Pianist/composer Horace Silver: "The Tokyo Blues"

Tonight's Jazz Feature is an iconic album by pianist/composer Horace Silver entitled "The Tokyo Blues". It is a series of new compositions by Silver commemorating his first trip to Japan as a bandleader. His long standing quintet here has Richard "Blue" Mitchell on trumpet, Junior Cook on tenor saxophone, Gene Taylor on bass and a very worthy substitute for an ailing Roy Brooks (Horace's regular drummer) in John Harris Jr. and of course Horace Silver on piano. The band as usual is tight and very inspired on this date made in July of 1962. Four of the five compositions are new and written by Silver and a lovely trio track contrasts with the full band tunes and it was written by a friend of Horace's, pianist Ronnell Bright and called "Cherry Blossom". "The Tokyo Blues" is one of Horace Silver's finest albums and is tonight's Jazz Feature.