Photo: Dimitri Savitski, SAVITSKI / CC BY-SA 3.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
To me, Horace Silver is one of those rare pianists whose joy is impossible to fake. I love that he started on saxophone in small-town Connecticut before Stan Getz pulled him into the spotlight, because you can hear that outsider's hunger in his playing. As a co-architect of hard bop, he could have leaned on theory, but instead he poured gospel and blues straight into the keys. His music never tries too hard to impress, yet it always lifts me. The NEA Jazz Masters honor felt earned, not ceremonial. Silver is comfort food for the ears, and I never tire of him.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Horace Silver
- Name (Japanese)
- ホレス・シルヴァー
- Reading
- ほれす・しるゔぁー
- Born
- September 2, 1928 – June 18, 2014
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Virgo / Dragon
- Origin
- Norwalk, Connecticut, United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- pianist / composer / bandleader / conductor / jazz musician
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Norwalk High School
- University
- Private
Awards & achievements
- NEA Jazz Masters
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Horace Silver born?
September 2, 1928 – June 18, 2014.
Where is Horace Silver from?
Horace Silver is from Norwalk, Connecticut, United States.
What does Horace Silver do?
Horace Silver works as pianist, composer, bandleader, conductor, jazz musician.
Pianist — see all → · Composer — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-21
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.