Horace Silver's Doin' It Right

1. “Filthy McNasty” sounds sort of like Mingus’s “Hog Callin’ Blues” (based on his “Haitian Fight Song” from the 1950s, Mingus often recycled old compositions) but lacking the punch of Rahsaan’s superhuman saxophone blowing and breathing prowess. It’s typical fun, funky blues from a master of hard bop, Horace Silver. And it’s live, one of the few live recordings of Horace Silver’s quintet from this period. Junior Cook’s saxophone is a pure sound of joy. The crowd at the Village Gate this night must have loved this. Oh, and did I mention how nice it is to hear Silver’s voice?

2. “Doin’ the Thing” is an up-tempo minor blues, as Silver introduces it, with a simple, dark bluesy head, lacks the joyous blues song of “Filthy McNasty,” but clearly could easily be a dance-blues number. Once again, Junior Cook’s tenor saxophone solo carries this number, with some strong, thunderous rolls from the drummer to keep him going. Simple, yes, but fun, easy to listen to, and accessible bop. Silver, of course in his element, plays a stirring funky solo. The drummer’s militant soloing also comes through at the end, Roy Brooks almost sounding like Max Roach minus the melodicism.

3. “Kiss Me Right” is very similar to the previous tracks, bluesy, swinging, and, once again, led by Cook’s tenor blowing the way forward. Silver’s funky accompaniment and Brooks’ swing keeps it going, too. Silver’s solo is actually the best on the album so far, deftly accompanying his searching right hand with well-chosen chords on the left.

4. “The Gringo/Cool Eyes (Theme)” is introduced by Silver as a song in the “Latin vein,” which can be heard in the Afro-Cuban rhythm. The head is actually very reminiscent of other Latin-infused bop tunes, especially in the saxophone solo and Silver’s piano comping, reminding me of “Kozo’s Waltz” by Lee Morgan (recorded with Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers). Silver’s perfected tickling of the ivories also pays off here, emphasizing the blues basis of the tune and the hot playing of Cook. Though, like “Doin’ the Thing,” it is a very simple song, each musician is clearly on top of their game, including the trumpeter’s fiery bursts in his solo. Silver’s solo, on the other hand, sounds similar to Bud Powell’s style, albeit minus Bud’s groans and moans while he played. The drummer, reminding me of Max Roach’s drum solos with Clifford Brown in the 1950s, are, while clearly retaining jazz’s origins in march music, also utilizes all of the drumset for funky rhythms containing some hint of a melody.

5. “It Ain’t S’posed to Be Like That” is a fun little number, with a catchy head and slows things down to a mid-tempo swing. With a cute, funky hard bop melody, the band keeps cooking stews of blues-drenched improvisation, especially Junior Cook. Silver’s own solo, somewhat like Bobby Timmons on “Moanin,” which was recorded with Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, works well. The bassist also gets some time to shine before concluding the song, which definitely lived up to the hype.

6. “Cool Eyes” is a shorter number with a solid, bluesy bassline dominated by Silver’s rolling piano and an accented swing. The boys end the show professionally while keeping it simple and rootsy, especially the triumphant horns (I am looking at you, Junior Cook).