Horace Silver: Cool Eyes

Six Pieces of Silver marks the hard-bop pianists arrival as a legitimate bandleader and bop composer. Assembled from most of the 1956 Jazz Messengers (all except Hayes were in Blakeys group), the record is filled with well-received tunes, especially Senor Blues and Cool Eyes. While Senor Blues may have been the most popular track, Cool Eyes, the quintets set closer, is chosen here to represent Silvers compositional skills. Note the variation-on-a-theme aspect of the intricate melody, and the eight-bar unison interludes that connect the solos, as pointed out by Leonard Feather in the original liner notes. Excellent composition and performance.