The Recording Academy Statement re: Horace Silver

Neil Portnow, president of The Recording Academy, Horace Silver and Dan Carlin, chairman of The Recording Academy. Silver, along with Benny Golson and Jon Hendricks, was honored at the GRAMMY Salute to Jazz on Feb. 8, 2005. Photo Courtesy of The Recording Academy®/Wireimage.com © 2005. Photographed by: R. Diamond

Jazz pianist, composer and bandleader Horace Silver was one of the most popular and influential jazz musicians of the ’50s and ’60s. Widely regarded as the creator of the hard bop sound — a combination of R&B, gospel, and his unique piano style — he performed with some of the biggest names in jazz, including Stan Getz, Miles Davis, and Art Blakey, the latter with whom he founded the legendary Jazz Messengers.

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Top 5 GRAMMY Moments In Jazz

The following GRAMMY moments in Jazz are by no means an authoritative list. These are events that come to mind just for me; I’m hopeful that you will share your own Top 5 GRAMMY moments in Jazz in the comments section.

Enjoy!

• During the first GRAMMY Awards ceremony in 1958, there were just two categories in the Jazz genre:   Ella Fitzgerald won the GRAMMY for Best Jazz Performance, Individual with Ella Fitzgerald Sings The Duke Ellington Song Book and The Count Basie Orchestra won Best Jazz Performance, Group with their recording Basie.

Listen to Ella Fitzgerald singing I Got It Bad (And That Ain’t Good).  She has such a beautiful voice!

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Seven for Saturday - 7 John Coltrane Videos

Do you have some time on your hands? Not too sure on what to do with it? Here's an enjoyable way to pass some of that time.  I picked 7 videos of John Coltrane's live performances for your viewing pleasure! Enjoy ~

The first 4 videos are from a 1960s show called "Ralph Gleason's Jazz Casual".

Coltrane performs here with his classic quartet: Coltrane on Tenor and Soprano Sax; McCoy Tyner on Piano; Jimmy Garrison on Bass; and Elvin Jones on Drums. Songs performed are: Afro Blue (M. Santamaria); Alabama (J. Coltrane); and Impressions (J. Coltrane).

It was originally recorded at KQED Studios in San Francisco, CA on November 1, 1963 and first broadcast February 18, 1964 on the National Educational Television Network. This is the only known North American television appearance of the John Coltrane Quartet.

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