving everything room to breathe. Silver himself stays in character throughout—his piano never shows off, never reaches beyond what the song needs. That's actually harder to pull off than it sounds.
This isn't Silver's most celebrated work, but it deserves more attention than it typically gets. If you already know his earlier masterpieces like Moanin' (1958), this is worth tracking down as proof he could sustain that magic across multiple sessions. It's a good entry point too, honestly—more direct than some of his harder-edged records, more fun than some of his more concept-heavy work. It just swings, which sometimes is exactly the point.
Who's playing
Gene Taylordouble bass
Horace Silverpiano
Junior Cooktenor saxophone
Blue Mitchelltrumpet
Louis Hayesdrums
The Horace Silver Quintetperformer
Where next?
More by Horace Silver
Song For My Father 1964
The Cape Verdean Blues 1965
Six Pieces Of Silver 1959
Horace Silver And The Jazz Messengers 1955
The musicians on this record
Their own records, close in time
